Tag Archives: Learning and Teaching

Difference between Needs and Drives

In the context of motivation, “need” and “drive” are related concepts but have distinct meanings:

Need:

  • Needs are inherent psychological states that represent a lack or deficiency within an individual.
  • These needs can be physiological (e.g., hunger, thirst, sleep), psychological (e.g., need for achievement, affiliation, autonomy), or social (e.g., need for belongingness, acceptance).
  • Needs serve as the underlying motivators that make individuals take action to satisfy them. It also restores a state of equilibrium or fulfillment.
  • According to prominent theories such as Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, human needs are organized hierarchically, with basic physiological needs forming the foundation and higher-level needs such as self-actualization emerging once lower-level needs are met.

Also Read : Emotional Intelligence (Ability Model)

Drive:

  • Drives are the psychological forces or states of arousal that arise from unsatisfied needs.
  • Drives prompt individuals to engage in behaviors aimed at reducing or alleviating the tension caused by unmet needs.
  • Drives are often associated with physiological needs, such as hunger or thirst, but can also stem from psychological or social needs.
  • The intensity of a drive typically corresponds to the urgency or importance of the underlying need.
  • Drive theory, proposed by Clark Hull and others, tells that motivation is primarily driven by biological needs. Also, that behavior is aimed at reducing physiological arousal or achieving homeostasis.

In summary, needs represent the underlying deficiencies or states of lack within an individual, while drives are the psychological forces that emerge from unsatisfied needs and propel individuals to take action to fulfill those needs.

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Difference between Need and Drives

Use, Misuse and Abuse of Intelligence Testing

Intelligence testing has been a subject of debate for decades due to its potential uses, misuse, and abuse.

Use of Intelligence Testing:

Education: Intelligence tests are commonly used in educational settings to identify students who may need special assistance or advanced placement. They can help educators tailor teaching methods to suit individual learning styles.

Clinical Assessment: Intelligence tests are used by psychologists and other mental health professionals to assess cognitive abilities and diagnose conditions such as intellectual disabilities or specific learning disorders.

Occupational Settings: Some employers use intelligence tests as part of their hiring process to assess cognitive abilities relevant to job performance.

Research: Intelligence testing is a valuable tool for researchers studying cognitive abilities, human development, and related fields.

Misuse of Intelligence Testing:

Cultural Bias: Many intelligence tests have been criticized for their cultural bias, which can unfairly disadvantage certain groups, particularly those from minority or non-Western backgrounds.

Stereotyping: Scores on intelligence tests can sometimes reinforce stereotypes about certain groups, leading to discrimination or lowered expectations.

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Socio-Cultural factors influencing Cognition and Learning

Socio-cultural factors play a significant role in shaping cognition and learning processes. These factors encompass the social, cultural, and environmental influences that affect how individuals think, learn, and acquire knowledge.

Let’s study some major socio-cultural factors and their impact on cognition and learning:

Social Interaction: Social interactions with family members, peers, teachers, and other community members contribute to cognitive development. Through conversations, collaboration, and shared experiences, individuals acquire language skills, cultural knowledge, and social understanding.

Cultural Norms and Values: Cultural values, beliefs, and norms shape cognitive processes and influence the way individuals approach learning. Different cultures may emphasize particular ways of thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, impacting cognitive styles and preferences.

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Meaning of Cognition

“Cognition” refers to the mental processes and activities related to acquiring, storing, processing, and using information. It includes various mental functions such as perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making. In simpler terms, cognition involves the ways in which individuals think, understand, and learn about the world around them. The role of cognition in learning is very important, as learning itself is a cognitive process.

Let’s learn about the meaning of cognition and its role in learning in detail:

Perception: Cognition begins with perception, where individuals interpret and make sense of information from their environment. This includes processing sensory input such as seeing, hearing, and feeling.

Attention: Cognition involves focusing attention on specific stimuli or information. Attention is essential for learning, as it helps individuals filter and prioritize information, allowing them to concentrate on relevant parts of a task or subject.

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Herbartian Model of Memory level of Teaching

The Herbartian model of memory level of teaching does not explicitly address the concepts of Focus, Syntax, and Social System Support System. However, it does emphasize the importance of a supportive learning environment and the role of the teacher in facilitating learning.

Focus

The Herbartian model emphasizes on the development of the mental abilities of the learner. The importance of organizing and presenting new information in a clear and organized manner, using examples and illustrations to aid understanding. It also include cramming of facts along with training of mental aspects. This helps to ensure that students can retain the facts and concepts.

Syntax

In Herbart’s model, the process of teaching involves five steps: preparation, presentation, association, generalization, and application. These steps are designed to help students develop their powers of observation, memory, and reasoning.

The first step, preparation, involves getting students ready for learning by introducing the topic and establishing its relevance to their interests and prior knowledge. The second step, presentation, involves presenting the new information in a clear and organized manner, using examples and illustrations to aid understanding.

The third step, association, involves linking the new information to what the students already know, making connections between ideas and concepts. The fourth step, generalization, involves drawing out general principles and concepts from the specific information presented.

The final step, application, involves applying the new knowledge to real-life situations, and reflecting on the learning process.

Social system

The Herbartian model emphasizes the role of the teacher in classroom. Here the role of teacher is secondary and role of student is primary.

Support Learning

In support learning, all instructional aids adapted during teaching comes in support system.

Also Read : Intervention Model of Curriculum

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