Teaching and learning processes are essential components of human beings, since the survival of all societies depends on the practice of learning and teaching (Mena, 2009). In fact, there is a whole branch of psychology that studies these processes: educational psychology (Pérez & Hernández, 2014). According to Mena (2009), this field studies and provides information on how to learn, especially, on how to master scientific knowledge, attitudes and procedures.
What is learning?
It is not easy to talk about learning, since, there are several theories and methods that explain learning and conceive it as a transformation in the subject (Pérez & Hernández, 2014). According to Pérez & Hernández (2014), what is clear is that humans and higher animals have a certain capacity to adapt their behavior and solve problems, which can be the result of environmental pressures or accidental events, as well as, of voluntary or involuntary learning processes.
Therefore, learning can be defined as the acquisition of novel information, behaviors or skills after practice, observation or other experiences, evidenced by changes in behavior, knowledge or brain function (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). In short, according to France (2020), learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior based on experience.
Learning means paying attention, consciously or unconsciously, to relevant aspects of incoming information, mentally organizing the information into a coherent cognitive representation and integrating it with relevant existing knowledge, which is activated from long-term memory (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). According to Pérez & Hernández (2014), this is why human learning is linked to personal development and occurs best when the subject is motivated, i.e., when he/she wants to learn and makes an effort.
Learning Factors
To understand the concept of learning in psychology, different components must be considered (France, 2020). The first one, deals with the previous cognitive prerequisites, which include the contribution of previous experience and current learning processes, related to the problem of transfer cognitive operations (France, 2020). According to Gomez (2020), these can be, among others: sensory perception, reasoning, abstraction capacity, orientation, memory and attention.
Another factor of learning in psychology are the affective prerequisites, or affective maturation, which consist of achieving the basic autonomy necessary to manage oneself (France, 2020). And at the same time, according to France (2020), it lies in achieving that tranquility that allows people to concentrate on an activity.
In the same way, the didactic experience has to do with the space, with the participants, with the activities, with the group or with the management style (France, 2020). All people work much better when they are in a physical space where they feel comfortable (Hernández, 2020). According to Hernandez (2020), this is why classrooms have become an important element and have a great influence on the learning model: new technologies, new methods, school furniture, light and decorative elements.
In turn, the quality of the family environment and bond is one of the main factors of learning in determining the differences between individuals in learning levels (France, 2020). The quality of the bond is related to the degree of closeness and affective relationship between parents and children and how loved and accepted they feel (Romagnoli & Cortese, 2016). According to Romagnoli & Cortese (2016), families that have a positive impact on their children's school performance and adjustment tend to foster contact with each other, and their interactions are loving, open, empathic, and trusting.
Finally, culture is an important component in learning (Bates, 2015). Because learning takes place in a social and cultural environment, it is important to deal with the sociocultural and group dynamics factors that affect it (France, 2020). In most learning environments, culture is taken for granted or cannot be perceived by either students or teachers (Bates, 2015). In accordance with Bates (2015) this is why it is important to be aware of the influence of culture in all learning environments.
References
APA Dictionary of Psychology. APA Dictionary of Psychology. Dictionary.apa.org. Recuperado 19 March 2021, a partir de https://dictionary.apa.org/learning
Bates, A. (2015). A.9 Cultura y entornos de aprendizaje. Cead.pressbooks.com. Recuperado 20 March 2021, a partir de https://cead.pressbooks.com/chapter/a-9-cultura-y-entornos-de-aprendizaje-2/
Francia, G. (2020). ¿Qué es el APRENDIZAJE en PSICOLOGÍA? - Significado y tipos. psicologia-online.com. Recuperado 19 March 2021, a partir de https://www.psicologia-online.com/que-es-el-aprendizaje-en-psicologia-5347.html
Gómez, L. (2020). HABILIDADES PREVIAS A LA ADQUISICIÓN DE LA LECTURA Y LA ESCRITURA. Chavert Psicología. Recuperado 19 March 2021, a partir de https://www.chavertpsicologia.com/habilidades-previas-a-la-adquisicion-de-la-lectura-y-la-escritura/
Hernández, M. (2020). La importancia de los espacios escolares para motivar el aprendizaje. EDIME. Recuperado 20 March 2021, a partir de https://edime.es/blog/noticias/la-importancia-de-los-espacios-escolares-para-motivar-el-aprendizaje
Mena, M. (2009). ¿Qué es enseñar y qué es aprender?. Uenma.edu.ec. Recuperado 19 March 2021, a partir de https://www.uenma.edu.ec/recursos/Santillana%20Archivos/Que%20es%20ensenar%20y%20que%20es%20aprender.pdf
Pérez, K., & Hernández, J. (2014). Aprendizaje y comprensión. Una mirada desde las humanidades. Scielo. Recuperado 19 March 2021, a partir de http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-81202014000300010
Romagnoli, C., & Cortese, I. (2016). ¿Cómo la familia influye en el aprendizaje y rendimiento escolar?. Valoras.uc.cl. Recuperado 20 March 2021, a partir de http://valoras.uc.cl/images/centro-recursos/familias/ApoyoAlAprendizajeEnLaComunidad/Fichas/Como-la-familia-influye-en-el-aprendizaje-y-rendimiento.pdf
