Free Education Theories Essay Examples & Topics

Free Education Theories Essay Examples & Topics

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633 samples

Education theory doesn’t refer to just one single approach. Instead, it is an umbrella term that encompasses many ideas that developed over dozens of years. People are diverse and complicated creatures. The ways we learn are just as different as we are. We try to study these ways to understand the purposes and applications of education.

We use education theories for several reasons. One of them is to understand how the world around us functions, thereby realizing how we, as people, function. Another is to use them as the basis for improvement. Recognizing the process of learning allows theorists to come up with better approaches for the future.

In this article, our team aims to help you write your education theories essay. It is not a simple topic, so we have taken a look at the main schools of thought for you. We also came up with a few examples of education theorists. On this page, you will find topics for your essay and some excellent samples as well.

Learning Theories in Education

There exist five main learning and teaching theories. These are the methods of teaching that are used in the process of education. Below, we have tried to simplify these education theories and models for you. We hope that reading through these will give you an idea for your essay.

The main theories of education are:

  • Cognitivism.

The cognitive learning theory focuses on people’s mental processes and their connection with the environment. Students should understand how they think and how it impacts their behavior. Thus, they have more control over their learning. Jean Piaget, one of the first proponents, looked at how external and internal elements impact learning. John Seely Brown took these ideas one step further. He began exploring cognitivism in relation to technology.

  • Humanism.

The focus of the humanistic theory is the person. Learning is the natural process that leads to self-actualization. Abraham Maslow illustrated these ideas in his famous Hierarchy of Needs. Similarly, John Dewey emphasized the need for highly individualized approaches to the education of every individual.

  • Behaviorism.

Behaviorist learning process theory claims that external forces constantly influence how a person acts. This idea became a basis for the development of positive reinforcement. It argues that rewarded behaviors are more likely to repeat. The thought was further studied by B.F. Skinner. However, Albert Bandura researched the more social side of behavioral theory. He claimed that children could learn simply by observing the actions of others.

  • Constructivism.

Our experiences shape who we are as people and the ways we learn. The constructivist theory dictates that we connect new information with our past and use it to create new meaning. Thereby, Lev Vygotsky developed the idea that learning is different from culture to culture, rather than being universal. Jerome Bruner also advocated for constructivism. He stated that the best way to learn is through trial and error.

  • Connectivism.

First developed by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, the theory of connectivism is the most recent on the list. It is a concept closely tied with technology as it is now an integral part of our life. Connectivism says that learning can happen in online spaces. It relies on students combining and sharing their knowledge. The connectedness that became an essential part of the 21st century gives us more opportunities for education.

13 Great Educational Theory Topics

As you have noticed, there is a lot to say about education theories. You can talk at length about particular approaches. Or you can discuss the schools of thought in general. We want to make your job easier. Thus, you can check our ideas or use our topic generator.

Over here, we have listed some interesting topics for you to consider:

  1. The role of early childhood in the principles of constructivist theory.
  2. How do modern education theorists promote cooperative learning techniques?
  3. The development and application of Skinner’s Operant Conditioning in the classroom.
  4. Pros and cons of sex education from the perspective of educational learning theory.
  5. Discussing differences between the major theories of learning.
  6. An examination of the application of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory.
  7. Is it possible to design a universal learning plan? A comparison of constructivist and cognitivist perspectives.
  8. The sociology of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory.
  9. Assessing the differences between children and adult education theories.
  10. Critical analysis of the relevancy of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in a classroom environment.
  11. The impact of Pavlov’s conditioning on the psychology and health of subjects.
  12. How do contemporary education theorists promote motivation in online classrooms?
  13. A critical exploration of the efficacy of the Wilson Reading System.

Thank you for reading! We hope that this article will be useful to you in writing your paper. You may now proceed to our collection of the theory of teaching essay examples below. Use our online text summarizer to save yourself some time!

633 Best Essay Examples on Education Theories

The Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Schools

The reasoning behind this is that the role of sex education is not to instruct children not to have sex but rather to provide comprehensive and inclusive education on sex.
  • 4.8
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Sex Education – Importance and How to Teach

Information on abortion is also important as it elaborates the negative effect of abortion and how to practice safer sex in order to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
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School Uniform and Maintenance of Discipline

Some prefer to implement the use of school uniform citing various benefits such as improvement of discipline in schools while others see the whole issue of school uniform as a cover up of failed social [...]
  • 4
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Girls Doing Better Than Boys in Education

The aim of education is to expand the ability of people to know clearly how they can relate with others and to bring together their expression for the improvement and growth of the society.
  • 2.3
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 577

Final Exams in a School

The importance of exams is that students of English are motivated to learn English as there are clear goals. The exams are also similar to the activities of the students.
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  • Words: 758

Birth Order and Academic Performance

If a child is in the middle, they may have a hard time finding their place in the world. Birth order has also been suggested to have a substantial impact on cognitive development because of [...]
  • Pages: 15
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Learning Theories of Kolb, Schön, and Gibbs

Finally, Gibbs' theory of reflective learning provides a five-step model which can be utilized to analyze a past event and improve the outcomes of similar situations in the future.
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Why Homework Is So Important

Homework and holiday assignments are the most common tasks that students are given when they are not in school to enhance their learning.
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Conducting Research: Advantages and Disadvantages

One of the major advantages of conducting research is the chance to participate in a broader discussion of particular issues. It is necessary to note that the disadvantages do not belittle the importance of conducting [...]
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Standardized and Nonstandardized Assessments

The major difference between standardized and nonstandardized assessments lies in their sizes: standardized assessment allows to evaluate student abilities in different schools and even states, and nonstandardized assessment is aimed to check the level of [...]
  • 1.5
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  • Words: 606

Are Children Smarter Because of the Internet?

In a study conducted regarding the influence of the Internet on children from low income families, it was indicated that children who had access to the Internet recorded high scores compared to those who had [...]
  • 4.3
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Good School’ Definition and Aspects

Despite this, it is important to note that there are fundamental qualities that a good school should poses. Therefore, despite the fact that school is where learners go to sharpen their academic skills, a good [...]
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Classical Conditioning

By definition, classical conditioning is the "pairing of an unconditioned stimulus with a conditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response". Extinction is the process by which a conditioned response is lost due to lack of [...]
  • Pages: 4
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Moral Values in Education

Schools are relied upon by the community and parents to instill and reinforce moral values among students. Those people who support the argument that schools should teach morality are of the view that it is [...]
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Importance of Educational Management Essay

This paper therefore explores the most fundamental components of educational management; components that help determine what educational management is via scrutinizing how education management has transformed over the years and discussing the impact of education [...]
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School Is Bad for Kids and Here’s Why

Schools are therefore not the only forum through which children can be socialized and it is possible to form a harmonic society without the presence of schools. To reinforce this assertion, this paper has demonstrated [...]
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Flipped Classrooms’ Advantages and Disadvantages

In addition, the tests enable lecturers and teachers to evaluate the ability of each students and reference accordingly. For example, availability of internet outside the classroom setting is mandatory for students and teachers to access [...]
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How to Enhance Listening Skills

The efforts aimed at enhancing listening skills work by the principle of eliminating, or rather reducing the challenges that go hand in hand with listening; that is, the factors that hinder effective listening.
  • 5
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What Is the Purpose of Education?

However, the controversial nature of education is described not only in the meaning of the word. The aim of education is connected with the reasons to have it.
  • 5
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1935

Instructional Leadership

The instructional leadership model emphasizes on three critical role of school principal: defining the mission of the school; administering the instructional program, and supporting a positive learning culture.
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  • Words: 1376

Your Image of the Child by Loris Malaguzzi

As such, adults around her have the responsibility to cooperate with one another to provide her with a stimulating environment conducive to her learning so her talents, skills and knowledge are optimized to be the [...]
  • 5
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1593

Piaget’s Philosophy in HighScope Educational Model

The philosophy developed by Jean Piaget is one of the most important developmental frameworks based on the principles of the cognitive development, and this theory is selected for the discussion in the paper.
  • Pages: 2
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Learning Theories: Comparative Perspective

The teacher is the source of knowledge and the learner is the recipient. The role of the teacher is to reduce threats in the learning environment and make it challenging.
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Reading Accuracy

The accuracy in reading also requires the reader to have the capacity of interpreting or deriving sense from words within the text during the reading process.
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Stroop Experiment: Congruent and Incongruent Words

The core aim of the Stroop experiment was to reveal the differences in perception of congruent and incongruent words. First, the paper focused on the research plan involving such aspects as hypotheses and methods where [...]
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Skinner’s, Pavlov’s, and Bandura’s Experiments

According to the psychologist, the "likelihood of future behavior is determined by the consequences of past behavior". The last type of reinforcement proposed by Skinner is punishment, an unpleasant experience that decreases the likelihood of [...]
  • Pages: 4
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Separation Between Girls and Boys in the Classroom

The right age for the separation of the sexes in the primary or high schools There are various schools of thought on the issues that appertain to the age limit that is recommended for separation [...]
  • 1
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The Forest School Theory by Marlene Power

In the context of the play scenario, the forest school approach would likely applaud the play scenario, given that the child was given the freedom to explore, test out what works and does not with [...]
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Class Size Matters

The increased accessibility of the teachers makes it easy for the learners to address the specific problems with the teachers that would improve the learning process.
  • 3
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Using Video Games in Education

These are just some of the principles that Gee posits, and he makes a strong case for the use of video games in and out of education.
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Scientific Skills and Knowledge Importance

Science and language have therefore become inseparable subjects in the learning of scientific facts and also in the application of scientific skills and knowledge.
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Education and Schooling from Several Perspectives

The position of the researcher is that the primary purpose of schooling, based on the position of the researcher, is to have a standardized approach of passing a set of skills and knowledge to a [...]
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Why Is Early Childhood Education Important?

The social capability of a child is critical in the overall social growth of a child. Research carried out on a child's brain capacity indicates that eighty five percent of the brain develops at the [...]
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Education System That Encourages Creativity

Because of the recent issues regarding the solution of non-standard economical and financial tasks, the need to spur creativity in people has emerged, which can be solved by teaching creativity in schools; however, the given [...]
  • 5
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Communicative Language Teaching

Brown stated that the role of the tutor is to enhance communication among the learners and between the learners and the texts and the learning activities.
  • 5
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  • Words: 3316

Play-Based Assessment

According to the research that the authors conducted, the diversity in the objects used in play can be useful in learning activities, and in the evaluation of how children respond to different environments.
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“Idiot Nation” by Michael Moore

Moore feels that most people in the country may be idiots because of the poor educational standard in schools and colleges as also in view of their lack of motivation and gratitude.
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Teaching Approaches by Dewey, Montessori and Vygotsky

The questions for the discussion between the three foundational educators will concern the meaning and importance of the environment for the learning process and the role and goal of the school curriculum.
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Should Colleges Stop Providing Athletic Scholarships?

This essay had set out to show that sports-scholarships are negatively influencing the academic purposes that colleges were set up for. The essay then progressed to give the reasons for banning of sports scholarships.
  • Pages: 3
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The Importance of Arts Education

In the western world, arts subjects have been neglected and pushed to the periphery of the academic field in favour of the sciences.
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Social Studies in the Elementary School

Young children require the knowledge of social studies to better their lives right from their homes, to their peer groups, in social life with the outside community, and in the world as they grow.
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The Effective Early Childhood Educator

Effective early childhood educators are the backbone to successful early childhood education. Effective early childhood educators must be able to anticipate and provide the necessary emotional and educational support to their students.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2210

The Role of the Assessment in Education

The objective of formal assessment is to establish and evaluate systematically each student's response of the theme in respect to the instructions given.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 539

A Support for Dress Code Policy

Dress codes issues in America have been serious to an extent that students have historically taken school administration to courts because of infringing on individual free expression contained in the 1st and 14th amendments.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1114

Importance of Group Discussion

At this stage, it was important for the students to choose the group leader and the group secretary. In the discussion, each of the group members had to play an active role in contributing to [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 623

Successful Education Process

With respect to a school setting, success in education has to focus on the rights of the learners to survival, safety, development, and involvement while engaging all the stakeholders and creating a favorable environment.
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2253

Educating Special Needs Students

This partly arises from the wide range of differences in the types of intellectual disabilities, and differences in the range of impairment even among students suffering from the same type of intellectual disability.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1390

Cornell note taking system

The model was meant to aid students in the University by simplifying the study process. This keeps the facts in the notes fresh in the mind of students.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

Improving Reading Fluency: Data Collection

The following data collection instruments will be used in the study. A checklist will be used to collect various data in the study as per different tools that will be used.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 854

Educational Psychology Theories for Nurses

The major educational psychology and learning theories are behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Educational and learning theories help nursing educators to enhance their students' learning outcomes through the use of the most effective strategies that improve [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 321

The Value of Education

The main goal of this paper is to discuss the key aspects of the education system in the United States and highlight its value.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 848

Education policies in the UK since 1944

The paper will look at a brief history of the evolution of education policies to the time period of the 1940's decade and then focus on the major development of education policies from 1944 to [...]
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3288

The failure of examination in evaluation

The authenticity and process of examining individuals have been applicable in the public domain to determine whether it is the best way to judge a student's ability and qualifications.
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Maria Montessori’s Philosophy and Practical Life

The philosophy of the Montessori Method is based on a relationship triangle between the child, the environment, and the teacher. So deviant behavior is not the fault of the child, but rather of the environment [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1715

Inquiry Based Learning

To understand the relevant use of inquiry based learning strategies while the real classroom lesson, the main idea of the theory should be considered.
  • 1
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1644

Classroom Behaviour Management

According to Lewis, Roache, and Romi, the ability of a learner to grasp the concept that is passed by the teacher heavily relies on the ability of that particular teacher to manage the behaviour of [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1960

Comprehensive Literacy Model

The attention of students should be focused on the common roots of the vocabulary in use such as the suffixes and the prefixes.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2825

Freudian’s Concept of Education

Therefore, the problem of teachers using psychoanalytic theories often lies in the lack of understanding that the manifestations of the unconscious in a child are not a sign of adequate education.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1455

Jamaican Ministry of Education: Assessment in Education

The purpose of the revised NSC is to promote a smooth transition from one level to the next, clarify the expectations for each grade, eliminate redundant content, and make sure that students are well-equipped to [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1680

Eclectic Theory of Learning

The actions of parents can be viewed as a stimulus which gives rise to the response of a learner. Apart from that, it is possible to examine the application of constructivism because this learning theory [...]
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1676

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky

In the past, learning was thought to be transmitted from the teacher to the student because the teacher was considered a source of all knowledge while the student was considered as a passive recipient of [...]
  • 1
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1187

ICT Tools in the Learning Process

Recent advancements in the field of ICT have led to the adoption of smartphones and browser applications that are based on the running of AR.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1182

How a Student Should Study For a Test

They need to review how they study to ensure they use methods that expose them to different perspectives that uncover more ideas related to subjects they are studying.
  • 1
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 832

Different Tests in the TESOL Program

The tests of this type are often conducted in the end of a unit and are directed at the determination of the knowledge the students acquired and the skills they obtained.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1105

Philosophy of Education by Nel Noddings

One of the most important and frequently addressed concepts of educational philosophy of the present days is the concept of the relationship between social and cultural diversity in the contemporary world and the changes it [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1148

Learning Skills Enhancement

When using the tutorials, the learner will be expected to make notes based on the personal understanding of the concepts presented in the tutorials.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 841

Providing Adequate Resources to Our Students

For instance, the performance of learners who do not have all the required resources is compared with that of other learners who have the required resources to determine the extent to which availability of resources [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 605

STEM Education: Strategies and Approaches for Teaching

Some of the subjects that are targeted in scientific literacy under STEM include chemistry, biology, and physics, with the technological literacy portion focusing on the development, the use and effects of technology to the United [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2215

Intellectual Disability Considerations

The best way to help an intellectually disabled individual is through developing interest in learning more about what intellectual disability entails.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 639

Collaborating With Families and Community Members

Effective school administrators and principals collaborate with community members, families, and the business community to mobilize community resources in order to meet the diverse community needs and interests.
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2908

Analysis of the IDEA Proficiency Tests (Pre-IPT)

The results of the present tests provide the demonstration of the linguistic skills of the concrete child and indicate the different level of capability of the native, limited and non-native English speakers.
  • 3
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1067

Separate Schools for Females

On the other hand, female students from mixed-sex schools are distracted by boys, especially in adolescent stage when their emotional and sexual feelings are high, and they spend time trying to impress each other, while [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 897

Sociology: Off Track Classroom Privileges for All

Tracking was intended for the system to look at all students more equal because of their grades and accomplishments rather than their backgrounds and to understand that whites have been recognized as more apt to [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 567

Sensorial Rationale in Montessori System

At that, the basic principle of the sensorial teaching is to encourage the child to self-learning and self-development. The peak of the movement period is accounted for three years, and the child is to be [...]
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1947

The Impact of School Governance on School Leadership

The traditional school system in most states and territories took the form of the old public administration with school governance highly centralized in the Ministry of Education and the Education Department.
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3596

The Six Facets of Understanding

Understanding is the "deepening and development" of the student knowledge on fundamental concepts and ideas in a given discipline. In the classroom context, the six facets of understanding provide evidence of student understanding of concepts [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 720

Education Act (1944)

This fact was clearly respected in the formulation of the 1944 education act because it outlined that, "it shall be the duty of the local education authority for every area, so far as their powers [...]
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2775

Theories of Reflective Practice

Some critical theories in the field of education are experiential learning by Kolb and Fry, the theory of action by Argyris and Schon, and Gibbs's reflective cycle.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 327

Assessments for ELLs: Pros and Cons

In addition to the above, this type of assessment is widely used in the general assessment of native English-speaking students "Alternate classroom assessments refer to assessments that are typically given by individual teachers in their [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 570

Social Cognitive Theory: Definition and Postulates

The Social Cognitive Theory is an integral part of the theory of Social Constructivism, according to which the essence of qualitative dynamics within the society is environmentally rather than biologically predetermined.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1115

Author’s Philosophy of Education

I believe that the purpose of education is to help students discover their strong characteristics and potential and employ those to become the best version of themselves and achieve future social and financial well-being.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 620

“Nature vs. Nurture” Debate in Education

The theory is based on the assumption that aptitude is dominant in learning and that it is mainly hereditary. Learning is just trying to change the strengths of the bonds i.e.increasing the strength of 'correct' [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 937

Issues Affecting Contemporary Education Policy

The author focuses on the way ideologies affect the development of the educational system. The author adds that ideologies have a profound impact on the development of the country's educational system as well as [...]
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3604

Sensorial Materials in Education

In order to understand how sensorial materials can help a child in an auto-education process, it is, first and foremost, necessary to define the essentials of this process. The use of sensorial materials helps to [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 1388

Leadership in the Early Childhood Field

This is the case because early childhood professionals, teachers, and institutional leaders are required to promote desirable behaviors that can support the needs of the targeted chidlren. I strongly believe that my leadership competencies have [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1429
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