Relationship between theories of learning and theories of education exemplified by the educational technology of investigative research

Abstract

We start from the epistemological consideration that, by taxonomy and preponderance, psychological theories of learning are more basic and more restricted than theories of education. In fact, psychological learning theories have an eminently descriptive nature – associated with the scientific elucidation of how the mechanisms behind the cognitive processes involved in learning work – whereas educational theories have an eminently normative nature – associated with guiding principles and criteria of decision on what to teach and methodologies on how to teach, in order to achieve certain goals. From this, we briefly describe the conceptual structures of David Ausubel’s theory of meaningful learning and Mathew Lipman’s educational theory (formation of research communities), articulating them with each other in the light of the proposed classification. Then, we present and discuss how the articulation between the two theories could be implemented in practice, through educational technology, namely, investigative research, typifying this relationship in the learning strategy associated with the research project and to the seminar. Finally, by way of strengthening the conclusions reached from the confrontation between the proposed premises and conceptual articulation, we highlight some explicit connections between the theoretical framework and the educational technology in evidence.