Vosniadou, 2001
- Learning requires the active, constructive involvement of the learner.
- Learning is primarily a social activity and participation in the social life of the school is central for learning to occur.
- People learn best when they participate in activities that are perceived to be useful in real life and are culturally relevant.
- New knowledge is constructed on the basis of what is already understood and believed.
- People learn by employing effective and flexible strategies that help them to understand, reason, memorise, and solve problems.
- Learners must know how to plan and monitor their learning, how to set their own learning goals and how to correct errors.
- Sometimes prior knowledge can stand in the way of learning something new. Students must learn how to solve internal inconsistencies and re-structure existing conceptions when necessary.
- Learning is better when material is organised around general principles and explanations, rather than when it is based on the memorisation of isolated facts and procedures.
- Learning becomes more meaningful when the lessons are applied to real-life situations.
- Learning is a complex cognitive activity that cannot be rushed. It requires considerable time and periods of practice to start building expertise in an area.
- People learn best when their individual differences are taken into consideration.
- Learning is critically influenced by learner motivation. Teachers can help students become more motivated learners by their behaviour and the statements they make.
