Opinion: Understanding Cognitivism Learning Theory

 Understanding the Cognitivism Learning Theory

 

By: Madah Ikrimatul ‘Azmi

Chemistry Education Student

Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training

UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta

madahikrimatulazmi@gmail.com

 

 

A. Definition of the Cognitivism Learning Theory

       As times develop, learning systems must be developed in order to improve students' learning abilities and must have a strong empirical basis to support the teaching profession in learning activities. To support such a learning system, a cognitive theory is needed that can be represented in teaching and learning activities. Cognitive comes from the word cognition, which means the arrangement, use and knowledge. This learning theory emphasises the learning process rather than the learning outcome (Bahruddin et al., 2012: 27). According to Jerome Bruner, to teach something there is no need to wait until a child reaches a certain age; rather, if the learning material is arranged well, it can be given to the child. Human cognitive development can be seen through the development of the surrounding culture and environment. For Bruner, there are many aspects that can influence a person's social development, such as the development of the surrounding culture, especially language, which can have a great influence on it. An individual's interaction with the surrounding environment can improve the learning process. Individual interaction with other people plays an important role, for example through the exchange of ideas with others about something observed, so that a view that was initially subjective becomes objective.

Cognitive theory also emphasises that the parts of a situation are interrelated with the whole context. Separating learning material into small components will cause that cognitive meaning to be lost. In learning, cognitivism recognises the importance of individual factors in learning without underestimating external or environmental factors. It is a process or effort involving mental activity that occurs within a person as a result of active interaction with the environment or other individuals, in order to obtain a change in form, understanding, knowledge, behaviour, as well as values and attitudes that is relatively lasting and leaves traces. For example, a person goes to the zoo and observes several animals there. While observing, mental activity occurs. Then he tells his friend about the experience. When he tells about what he observed, he cannot bring forth the objects he saw at the zoo; he can only describe them through words or sentences. Thus a learning process occurs that gives rise to change, especially a change in knowledge and understanding. If the change in knowledge and understanding gives rise to a change in attitude, then a change in attitude occurs, and so on.

B. Cognitivism Learning Theory According to the Experts

1. According to Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget is an expert in cognitivism who has had great influence; he proposed that a child's cognitive development consists of several stages. According to Piaget, cognitive development is a genetic process, meaning a process based on the biological mechanisms of nervous system development. As a person gets older, the structure of their nerve cells becomes more complex and their abilities increase. Piaget divided the learning process into three stages, namely:

1. Assimilation, namely the process of integrating new information into existing cognitive structures.
2. Accommodation, namely the process of adjusting cognitive structures to new situations.
3. Equilibration, namely the continuous adjustment process between assimilation and accommodation. This acts as a balancer so that students can continue to develop and add to their knowledge.

Piaget held that learning is a process of adjusting, developing and integrating new knowledge into the cognitive structures a person already has. The learning process must be adapted to the stages of cognitive development that students go through, which are divided into four stages, namely:

1. Sensorimotor stage (children aged birth-2 years)
2. Preoperational stage (children aged 2-8 years)
3. Concrete operational stage (children aged 7/8-12/14 years)
4. Formal operational stage (children aged over 14 years)

2. According to Jerome Bruner

Jerome Bruner stated that the basis of this theory is that every person already has knowledge and experience within themselves, arranged in the form of cognitive structures, which then go through a learning stage as a change in perception and understanding of what they discover. Unlike Piaget, Bruner saw human cognitive development as related to culture. For Bruner, a person's cognitive development is strongly influenced by the cultural environment, especially the language that is commonly used. Therefore, language development has a great influence on cognitive development. According to Bruner, cognitive development is divided into three stages, namely:

1. Enactive, namely the effort/activity of recognising and understanding the environment through observation and experience of a reality.
2.  Iconic, namely students see the world through pictures and verbal visualisation.
3.  Symbolic, namely students have abstract ideas that are greatly influenced by language and logic and the use of symbols.

3. According to David Ausubel

According to Ausubel, students will learn well if the content of the lesson is defined and then presented well and appropriately to the students, which in turn will influence the organisation of students' learning ability. The learning process occurs when students are able to assimilate the knowledge they have with new knowledge (learning becomes meaningful, or meaningful learning). The learning process occurs through the following stages:

1. Paying attention to the stimulus given.
2. Meaningful learning is a process of connecting.

4. According to Robert M. Gagne

One theory that originates from cognitive psychologists is the information processing theory proposed by Robert M. Gagne. According to this theory, learning is seen as a process of information processing in the human brain. In learning, a process of receiving information occurs, which is then processed to produce output in the form of learning outcomes. There are five kinds of processing in the human brain, which can be explained as follows:

1. Receptor (sense organs), namely receiving stimuli from the environment and converting them into neural stimuli, giving symbols to the information received and then passing it on.
2. Sensory register (storage of sensory impressions), namely located in the central nervous system, whose function is to hold sensory impressions and make a selection so that a perceptual whole is formed.
3. Short term memory, namely holding the results of perceptual processing and storing them.
4. Long term memory, namely holding the results of processing that are in short term memory.
5. Response generator, namely holding information stored in long term memory and converting it into a response reaction.

 

C. The Experimental Process in Cognitivism Theory

The cognitive process is a series of mental activities that help information to be sent from one memory to another. The cognitive process consists of several processes, namely attention, perception, rehearsal, encoding, storage and retrieval.

1. Attention, namely the mental process by which a stimulus or series of stimuli becomes prominent in awareness while other stimuli weaken.
2. Perception, namely the process of describing stimuli received through sensory organs, or the process of converting sensory signals into meaningful experience. Each individual has their own way of organising and giving perception to the signals received. An individual can convey information they can see among the environmental stimuli that enter sensory memory.
3. Rehearsal, namely information that is received is stored through repetition so that it can stay in short term memory longer. The aim is that the encoding of the information is not lost before it is sent to long term memory.
4. Encoding, namely all information that is stored temporarily without encoding. Encoding is the process of sending information by linking information in short term memory with information in long term memory. An individual who is going to send information to long term memory must encode the information.
5. Storage, namely the process of determining the duration for which information will be stored in long term memory.
6. Retrieval, namely the process of reusing information that has been stored previously

From the standpoint of communication psychology, the cognitive processes above are the process of information processing, or intrapersonal communication, in more detail. According to James Shanahan (2009), communication has a very important role in the learning process. Each learning theory has a different mode of communication adapted to each learning style. In this regard, cognitivism views communication as a transfer of mental content between individuals. In cognitivism, the range of content will become ever greater, and every individual is seen as having complex abilities to store, process and use information.

D. Weaknesses of Cognitivism Theory

Every learning theory will certainly be compared with other learning theories.  In addition, each learning theory will also complement  and  add to the shortcomings   of   other   learning   theories   that   have   been   put forward by earlier experts.   The   cognitivism   learning   theory has the following shortcomings;

1. The theory does not cover all levels of education and is difficult to put into practice,  especially  at  advanced  levels;  some  principles  such  as intelligence  are  difficult  to  grasp  and  their  understanding  is  still  not complete.
2. Basically, this cognitive theory  places  more  emphasis  on  learners' memory ability, and on each learner's individual memory ability, so the weakness here is that it always assumes that all learners have the same memory capacity and are not differentiated.
3. At times this method also does not pay attention to how learners explore or develop knowledge and the ways learners search for it, because basically each learner has a different way.
4.  If teaching uses only the cognitive method, it is certain that learners will not fully understand the material given.
5. If a vocational school uses only the cognitive method without other learning methods, learners will have difficulty in practical activities or material.
6.  In applying the cognitive learning method, attention needs to be paid to learners' ability to develop material that they have received.

E. Application of Cognitivism Theory in Learning

In its implementation, Cognitivism Theory is based on the principle that every human being is born into the world in a different condition from one another. Therefore, according to Munif Chatib, this theory places more emphasis on the best process, not the best input. In the teaching and learning process (KBM), the point to be reached is how cognitive structures are formed as an effort to solve problems based on insight. The term insight is defined as new knowledge obtained through a process of gathering information according to facts, relatively easy to remember, and able to serve as a reference in solving new problems.

This theory is widely used in the world of education, for example at the pre-school and early elementary school levels, where students are not yet able to think as quickly as adults, so teachers must be able to apply simple learning concepts that nevertheless cover all the important aspects of the material being taught, while paying attention to students' individual differences in order to achieve student success. In this way, teachers can teach by entering the child's world. “The teacher's teaching style is the student's learning style” (Chatib, 2014:8-9).

As an example of applying cognitivism theory in learning to recognise hijaiyah letters, it needs to be adapted to students' abilities by using educational aids. In addition, in introducing and habituating the recitation of short prayers used in daily activities, it should also begin with the simplest and move to the complex. So that children are not only able to memorise but are able to understand the use of the prayers they learn.

Next, when teaching exact sciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc., teachers must also be able to understand the differing levels of ability among students. One method that can be used is a pre-test at the beginning of the learning activity so that the delivery of the material can later be understood by all students. In addition, students are also involved in the process of applying knowledge in everyday life.

Learning can be said to be successful if it is adapted to the stage of learners' cognitive development. There are several principles of cognitivism that can be used in designing an instructional system, among others:

1. Students will be better able to remember and understand something if the lesson is delivered with a certain pattern and logic.
2. Material must be arranged from the simple to the complex.
3. Learning with understanding is better than merely memorising without comprehension. Give students the opportunity to construct their own knowledge, with the teacher continuing to guide and direct them.
4. Activity-based learning. Every child must be actively involved in the learning process.
5. Present media and teaching aids in delivering material, so that students understand the material more quickly.
6. Every child has a background related to the material, which is the student's cognitive structure; this can be obtained from the environment and from understanding of earlier material. A teacher needs to build a solid bridge connecting the students' prior knowledge with the knowledge to be learned next.
7. In the learning process, teachers need to enter the students' world. Teachers must be able to keep up with the times in order to create an interesting learning atmosphere.

The essence of cognitivism theory is that every student differs in every aspect in being able to receive the material delivered, so several learning models are needed that must be applied in delivering material in the classroom.

 

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