The Science of Learning: Principles of Educational Thinking Based on the Teaching Practice

Description

This book systematically summarizes the author's more than 30 years of experience in teaching reform and educational research. The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the comprehensiveness of thinking and the relationship between the coordinated development of thinking and the overall development of human beings. Part II and Part III mainly discuss the six basic principles of learning and thinking: the principle of the working memory of thinking, the principle of learning transfer, the principle of the basic process of learning, the principle of multi-level development of ability, the principle of sustainable development of learning, and the principle of subjectivity of learning. This book features the rules and characteristics of student learning with a student-centered approach, which can help teachers and educational researchers to better understand students and provide theoretical guidance for students’ all-round development. Name List of the Editorial Board Members of the Learning and Thinking Instruction Guide Series for Teachers Honourary Editor-in-Chief Editors in Chief Editorial Board Members English Translators Translation Reviewers Foreword: A Strategic Study Preface I. Educational Confusion II. Enlightenment from Brain Science III. The Research Questions and Objectives 1. The Research Questions 2. Research Objectives IV. Teaching Must be Deeply Reformed V. The Strategy, Approach, and Achievements of Our Research Project General Prologue: Pursuing the Ideal of Education Contents Part I Thinking 1 The Comprehensiveness of Thinking 1.1 Thinking and the Study of Thinking 1.1.1 Thinking 1.1.2 Achievements and Challenges of Thinking Study 1.1.3 The Study of Thinking in the Twentieth Century Has Followed a Torturous Road 1.1.4 Sperry’s Experiment of Split-Brain People is a Cognitive Revolution 1.2 The Connotation of Comprehensive Thinking 1.2.1 The Concept of Thinking 1.2.2 The Comprehensiveness of Thinking Development 1.2.3 The Brain-Science Basis of Thinking 1.3 Developing Imaginal Thinking is the Inevitable Choice to Realize the Comprehensive Development of Thinking 1.3.1 Imaginal Thinking is Generally Neglected in Subject Teaching 1.3.2 The Limitations of Traditional Teaching Media 1.3.3 From the Perspective of Educational Theory, Single Thinking Theory Has a Great One-Sidedness 1.4 The Comprehensiveness Makes Thinking a Useful Tool for Learning 1.4.1 Universality 1.4.2 Operability 2 The Comprehensiveness of Thinking and the All-Round Development of Human Beings 2.1 The Interconnectedness of the All-Round Development of Human Beings 2.1.1 Aesthetic Education and Intelligence 2.1.2 Physical Education and Intelligence 2.2 Moral Education and Thinking 2.2.1 Moral Understanding 2.2.2 Moral Emotion 2.2.3 Moral Behaviour 2.3 Intellectual Education and Thinking 2.3.1 Definition and Connotation of Two Kinds of Thinking Intelligence 2.3.2 Several Characteristics of the Definition of Two Kinds of Thinking Intelligence 2.3.3 Cognitive Hierarchy Theory 2.3.4 Intelligence and Ability 2.3.5 Intellectual Quality and Training 2.3.6 The Meaning and Characteristics of Intelligence 2.4 Physical Education and Thinking 2.4.1 Brain Science Basis of Thinking in Sports 2.4.2 The Special Feeling of Athletes is a Kind of Image Thinking 2.4.3 Thinking in Motion Skill Formation 2.4.4 Intuitive Thinking in Sports 2.5 Aesthetics and Thinking 2.5.1 The Law of Beauty 2.5.2 Aesthetics and Image Thinking 2.5.3 Aesthetic Emotion and Thinking 2.6 Thinking is the Common Foundation of the All-Round Development of Human Beings 2.6.1 Thinking Reveals the Internal Reasons for the Mutual Influence of Moral, Intellectual, Physical, and Aesthetic Education 2.6.2 The Comprehensiveness of Thinking is the Foundation of human’s All-Round Development 3 The Coordinated Development of Thinking 3.1 The Essence of Coordinated Development of Thinking 3.1.1 Coordination of Thinking Development and Environment 3.1.2 Coordination of Thinking Development 3.2 Coordinated Development of Skills and Knowledge 3.2.1 Skills and Knowledge 3.2.2 Coordinated Development of Skills and Knowledge 3.2.3 Status and Analysis of Skills and Knowledge Disorders 3.3 Coordinated Development of Disciplines 3.3.1 Disciplines of Natural Sciences 3.3.2 Mathematics 3.3.3 Geography 3.3.4 Literary and Art Disciplines 3.3.5 Physical Education 3.4 Studies on the Stages of Thinking Development 3.4.1 Children’s Understanding of Numbers 3.4.2 The Occurrence and Development of Children’s Language 3.4.3 Development of Children’s Drawings 3.4.4 Preliminary Conclusions 3.5 Comment on Piaget’s Epistemology 3.5.1 The Problem of the Uniqueness of Thinking 3.5.2 The Source of the Knowledge of Logic and Mathematics 3.5.3 The Closed Problem of Logical-Mathematical Structure 3.5.4 Whether Human Language Ability is Congenital or Not 4 Modern Educational Media—A Carrier of Coordinated Development of Thinking 4.1 Overview of the Historical Development of Media and Learning 4.1.1 The Pre-language Period 4.1.2 The Spoken Language Period 4.1.3 The Written Language Period 4.1.4 The School Education Period 4.2 Modern Media 4.2.1 The Limitations of Spoken and Written Languages 4.2.2 The Characteristics of Modern Media 4.3 Development of Modern Educational Media 4.3.1 The Preparation Period—Modern Educational Media as a Teaching Aid 4.3.2 The Transition Period—Modern Educational Media Fully Involved in Teaching 4.3.3 The Advantages and Disadvantages of Modern Educational Media 4.4 Modern Educational Media and New Learning Styles 4.4.1 Limitations of Existing Educational Media Theories 4.4.2 The Characteristics of the New Learning Style Part II Memory and Learning Transfer 5 Thinking and Memory 5.1 Multiple Memory Systems 5.1.1 What is Memory 5.1.2 Short-Term Memory and Long-Term Memory 5.1.3 Explicit Memory and Implicit Memory 5.2 Learning and Memory 5.2.1 Focus on Understanding and Memorising on the Basis of Understanding 5.2.2 Visual Memory and Structured Memory 5.2.3 Distributed Review and Concentrated Review 5.3 Working Memory 5.4 The Basic Rules of Thinking 5.4.1 Extracts of the Literature on Working Memory 5.4.2 Summary of the Basic Rules of Thinking 5.4.3 Further Explanation of the Basic Rules of Thinking 6 Thinking and Learning Transfer 6.1 Transfer is a Critical Issue Concerning the Quality and Efficiency of Learning 6.2 The Principles of Learning Transfer 6.2.1 The Transfer of Knowledge 6.2.2 The Transfer of Skill and Ability 6.2.3 The Transfer of Interest, Affection, and Confidence 6.2.4 The Principles of Learning Transfer 6.3 Characteristics of the Learning Transfer Principles 6.3.1 Comprehensiveness 6.3.2 Operability 6.4 The Significance of Learning Transfer 6.4.1 As the Basis of Human Cognitive and Creative Activities, Learning Transfer is Universal 6.4.2 Transfer is the Intrinsic Mechanism of the Connection Between New and Old Knowledge 6.4.3 The Critical Role of Learning Transfer in the Improvement of Teaching Quality and Efficiency Part III Learning 7 Learning and Human Development 7.1 Basic Process of Learning 7.1.1 From Perception to Understanding 7.1.2 The Process of Understanding in Learning 7.1.3 From Understanding to Practice 7.2 The Basic Process Principle of Learning 7.2.1 Learning is a Cognitive Process 7.2.2 Connotation of the Basic Process Principle of Learning 7.3 Development Process of Learning 7.3.1 Learning and Human Development 7.3.2 Human Development Should Be All-Round Development 7.4 Diversity and Multilevel Development of Competencies 7.4.1 Diversity of Competence Development 7.4.2 Hierarchy of Competencies Development 7.4.3 Diversity and Multilevel Principles of Development of Competencies 7.4.4 Significance of the Diversity and Multilevel Development of Competencies 8 Sustainable Development of Thinking and Learning–Resolving Learning Difficulties 8.1 Difficulties in Learning and the Causes 8.1.1 Difficulties in Learning 8.1.2 Causes of Learning Difficulties 8.2 Solving Difficulties in Learning 8.2.1 Developing Imaginal Thinking and Breaking the Limitations of Single Thinking (Abstract Thinking) Theory 8.2.2 Applying Principles of Learning Transfer to Link Up New and Old Knowledge in an All-Round Manner 8.2.3 Paying Attention to Observation and Improving the Skill Systems 8.2.4 Treating the Teaching Materials as a Whole to Create Favourable Conditions for the Transfer of Knowledge and Skills 8.2.5 The Lesson of Friction: A Case of Decomposing and Resolving the Learning Difficulty 8.3 Sustainable Development of Thinking and Learning 8.3.1 Principles of Sustainable Development of Learning 8.3.2 Significance of Sustainable Development of Thinking and Learning 8.4 Reform of Lesson Preparation 8.4.1 Significance of Lesson Preparation 8.4.2 Lesson Preparation Reform is a Weak Link in the Teaching Reform 8.4.3 Suggestions on the Reform of Lesson Preparation 8.5 Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development and Deepening the Reform of Teaching Materials 8.5.1 Making Reforms of Textbooks to Promote Learners’ Comprehensive Development in Thinking 8.5.2 A Case of Textbook Reform 9 Subjectivity of Learning 9.1 Subjectivity of Learning 9.1.1 Subjectivity 9.1.2 Subjectivity of Learning 9.2 Potential of Learning 9.2.1 Human Labour Creates a Brain that Can Think 9.2.2 The Brain’s Potential is Enormous 9.2.3 Learning Potential Needs to be Developed 9.3 Relationship Between Students and Teachers 9.3.1 The Heated Debate About the Relationship Between Teachers and Students in the History of Education 9.3.2 Status and Relationship Between Teachers and Students 9.4 People-Oriented: Do Not Let Any Child Fall Behind 9.4.1 People-Oriented 9.4.2 Caring for Each Student 9.4.3 No Poor Students in Education References