Teaching and learning concepts in educational practice

Teaching and Learning

Review of an Education Journal Article

In their article regarding teaching learning strategies, Weinstein and Mayer (1983) define what a learning strategy is, give some implications for teachers, and conclude with an examination of several different kinds of learning strategies. To begin, the authors call learning strategies, "behaviors and thoughts in which a learner engages and which are intended to influence the learner's encoding process" (pg. 3). Thus, tasks that motivate learners, allow them to organize, or otherwise aid them in their learning can all be considered learning strategies. According to the authors, it is important that students learn to develop such strategies as a way to handle both their own thinking and the information that they gather in school. According to the authors, "Learning is an active processes that occurs within the learner and that can be influenced by the learner" (pg. 3). Teachers must be prepared, then, to encourage students not only to learn what has been set out for them, but also to learn how to learn by adopting learning strategies. The authors conclude -- before a call for more research and a caveat that its findings will further alter these strategies -- with a list of some learning strategies. These include rehearsal strategies, elaboration strategies, organization strategies, comprehension monitoring strategies, and affective strategies.

Because Weinstein and Mayer (1983) reference new research in the article, it can be assumed that this article was penned in order to inform others about the new research on learning strategies and how to implement it in the classroom. Although the article is short, it is clear that Weinstein and Mayer (1983) had a research problem the elusive nature of learning strategies. The researchers wanted to define and give examples of strategies for learning for teachers, in addition to pointing out the teacher's role in the development of student's learning strategies.

Because of its focus on students, then, it is safe to say that the underlying theoretical model of this article is progressivism, the belief that one must focus on the student as the center of the educational process rather than the teacher. Learning strategies do this inherently by focusing on the student and his or her capacity to learn rather than by what methods the teacher chooses to teach. Because this study was done during the dawn of learning strategies, the paper takes the form of a literature review rather than primary research. As such, the data is presented in the form of findings. The authors provide a definitive definition of learning strategies as well as giving a list of types of learning strategies that students have been known to employ and that the research to this date finds credible. Based on this, the authors conclude that teachers need to assist students with how to learn in addition to what to learn. They similarly conclude that as research into the strategies continues, they will be likely to affect and grow the implications of learning strategies.