DETERMINANTS OF LEARNING AND LEARNING THEORIES

A research proposal submitted in partial fulfilment of the course Organizational Behaviour for the Requirements
of the Degree B.B.A.LL.B (Hons.) for the academic session 2019-2020.

Submitted by-
Satyanand
Roll No. – 2041

Submitted to-
Ms. Kirti
(Teacher Associate)

September, 2019

CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

NYAYA NAGAR, MITHAPUR, PATNA – 800001

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 DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I, SATYANAND, student of Chanakya National Law University hereby declare that the work reported in the
BBA .LL.B (HONS.) project report entitled: “DETERMINANTS OF LEARNING AND LEARNING
THEORIES” submitted at Chanakya National Law University, Patna is an authentic record of my work carried
out under the supervision of Ms. Kirti. I have not submitted this work elsewhere for any other degree or diploma.
I am responsible for the contents of my Project Report.

(Signature of the Candidate)

NAME: SATYANAND

ROLL NO: 2041

COURSE: B.B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)

SEMESTER: 3rd

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank my faculty Ms. Kirti whose guidance helped me a lot with structuring of my project. I take
this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude for his guidance and encouragement which sustained my
efforts on all stages of this project.

I owe the present accomplishment of my project to my friends, who helped me immensely with materials
throughout the project and without whom I couldn’t have completed it in the present way.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to my parents and all those unseen hands that helped me out at every
stage of my project.

THANK YOU

NAME: SATYANAND

ROLL NO: 2041

COURSE: B.B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)

SEMESTER: 3rd

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is to determine learning and learning theories.

HYPOTHESES

The Researcher hypothesizes to presume that learning theories are fundamental for learning.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher will be relying on Doctrinal method of research to complete the project.

SOURCES OF DATA

1. Secondary Sources: Books, Newspapers, Journals and websites.

METHOD OF WRITING
The method of writing followed in the course of this research paper is primarily analytical.

LIMITATION OF STUDY
The Researcher as a student has completed the project, he has access to a limited area and having a limited time.

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 1.INTRODUCTION

Learning is relatively a change in mental processing, emotional functioning, and/or behaviour as result of
experience. Educator’s role in learning is primarily to assess the learner in relation to the three factors that
affect learning.

Learning needs are gaps of knowledge that exist between a desired level of performance and the actual
level of performance. A gap between what someone knows and what someone needs to know due to lack
of The important factors that determine learning are:

Motive: Motives also called drives, prompt people to action. They are primary energisers of behaviour.
They are the ways of behaviour and mainspring of action. They are largely subjective and represent the
mental feelings of human beings. They are cognitive variables. They arise continuously and determine the
general direction of an individual's behaviour without motive learning cannot occur.

Stimuli: Stimuli are objects that exist in the environment in which a person lives. Stimuli increase the
probability of eliciting a specific response from a person.

Generalisation: The principle of generalisation has important implications for human learning.
Generalisation takes place when the similar new stimuli repeat in the environment. When two stimuli are
exactly alike, they will have probability of eliciting specific response. It makes possible for a manager to
predict human behavior when stimuli are exactly alike.

Discrimination: What is not generalisation is discrimination. In case of discrimination, responses vary to

different stimuli. For example an MBA student may learn to respond to video teaching but not to the oral
lecturing by his professor.

Responses: The stimulus results in responses - be these in the physical form or in terms of attitudes or
perception or in other phenomena. However, the responses need to be operationally defined and preferably
physically observable.

Reinforcement: Reinforcement is a fundamental conditioning of learning. Reinforcement can be defined

as anything that both increases the strength of response and tends to induce repetitions of behaviour that
preceded the reinforcement. No measurable modification of behaviour can take place without
reinforcement.

Retention: Retention means remembrance of learned behaviour overtime. Converse is forgetting. Learning
which is forgotten over time is called "extinction". When the response strength returns after extinction
without only intervening reinforcement it is called "spontaneous recovery".knowledge, attitudes or skills.

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 2.METHODS OF ASSESSING LEARNING

Needs

1. Informal Conversations or Interviews

-An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by
the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.

2. Structured Interviews
- The aim of this approach is to ensure that each interview is presented with exactly the same questions in the
same order.

3. Written Pretests

- Can be given to identify the knowledge level of the potential learner and to help in evaluating
whether the learner has taken place by comparing pretest with post-test scores.

4. Observations

- Observation is either an activity of a living being (such as a human), consisting of receiving

knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific
instruments.
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https://www.wisdomjobs.com/e-university/principles-of-management-and-organisational-behaviour-tutorial-366/determinants-of-
learning-12856.html
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 3.STEPS IN ASSESSING

Learning Needs

 Identify the Learner

Who is the learner?

 Choose the Right Setting

Establish a trusting environment.

 Collect Data on the Learner

Determine the characteristics of learning needs of the target population, patient, or any recipient of
the learning material.

 Include the Learner as a Source of Information

Allow the learner to actively participate in the learning process.

 -Include Members of the Healthcare Team

Collaborate with the members of healthcare professionals who may have insights or knowledge of the patient
or learner.

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  Determine Availability of Educational Resources

Use materials and equipment to help in the learning process.

 Assess Demands of the Organization

Examine the organizational situation; its philosophy, vision, mission, and goals to know what its
educational focus is.

 Consider time-management issues

Allow learners to identify their learning needs; identify potential opportunities to assess the patient anytime,
anywhere; and minimize distractions/interruptions during planned interviews.

 Prioritize needs

This may be based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs where the basic lower level physiologic needs must first
be met before one can move up to the higher, more abstract level of needs.2

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https://www.slideshare.net/mohammeda24/determinants-of-learning
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 4.MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Self-Actualization

Self-Esteem Needs

Love and Belongingness Needs

Safe and Security Needs

Physiologic Needs

Figure: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in relation to Needs Assessment

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 • Self-actualization

Recognition and realization of one’s potential, growth, health and autonomy

• Self-esteem needs

Sense of self-worth, self-respect, independence, dignity, privacy and self-

reliance

• Love and belongingness needs -

Affiliation, affection, intimacy, support reassurance

• Safety and security needs

Safety from physiologic and psychological threats, protection, stability

• Physiological needs

Oxygen, food, elimination, temperature control, sex, movement, rest,

comfort3

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 5.THE CRITERIA FOR PRIORITIZING LEARNING
NEEDS

 Mandatory

Learning needs that must be immediately met since they are life threatening or are needed for survival.

ex.-a person with an impending heart attack should be taught of the signs and symptoms and emergency measures
or what medicines to take to be prepared/stop the occurrence.

 Desirable

Learning needs that must be met to promote well-being and are not life-dependent.

ex.-patient with pulmonary tuberculosis should understand the importance of taking the medicines regularly until
the regimen ends to be totally cured.

 Possible

“Nice to know” learning needs which are not directly related to daily activities.

ex.-an obese patient who just lost weight because of her diabetes may not necessarily need information on “tummy
tucking” as a surgical or aesthetic procedure to remove sagging abdominal muscles. Her main concern is Diabetes
Mellitus.4

4
https://www.wisenepali.com/2017/09/learning-in-ob-importance-process.html
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 5.READINESS TO LEARN

When assessing readiness to learn, the health educator must:

1. Determine what needs to be taught

2. Find out exactly when the learner is ready to learn

3. Discover what the patient wants to learn

4. Identify what is required of the learner:

a. What needs to be learned

b. What the learning objectives should be
c. Find out in which domain of learning and at what level the lesson will be taught

5. Determine if the timing (the point at which the nurse will conduct teaching) is right or proper

6. Find out if the rapport or interpersonal relationship with the learner has
been established (Hussey & Hirsch,1983)

7. Determine if the learner is showing signs of motivation

8. Assess if the plan for teaching matches the development level of the learner
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Four Types of readiness to Learn

(PEEK)

P=Physical Readiness

1. Measure of ability – adequate strength, flexibility and endurance is needed to teach a patient how to
walk on crutches and for him/her to be ready to learn while measures requiring visual and auditory
acuity a patient also affect the learning readiness especially if the senses of sight and hearing are
impaired.
2. Complexity of task – the difficulty level of the subject or the task to be mastered;
psychomotor skills require varying degrees of manual dexterity and physical energy
output but once acquired or mastered; they are usually retained better and longer than
learning in the cognitive and affective domains.
3. Health status – Is the patient in a state of good health or ill health? Does he still have the
energy or motivation to learn?
4. Gender – studies show that men are less inclined to seek health consultation or
intervention than women. Women, on the other hand, are more health conscious and
receptive to medical care and health promotion teaching (Bertakis et al., 2000).

E=Emotional readiness

1. Anxiety level - may or may not be a hindrance to learning. Some degree of anxiety may motivate a person
to learn but high or low degree of anxiety will interfere with readiness to learn.

2. Support system – a strong support system composed of the immediate family and friends, significant
others, the community and church will give the patient increased sense of security and well-being while a weak
or absent support system elicits sense of insecurity, despair, frustration and high level of anxiety.

3. Motivation – is strongly associated with emotional readiness or willingness to learn.

4. Risk-taking behavior – are activities that are undertaken without much thought to what their negative
consequence or effects might be.

5. Frame of mind – depends on what the priorities of the learner are in terms of his needs which will determine
his readiness to learn.

6. Development stage – determines the peak time for readiness to learn or “teachable moment” (Tanner,
1989, Hansen & Fisher, 1998).

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 E = Experiential readiness

Experiential readiness refers to the previous learning experiences which may positively (if the
experience is pleasant and appropriately reinforced) or negatively (if the learning experience
has been unsatisfying, humiliating or frustrating) affect willingness to learn.

1. Level of aspiration – depends on the short-term and long-term goals that the learner has set which
will influence his motivation to achieve.

2. Past coping mechanism – refer to how the learner was able to cope with or handle previous
problems or situations and how effective were the strategies used.

3. Cultured background – is important to assess and know from the patient’s own cultural perspective
in order to determine readiness to learn.
a. Awareness of the culture of the learner is of prime important.

Knowledge of the concepts of transcultural nursing will be a great help.

b. Find out also if the patient understands the language that is being used to
communicate with him.

4. Locus of control – refers to motivation to learn which maybe.

Internal locus of control or intrinsic (within the individual as he/she is driven by the desire to know
or learn), or

External locus of control or extrinsic (motivation to learn is influence by others who encourage the
learner to learn)

5. Orientation – this refers to a person’s point-of-view which maybe:

Parochial – close-minded thinking, can conservative in their approach to new situations, less
willing to learn new materials and have a great trust in the physicians.

Cosmopolitan orientation – Is a more worldly respective perspective and more receptive to new or
innovative ideas like the current trends and perspectives in health education.

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 K. = knowledge Readiness

Knowledge Readiness refers to:

1. Present knowledge base- also referred to a stock knowledge or how much one already knows above
the subject matter from previous actual or vicarious learning.

2. Cognitive ability- involve lower level of learning which includes memorizing, recalling or
recognizing concepts and ideas the extent to which this information is process indicates the level at
which the learner is capable of learning

The teacher must recognize cognitive impairment due to mental retardation require special
techniques and strategies of teaching and the cooperation of the family must be enlisted especially in
the south care activities of the client.

Learning disabilities-and low- level reading skills will need special approaches to teaching
and to prevent discouragement and bolster readiness to learn.6

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https://nursekey.com/determinants-of-learning/
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 6.CONCLIUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

Learning needs that must be immediately met since they are life threatening or are needed for survival.

ex.-a person with an impending heart attack should be taught of the signs and symptoms and emergency measures

or what medicines to take to be prepared/stop the occurrence.

Learning needs that must be met to promote well-being and are not life-dependent.

ex.-patient with pulmonary tuberculosis should understand the importance of taking the medicines regularly until

the regimen ends to be totally cured.

“Nice to know” learning needs which are not directly related to daily activities.

ex.-an obese patient who just lost weight because of her diabetes may not necessarily need information on “tummy

tucking” as a surgical or aesthetic procedure to remove sagging abdominal muscles. Her main concern is Diabetes

Mellitus.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.wisdomjobs.com/e-university/principles-of-management-
and-organisational-behaviour-tutorial-366/determinants-of-learning-
12856.html

https://www.slideshare.net/mohammeda24/determinants-of-learning

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/organizational_behavior/organizational_be
havior_learning.htm

https://www.wisenepali.com/2017/09/learning-in-ob-importance-
process.html

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0144341042000228834

https://nursekey.com/determinants-of-learning

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