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What factors affect learning?

This is an excerpt from Health and Physical Education for Elementary Classroom Teachers 3rd Edition With HKPropel Access by Retta R. Evans & Sandra Kay Sims.

Factors That May Affect Learning

As you learned from chapter 1, a variety of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors influence the health status of children and adolescents. You also learned that a variety of complex physiological processes in the brain and body affect physical development. These changes influence mental, emotional, and physical readiness to learn. There are several other factors that can affect a child’s ability to learn, such as learning style, physical environment, technology, and social determinants of health. It is essential that classroom teachers understand the powerful impacts these factors may have on learning.

Learning is the process of understanding and remembering new information. Just as each child is unique in their health status and physical and mental development, they are also distinctive in the way they best learn. Learning styles are defined as the way information is processed. A popular interpretation of research on learning is founded on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. In 1983, Gardner, a developmental psychologist, proposed several types of learning intelligences (verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal) that people exhibit in unique and subtle ways (figure 2.1). He believed that individuals possess various distinct intelligences and that our emphasis on one over the other may differ based on genetics or experiences.

Many teachers would agree that students learn in a variety of ways and that a classroom that offers a variety of learning opportunities increases the likelihood of success. Students gain benefits when their teachers recognize their strengths and weaknesses as learners. So, for example, if given an assignment to write an essay on the achievements of the public health system since 1900, a logical-mathematical learner could use a graphic organizer to categorize and organize thoughts before writing. An outline is a written version of a graphic organizer. However, a visual-spatial learner might want to draw or design the subject of the piece, then write or create the written draft. Details in the drawing would lead to details in the writing. If teachers know their students’ learning styles, they can better adapt material to best teach to each learner. You will learn more about how to incorporate learning styles into differentiated instruction in chapter 4. Elementary teachers must take into consideration the variety of learning styles when planning for effective health instruction. See table 2.1 for a summary of the characteristics of Gardner’s multiple intelligences.

The physical learning environment is an important and often neglected element in creating a positive environment conducive to learning. These elements may include things like noise levels, temperature, lighting, space, and materials. The classroom teacher has little control over some of these things. Still, teachers should design the environment by organizing its spaces, furnishings, and materials to maximize the learning opportunities and the engagement of every child. Research has shown that the physical layout can improve student engagement and lessen off-task behaviors.

The spatial structure of the classroom refers to how students are seated, where students and the teacher are in relation to one another, the sense of atmosphere and order, and how students move around the room. Classrooms should be organized to accommodate a variety of activities throughout the day and to meet the teacher’s instructional goals. Use the following common layouts as a guide to designing the best environment to facilitate learning based on the content and type of lesson you are teaching:

• Cluster seating: Seats are arranged so that students in groups of four desks face each other in a cluster. This type of seating facilitates group work, interactive dialogue, and hands-on learning.
• U-shaped seating: Seats are arranged in parallel rows so that students on one side of the room face students on the opposite side, with open space in the middle. This type of seating is useful for demonstrations and debate and promotes interaction among students.
• Half-circle seating: Seats are arranged in a semicircle facing the teacher, who is located in the middle of the room. This type of seating facilitates discussions with the teacher as the leader.
• Circular seating: Students are positioned close together in a circle. This type of seating facilitates equal participation and interaction.

These are other important considerations when designing your classroom space:

• Use soft surfaces such as carpet squares and foam flooring to reduce noise and define the elements to your space (e.g., listening centers, computer areas, quiet spaces).
• Designate areas for children to work and play independently or in small groups and to gather as a community.
• Create soft, private spaces where children can retreat to read, study, and recharge throughout the day.
• Arrange the classroom to limit student contact in high-traffic areas, such as the space surrounding the pencil sharpener and wastebasket.
• Place students with disabilities or behavior problems close to the teacher’s desk.

When designing the layout, develop a process for keeping the classroom space organized, neat, and clean. When an environment is cluttered, students tend to feel more disorganized, and valuable time is lost searching for materials or locating supplies. Of course, you’ll need to consider the total dimensions of the space you have, number of students, appropriate spacing between learning centers and seating, and whether you have students with medical conditions that require medical equipment that may take up space. All of these considerations will set the tone for an orderly environment conducive to learning and student engagement.

Technology has affected almost every aspect of life today, including how teachers teach and how children learn. Today’s learners are often referred to as “digital natives.” Through brain-imaging studies, researchers have a better understanding of how the brain of today’s child processes and learns new information in this constantly changing, technologically enriched environment. Instead of thinking linearly, as previous generations did, digital natives tend to jump around between multiple sources and piece information together. These learners learn best through discovery and hands-on experiences and tend to be more visual, shifting their attention rapidly from one task to another. Exposure to media, technology, and video and virtual games has “wired” the brains of today’s generation differently than those of previous generations. Students are comfortable with new technology and prefer a more lateral approach to learning. This approach is characterized by learning from their peers, the Internet, and social media, as well as from self-discovery through trial and error. Because of the vast connection today’s student has to various forms of technology, teachers have had to adapt. In many classrooms today we see the teacher’s role shifting to that of the “guide on the side” as students take more responsibility for their own learning using technology to gather relevant information. Schools are beginning to redesign learning spaces to enable this new model of education, foster more interaction and small group work, and use technology as an enabler.

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