Sometimes looking at the theories based on the dynamics of social and cultural influences can be helpful since it aids in understanding human behavior, beliefs, and thought processes. Each theory implies a different approach to learning and teaching, so it is essential to determine the suitable learning theory to follow. Within the learning community, there are three general concepts: Stereotypical threats, Gagne’s Conditions of Learning, and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. These three concepts allow the professor to find an optimal approach for their students to benefit from the studying process.
The stereotypical threat is a theme most discussed currently in the age of acceptance and tolerance. It is a situation in the learning environment when a person feels the need to confront a certain stereotype. For example, over the past decades, it was stereotyped that women have worse cognitive abilities, which is why they cannot perform tasks outside of childcare and the kitchen. However, today this ancient stereotype is destroyed by women, who are academically superior to men (Spencer et al., 2016). Furthermore, stereotype threat appears to be the holding factor of the racial and gender academic achievements, so students of minorities should be encouraged to learn more; their academic achievements should be promoted more.
Gagne’s Conditions of Learning emphasize the creation of proper conditions for better learning and thorough instructions. It includes general concepts from diverse learning theories to observe human behavior shifts to determine the best strategy. This concept puts the educator’s responsibility and makes the teachers design their lesson plans so that the instructions were clear and understandable. On the other hand, Bandura’s Social Learning Theory suggests that learning happens through observation and imitation of a specific behavior. Therefore, according to this concept, teachers have to showcase how to do the exercise correctly to ensure that their students imitate this example.
Reference
Spencer, S. J., Logel, C., & Davies, P. G. (2016). Stereotype threat. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(1), 415–437. Web.