Educating and learning are common concepts, relatively easy to identify and that we see reflected in our daily lives often and in almost everything we do. However, understanding what learning means and how it should be instilled in both formal and informal education (especially in children and developing people) is more complex than it appears.

The different ways of looking at education have generated that throughout history different pedagogical models have emerged and have been applied . In this article we will observe some of the main models in this respect.

The main pedagogical models

There are many ways of conceptualizing learning, each with different implications depending on what practical effects the conception has. Many of the ideas regarding how the educational process works or how it should be carried out have been developed and have been constituted as a more or less solid pedagogical model.

These models are the representation of the set of relations that allow to explain a concrete phenomenon, in this case learning. Having a pedagogical model allows us not only to have an explanation about it, but also to elaborate a series of guidelines that lead us to educate and promote certain aspects according to the type of model chosen. There are a great number of pedagogical models, among which the following stand out

1. Traditional model

The traditional pedagogical model, the most used throughout history, proposes that the role of education is to transmit a set of knowledge . In this relationship between student, educator and content, the student is only a passive recipient, absorbing the contents that the educator pours over him. The main role falls on the educator, who will be the active agent.

This type of model proposes a methodology based on the retention of information by memory, based on the continuous repetition of tasks and without the need for an adjustment that allows for the granting of a meaning to the learned material.

Likewise, the level of achievement of learning through the product of the educational process will be evaluated, qualifying the student according to his or her ability to replicate the information transmitted. A high importance is given to the concept of discipline, being the teacher an authority figure , and the knowledge is transmitted without critical spirit and accepting what is transmitted as true. It is based on imitation and ethical and moral development.

2. Behavioral model

The behavioral pedagogical model also considers that the role of education is that of transmission of knowledge, seeing it as a way to generate the accumulation of learning. It is based on the behavioral paradigm in its operative aspect, proposing that every stimulus is followed by its response and the repetition of this response is determined by the possible consequences of this response . On an educational level, the aim is to learn by modelling behaviour, fixing the information through reinforcement.

The role of the student under this paradigm is also passive, although it becomes the main focus of attention. The teacher remains above the student, in an active role in which he or she emits the situations and information that serve as stimuli. The use of memoristic and imami-observational methodology abounds. Technical procedures and skills are usually well learned under this methodology at a procedural level, considering learning as a change of behaviour .

This is done through summative assessment that takes into account the levels of expected behaviour and the analysis of the products produced throughout the assessment (such as tests).

3. Romantic/naturalistic/experiential model

The romantic model is based on a humanist ideology that aims to take into account the student as a protagonist and active part of the learning process and is centred on the child’s inner world. It is based on the premise of non-directivity and maximum authenticity and freedom, assuming the existence of sufficient internal capacities on the part of the learner to be functional in his/her life and seeking a natural and spontaneous learning methodology.

Under this model it is promoted that the development of the children should be natural, spontaneous and free, focusing the learning on the free experience and on the interests of the child , being only the educator a possible aid for this one in case of need. The important thing is that the child develops his internal faculties in a flexible way. It is not theoretical but experiential: one learns by doing.

In this model, it is proposed that the subject should not be evaluated, compared or classified , pointing out the importance of being able to learn freely without interference. At most, a qualitative evaluation is proposed, leaving aside quantification to observe how the subject has developed.

4. Cognitive-developmental model

Based on the Piagetian conception of development, this model differs from the previous ones in that its main objective is not to comply with the curriculum, but to contribute to and train the subject in such a way that he acquires sufficient cognitive skills to be autonomous , independent and capable of learning by himself. Education is lived as a progressive process in which human cognitive structures are modified, modifications that can indirectly alter behavior.

The teacher’s role is to assess the level of cognitive development and guide students in acquiring the ability to make sense of what they have learned. He or she is a facilitator in stimulating the development of the learner, with teacher-student interaction being two-way. It is about generating experiences and environments where the learner can develop , qualitatively evaluating the learner.

5. Educational-constructivist model

The constructivist educational model is one of the most widely used and accepted at present. Based as it is on authors such as Piaget but also together with the contributions of other outstanding authors such as Vigotsky, this model focuses its attention on the student as the main protagonist of the educational process, being an essential active element in learning.

In this model the teacher-student-content triad is seen as a set of elements that interact in a bidirectional way with each other. The aim is that the student can progressively construct a series of meanings , shared with the teacher and with the rest of society, based on the contents and orientation of the teacher.

A fundamental element for this perspective is that the learner can attribute meaning to the learned material and also to the learning process itself, with the teacher acting as a guide to the learning process and taking into account the need to provide support that is adjusted to the learner’s needs .

The aim is to optimise its capacities as far as possible, so that it approaches the maximum potential level rather than limiting itself to its actual current level (i.e. reaching the level it can reach with help). Control is progressively relinquished to the learner as learning is mastered, so that greater autonomy and self-management capacity is achieved.

Bibliographic references:

  • Castells, N. & Solé, I. (2011). Psychopedagogical evaluation strategies. In E. Martín and I. Solé (Coords). Educational orientation. Models and strategies of intervention (Chapter 4). Barcelona: Graó.
  • De Zubiría, J. (2006). Los modelos pedagógicos. Towards a dialogic pedagogy. Bogotá, Magisterio.
  • Flórez Ochoa, R. (1999). Pedagogical evaluation and cognition. McGraw-Hill Interamericana S.A. Bogotá.
  • Vergara, G. and Cuentas, H. (2015). Current validity of pedagogical models in the educational context. Option, Year 31 (Special 6): 914-934.