LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Learning: Meaning, Nature, Types and Learning Curves
Every teaching decision rests on one question: how do children learn? Before studying the famous theories of Thorndike, Pavlov, Skinner and others, you need a clear idea of what learning is, what kinds of learning exist, and how progress in learning can be shown on a graph. This lesson covers the meaning, nature and types of learning and the learning curve, all of which appear regularly in APTET Child Development and Pedagogy questions.
Meaning and nature of learning
Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour, knowledge or skill that results from experience or practice. Three parts of this definition matter for the exam:
- Relatively permanent: temporary changes caused by fatigue, illness or drugs are not learning.
- Change in behaviour or potential behaviour: a child may learn something and show it later.
- Due to experience or practice: changes caused only by maturation (natural growth, such as a baby starting to walk) are not learning in the strict sense.
Some well-known definitions are often quoted in exam guides. Gates described learning as the modification of behaviour through experience, and Woodworth described it as any activity that develops the individual and makes later behaviour different. You do not need exact wording; remember the common idea of change through experience.
Nature (characteristics) of learning
| Characteristic | What it means in class |
|---|---|
| Learning is a process, not only a product | Children learn through steps, mistakes and practice |
| Learning is continuous and lifelong | It happens at home, school and play, from birth onwards |
| Learning is purposeful and goal-directed | Children learn faster when they see a reason |
| Learning is active | The child must think, do and respond, not just listen |
| Learning can be positive or negative | A child may learn a wrong method or a bad habit too |
| Learning transfers | What is learnt in one situation helps (or hinders) in another |
| Learning is influenced by the environment | Home, school and community all shape it |
Types of learning
Learning can be grouped in different ways. The grouping below follows the three domains of behaviour plus common forms named in textbooks.
| Type | Meaning | Primary-class example |
|---|---|---|
| Motor learning | skills involving muscle movement and coordination | writing letters, skipping, drawing |
| Verbal learning | learning words, symbols and language | spelling, rhymes, tables |
| Concept learning | forming a general idea from many examples | learning what a “triangle” or “mammal” is |
| Problem-solving learning | applying knowledge to a new difficulty | working out how to share 12 laddus among 4 children |
| Perceptual learning | improving the ability to notice and interpret | telling “b” from “d” |
| Attitude and value learning | forming likes, dislikes and values | learning to respect classmates of every background |
| Rote vs meaningful learning | memorising without understanding vs linking to what is known | chanting a definition vs explaining it with an example |
Robert Gagné described learning as a hierarchy from simple to complex: signal learning, stimulus-response learning, chaining, verbal association, discrimination learning, concept learning, rule learning and problem solving. For the exam, remember that problem solving sits at the top and signal learning at the bottom.
Learning curves and the plateau
A learning curve is a graph of progress in learning over time or trials. Practice (trials or time) is shown on the horizontal axis and performance (scores, speed, correct responses) on the vertical axis.
| Type of curve | Shape of progress | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|
| Negatively accelerated | fast progress at first, then slower | learning a simple skill or an easy task; the most common type |
| Positively accelerated | slow at first, then faster | a difficult new task, where basics take time |
| Combined (S-shaped) | slow, then fast, then slow again | learning a complex skill such as typing or a new language |
| Linear (straight-line) | equal gains in every trial | rare in real life |
Plateau
A plateau is a flat stretch on the learning curve where no improvement is seen for some time, even though practice continues. It does not mean learning has stopped for ever.
- Causes: fatigue or boredom, loss of motivation, a wrong or outdated method, illness, moving from a lower to a higher level of skill (the learner is reorganising habits), or reaching a physiological limit.
- Remedies: change the method, give rest and variety, set short new goals, give encouraging feedback, and break the task into smaller parts.
Example
Ravi, in Class 4, is learning multiplication tables. In the first week his correct answers rise from 10 to 30 a day; in the second week, they rise only from 30 to 35; for the next five days, they stay at 35. His teacher, Mrs Lakshmi, sees a plateau, switches from chanting to a tables game with number cards, and his score rises again.
Exam focus
- Changes due only to maturation, fatigue or drugs are not learning.
- “Fast first, slow later” = negatively accelerated curve (most common). “Slow first, fast later” = positively accelerated.
- A plateau is a temporary halt in progress; it is not forgetting.
- Memory aid for curve types: “Negative = Near the top quickly; Positive = Patience first.”
Key takeaways
- Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience or practice.
- Learning is a continuous, active, purposeful process that can be positive or negative.
- Types include motor, verbal, concept, problem-solving, perceptual and attitude learning.
- Gagné’s hierarchy runs from signal learning up to problem solving.
- The negatively accelerated curve is the most common learning curve.
- A plateau is a temporary flat stage; a change of method, rest and motivation help.
Practice
- Which of the following is NOT an example of learning?
- (A) A child learns to ride a bicycle
- (B) A tired child reads more slowly in the evening
- (C) A child learns to spell new words
- (D) A child learns to share toys
- A learning curve that shows rapid progress at first and slower progress later is called:
- (A) a negatively accelerated curve
- (B) a positively accelerated curve
- (C) a linear curve
- (D) a plateau
- A flat stretch in a learning curve, where no improvement appears for a time, is called:
- (A) extinction
- (B) forgetting
- (C) transfer
- (D) a plateau
- Learning to write letters neatly is mainly an example of:
- (A) verbal learning
- (B) attitude learning
- (C) motor learning
- (D) concept learning
- In Gagné’s hierarchy of learning, the highest type is:
- (A) signal learning
- (B) chaining
- (C) concept learning
- (D) problem solving
- A child forms the idea of “fruit” after seeing mangoes, bananas and guavas. This is:
- (A) concept learning
- (B) motor learning
- (C) signal learning
- (D) rote learning
- A child’s progress on a typing task is slow at first, then fast, then slow again. The curve is:
- (A) linear
- (B) combined or S-shaped
- (C) negatively accelerated
- (D) plateau only
- A teacher notices that a class has stopped improving in mental maths for two weeks. The best first step is to:
- (A) increase the same drill to double the time
- (B) declare the topic finished
- (C) punish the slow learners
- (D) change the method, add variety and set small new goals
Answers and explanations (tap to show)
- (B) Slower reading caused by fatigue is a temporary change, not learning.
- (A) A negatively accelerated curve rises quickly at first and then levels off; it is the most common type.
- (D) A plateau is a temporary period of no visible progress; it is not forgetting or extinction.
- (C) Neat handwriting depends on muscle control and coordination, so it is motor learning.
- (D) Gagné placed problem solving at the top of the hierarchy and signal learning at the bottom.
- (A) Forming a general idea from several examples is concept learning.
- (B) Slow, fast, then slow progress gives an S-shaped or combined curve.
- (D) Plateaus are usually overcome by changing the method, giving variety and rest, and setting short goals; more of the same drill rarely helps.