Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Learning Theory Through a Social Justice Lens

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teaching and Learning for Social Justice and Equity in Higher Education

Abstract

Learning theory is and can be a useful tool for teaching and learning in higher education, but there is much to challenge and problematize about many of the traditional learning theories, from the epistemological lens that frames these theories to the ways they conceptualize the ideal learner. Most of these theories were not created with social justice in mind, but even those that are critically oriented, such as conscientization and transformative learning theory, are used to maximize learning Western knowledges in the classroom setting. Altogether, there is room to do more.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahmad, A., & Farrukh, F. (2015). Significance of social applications on a mobile phone for English task-based language learning. Teaching English with Technology, 15(2), 94–105. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1140589.

  • Alford, B. J. (2013). Adult learning theory. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alfred, M. V., Cherrstrom, C. A., Robinson, P. A., & Friday, A. R. (2013). Transformative learning theory. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. C. (1977). The notion of schemata and the educational enterprise: General discussion of the conference. In R. C. Anderson, R. J. Spiro, & W. E. Montague (Eds.), Schooling and the acquisition of knowledge. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K. W. Spence & J. T. Spence (Eds.), The psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 2, pp. 89–195). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2020). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Wiley/Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering: A study in experimental and social psychology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beard, C. B. (2017). Connecting spiritual formation and adult learning theory: An examination of common principles. Christian Education Journal, 14(2), 247–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bongers, A., Northoff, G., & Flynn, A. B. (2019). Working with mental models to learn and visualize a new reaction mechanism. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 20(3), 554–569. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00060g.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bower, G. H., & Hilgard, E. R. (1981). Theories of learning (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brigham, S. M. (2011). Braided stories and bricolaged symbols: Critical reflection and transformative learning theory for teachers. McGill Journal of Education, 46(1), 41–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruffee, K. A. (1984). Collaborative learning and the “conversation of mankind.” College English, 46(7), 635–652. https://www.jstor.org/stable/376924.

  • Bryan, L. C., Vincent, R., Shaqlaih, A., & Moss, G. (2013). Behaviorism and behavioral learning theory. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bullock-Yowell, E., Katz, S., Reardon, R., & Gary, P. (2012). The roles of negative career thinking and career problem-solving self-efficacy in career exploratory behavior. The Professional Counselor, 2, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.15241/eby.2.2.102.

  • Carpenter, S. (2012). Centering Marxist-Feminist theory in adult learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 62(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713510392767.

  • Churcher, K. M. A., Downs, E., & Tweksbury, D. (2014). “Friending” Vygotsky: A social constructivist pedagogy of knowledge building through classroom social media use. Journal of Effective Teaching, 14(1), 33–50. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1060440.

  • Coryell, J. E. (2011). The foreign city as classroom: Adult learning in study abroad. Adult Learning, 22(3), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/104515951102200301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, M. P. (1994). Psychology of learning for instruction. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of learning for instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. New York: Scribner/Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, S. L., Eddy, S. M. D., Smtih, M. K., Okoroafor, M., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. PNAS, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1991). The unschooled mind: How children think and how schools should teach. New York: Basic Books Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (2018). Multiple approaches to understanding. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists … in their own words (2nd ed., pp. 129–138). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Georgiou, G. K., & Das, J. P. (2015). University students with poor reading comprehension: The hidden cognitive processing deficit. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(5), 535–545. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219413513924.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Güler, S., & Özkan, Y. (2018). Podcast applications in pre-service language teacher education from a constructivist perspective. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 10(3), 131–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haase, R. F., Jome, L. M., Ferreira, J. A., Santos, E. J. R., Connacher, C. C., & Sendrowitz, K. (2014). Individual differences in capacity for tolerating information overload are related to differences in culture and temperament. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(5), 728–751. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022113519852.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Humphries, B., & Martin, M. (2000). Unsettling the ‘learning community’: From dialogue to ‘difference?’ Community, Work, & Family, 3(3), 279–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, C. (2018). Affective dimensions of learning. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists … in their own words (2nd ed., pp.139–152). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaafar, R., & Schwartz, J. (2018). Applying holistic adult learning theory to the study of calculus. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 15(3). https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol15/iss3/6.

  • Jarvis, P. (2018). Learning to be a person in society: Learning to be me. In K. Illeris (Ed.), Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists … in their own words (2nd ed., pp. 15–28). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaworski, B. (1994). Investigating mathematics teaching: A constructivist enquiry. London: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 31(3/4), 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3103&4_4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonassen, D. H. (1991). Objectivism versus constructivism: Do we need a new philosophical paradigm? Educational Technology and Research and Development, 39, 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02296434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khoza, H. C., & Nyamupangedengu, E. (2018). Prompts used by biology lecturers in large lecture group settings to promote student interaction. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(3), 386–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2018.1542553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschner, P. A., Sweller, J., & Clark, R. E. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 75–86. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep4102_1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, N. F. (2019). The shape activity: Social constructivism in the psychology classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 46(1), 87–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628318816181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knowles, M. S. (1988). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lange, C., Costley, J., & Han, S.-L. (2017). The effects of extraneous load on the relationship between self-regulated effort and germane load within an e-learning environment. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i5.3028.

  • Lindeman, E. C. (1961). The meaning of adult education. Montreal: Harvest House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malik, M. (2016). Assessment of a professional development program on adult learning theory. Libraries and the Academy, 16(1), 47-70. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2016.0007.

  • McCray, K. H. (2016). Gallery educators as adult learners: The active application of adult learning theory. Journal of Museum Education, 41(1), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2015.1126058.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, S. (2013). Working with language learner histories from three perspectives: Teachers, learners and researchers. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 3(2), 161. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2013.3.2.2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2014). Adult learning: Bridging theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J. (1996). Contemporary paradigms of learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 46(3), 158–173. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/074171369604600303.

  • Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning to think like an adult. In J. Mezirow & Associates (Eds.), Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in process (pp. 3–33). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.463.1039&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

  • Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative learning as discourse. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(1), 58-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344603252172. 

  • Morris, T. H. (2019). Adaptivity through self-directed learning to meet the challenges of our ever-changing world. Adult Learning, 30(2), 56–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159518814486.

  • Narayan, R., Rodriguez, C., Araujo, J., Shaqlaih, A., & Moss, G. (2013). Constructivism—Constructivist learning theory. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ndlovu, Z., & Brijlall, D. (2015). Pre-service teachers’ mental constructions of concepts in matrix algebra. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10288457.2015.1028717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paciotti, K. D. (2013). Cognitivism: Ways of knowing. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papert, S. (1990). Introduction. In I. Harel (Ed.), Constructionist learning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Media Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parson, L. (2019). Polygamy, women, and higher education – life after Mormon fundamentalism. New York, NY: Palgrave.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polat, A., Doğan, S., & Demir, S. B. (2015). The constructivist approach? I have heard about it but I have never seen it “An example of exploratory sequential mixed design study”. International Journal of Higher Education, 5(1), 62–82. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v5n1p62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, T. V., Gustavs, J., & Mach, H. G. (2012). Becoming an expert: A review of adult learning theory and implications for vocational training in ophthalmology. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, 40, 519–526. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9071.2011.02716.x.

  • Savin-Baden, M., & Major, C. H. (2013). Qualitative research: The essential guide to research and practice. London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schunk, D. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3), 207–231. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2603&4_2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner, B. F. (1991). Behavior of organisms. Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. A., & Kimball, D. R. (2010). Feedback timing in semantic learning: Spacing and the delay-retention effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(1), 80–95. https://doi.org/10.1037/e527342012-652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snelbecker, G. E. (1983). Learning theory, instructional theory, and psychoeducational design. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorden, S. D. (2013). The cognitive theory of multimedia learning. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanage, S. M. (1994). Charles Sanders Peirce’s pragmaticism and praxis of adult learning theory: Signs, interpretation, and learning how to learn in the post-modern age. Thresholds in Education, 20(2–3), 10–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiller, K., Petzold, K., & Zinnbauer, P. (2011). Presentation time concerning system-paced multimedia instructions and the superiority of learner pacing. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27, 693–708. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.945.

  • Tareilo, J. (2013). Stage theory of cognitive development. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, C. (2017). From systemic exclusion to systemic inclusion: A critical look at museums. Journal of Museum Education, 42(2), 155–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2017.1305864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tisdell, E. (2003). Exploring Spirituality and culture in adult and higher education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter, P. (2019). Innovations in teaching adult education: Living history museums and transformative learning in the university classroom. Adult Learning, 30(3), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159519826074.

  • Wang, J., Yu, W.-C. W., & Wu, E. (2013). Empowering mobile assisted social e-learning: Students’ expectations and perceptions. World Journal of Education, 3(2), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.5430/wje.v3n2p59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, F.-Y., Chang, C.-Y., Chien, W.-R., Chien, Y.-T., & Tseng, Y.-H. (2013). Tracking learners’ visual attention during a multimedia presentation in a real classroom. Computers & Education, 62, 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yarbrough, J. R. (2018). Adapting adult learning theory to support innovative, advanced, online learning—WVMD Model. Research in Higher Education Journal, 35, 1-15. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1194405.pdf.

  • Yildirim, M., & Yelken, T. Y. (2019). The development of transformative learning scale for information and communication technologies. Technology, Knowledge, and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-019-09424-7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, R., Smith, D., Luptak, M., Hill, R., Hill, J., & Rupper, R. (2016). Does visual redundancy inhibit older persons’ information processing in learning? Educational Gerontology, 42(9), 635–645. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2016.1205365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zijdemans-Boudreau, A., Moss, G., & Lee, C. G. (2013). Experiential learning theory. In B. J. Irby, G. Brown, R. Lara-Alecia, & S. Jackson (Eds.), The handbook of educational theories. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA

    Laura Parson

  2. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Claire Major

Authors
  1. Laura Parson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Claire Major
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Parson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA

    Laura Parson

  2. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

    C. Casey Ozaki

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Parson, L., Major, C. (2020). Learning Theory Through a Social Justice Lens. In: Parson, L., Ozaki, C. (eds) Teaching and Learning for Social Justice and Equity in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44939-1_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44939-1_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-44938-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-44939-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation