Learning theory and research have long been the province of education and psychology, but what is now known about how people learn comes from research in many different disciplines. This chapter of the Teaching Guide introduces three central learning theories, as well as relevant research from the fields of neuroscience, anthropology, cognitive science, psychology, and education.

In This Section

• Overview of Learning Theories
• Behaviorism
• Cognitive Constructivism
• Social Constructivism
• Neuroscience and How Students Learn
• Cognitive Science: Memory and Learning
• Anthropology: Situated Learning in Communities of Practice
• Psychology: Motivation and Learning
• Education: Organizing the Learning Process
• Education: Learning to Think in a Discipline