Ausubel’s Theory of Meaningful Learning

5. Ausubel’s Theory of Meaningful Learning

5.1 Reception and Discovery Learning

David P. Ausubel raised the issued of Reception learning fiercely in the field of mathematics learning about 1960 A.D. His main concern was when we go to inter in the learning process we should provide the clear concept to the students, what is gong to learn? Which is the main way of learning? In the reception learning students do not discover the new matter they get the content which is meaningfully presented. The learning environment should be appropriate, first of all try to make the positive attitude of student to the subject matter which in going to learn. Learning should be meaningful and related with prerequisite knowledge. The learning is generally known of Reception learning.

In general discovery means attaining knowledge by the use of one’s own intellectual or physical resources. In a narrow sense, discovery is learning, which occurs as the result of learner manipulating structuring and transferring the information, so that the pupils field the new information. In the discovery learning the learners may make a conjecture, formulate and hypothesis, or find a mathematics truth by using inductive or deductive processes, observation and extrapolation. There are two types of discover learning, one is pure discovery and another is directed discover method. Discovery methods of learning make the students able to decide any infrastructure and develop the felling of independency also the habit of inquiry. Discoveries can be made by students working together on the small group or by students working individually on laboratory exercises. There are mainly two types of discovery lessons which are inductive disorder lesion and deductive discovery lessons.   Inductive discovery lessons in lower school mathematics are most appropriate for the children. Who are well into Piaget’s stages of concrete operations? Deductive discovery lessons are most appropriate into the class of higher school mathematics in order to the order students who are well into Piaget’s stage of formal operation because these students are better equipped intellectually.

Meaningful and Rote Learning:

 Meaningful leaning refer primarily to a distinctive kind of learning process and only secondarily to a meaningful learning outcome attainment of meaning that the completion of such a process. Meaningful learning is as a process presupposes, in turn, both that the learner employs a meaningful learning set and the material, he/she learn is potentially meaningful to him/he. Conversely no matter how manful the learner is set may be, neither the process nor outcome of learning can possibly by meaningful nor learning task itself is devoid of potential meaning. There are three hampering factors of meaningful learning. They are related with mental development of the student, the motivational factor & the memorization.

The rote learning mainly concern with the memorization learning. It is ancient types of learning system. It is related to the knowledge to the students. It provides the single subject matter on which the student knows that subject matter by memorization Rote learning ignore the meaningful learning. In the presently rote learning is the burning problem in the field of mathematics. Most of Under Developed Countries practice rote learning in the class of mathematics. So mathematics became so hard subject. And we call “no mind no mathematics”. Mathematics is gaining through memorization like wise Ramayana Veda etc.

 5.2 Preconditions for Meaningful Reception Learning:

As Ausubel has given opinion about preconditions for meaningful reception learning (MRL). There are mainly two preconditions for meaningful reception learning. Firstly, MRL can be taken place in such a student who has a good meaningful learning set. Such kind of students connects new learning to his previous knowledge. There are some students who do not understand the underlying meaning of subject matter rather what then do is that then just memorize the new information and do not grasp the real concept. Such student forgets and become confuse with previously memorized mathematical structures.

And the second precondition for MRL is that the learner’s cognitive structure should be related to the learning task. The previous meaningful learning provides an anchor for new learning so that new learning and retention do not require rote learning. This second precondition needs the well organization of learners existing knowledge.

5.3 Factors Hampering Meaningful Learning

There are so many factors affecting or hampering meaningful learning. Some of the factors have been mentioned and described precisely.

1.     Level of mental development: To learn the mathematical concepts meaningfully there should be mature enough and the level of mental development should match learning concept.

2.     Lack of sufficient motivation: The learners must be motivated before teaching/learning activities so that they learn meaningfully.

And, thirdly, some teachers think that the learners must follow only my methods of teaching and learning. Such teachers expect definitions to be reproduced, steps of rules. Problem solving rules to be done as he wants. As a result, the learners can’t learn in their own way.

5.4 Strategies for Meaningful Verbal Learning:

       Since, the Ausubel believes, the major job of education is to teach the discipline, tow conditions must be satisfied .First the discipline must be presented to student so that the structure of the discipline is stabilized within each discipline is extremely powerful and that the learner can make maximal use this ideas by them with his old ideas and making new kind of structures.

              The second condition in teaching a discipline is to make the materials meaningful to the learner. To ensure meaningful learning, the teacher must help students build linkage between their own cognitive structure and the structure if the discipline being taught. Each new concepts and principles within the disciple must be related to relevant, previously learned concepts and principles, which are in the learner's cognitive structure.

5.5 Implications of Ausubel's Theory in mathematics teaching: 

             The Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning is very useful as well as effective in mathematics teaching when they are connected in different situations of mathematics teaching.

i.                   Before teaching new mathematical concepts, teacher should motivate the students and relate the new concepts with pre-knowledge of the students so that the students will be positive in the concepts and ready to learn. Teaching should be done according to the need and interest of students in meaningful way.

ii.                 Teaching materials should be meaningful to the learner. To ensure meaningful learning, the teacher must help students to build linkage between their own cognitive structures and structure of the discipline being taught. For example; to teach fundamental concepts of geometry the expository method is better than discovery method.

iii.              Before teaching a mathematical concept, the teacher should determine the steps that are to be in sequential structure, where teacher should describe each step meaningfully and appropriately, otherwise students can not learn in meaningful way. Description of each step of learning is possible only in good expository method as that it is applicable in meaningful learning and weak students can learn easily. The problem solving or discovery method helps to the learner to memorize the solution of the problem that leads to the learner to follow the rote learning which is meaningless.

iv.              Using teaching materials related to subject matter to make teaching effective, permanent and meaningful must do mathematics teaching. For example, the teaching concepts of circle will be very effective if circular objects are used as teaching materials and the concept of circle can be taught effectively relating it with radius, diameter, circumference, centre etc. it is possible only by expository method and not by discovery method.

v.                 Expository method should be used in teaching new concepts in mathematics. If other methods, such as discovery and problem solving method are used, they create confusion to the students as well as consume much time in concept development. For example; in teaching Pythagorean relation, pure discovery method becomes time consuming and less effective while expository method is an effective method and problem is saved easily by this method. Expository method helps the students to understand the solution of the problem in meaningful way.

vi.              The students having good mathematical skills and verbal capacity should be taught by verbal expository method. This method increase debating, reasoning, imaginary, problem solving powers and conjectures making ability to the students. For example, to prove sum of interior angle of polygon is 180(n-2), we can use expository method more than by problem solving and discovery methods.