In-Class Ideas

Students’ Thinking Processes

What are the Different Types of Learners’ Thought Processes?

Ask yourself..

  • Have you ever wondered why some students have a really hard time understanding that there might be more than one valid answer to a question or problem?
  • Have you worked with students who are convinced that their way of doing things is best even if this does not conform to standard understanding/practice?
  • Have you met students who always want to know the “correct” answer from the teacher?
  • Would you like to know why students think and act this way?

Types of knowledge, cognitive levels and affective levels all play a role in the “type” of student you may have and how they are thinking about the knowledge and skills of your course. Students who wish to memorize facts probably believe that there is a wrong or right answer. They are probably not interested in considering the problem from multiple angles.

Understanding how your students go about learning and how they are thinking about your courses can help you modify their habits to better suit the needs of your course and of your students, and to help move them to deeper levels of thinking (cognition).

Benefits of Understanding Students’ Current Thought Processes

  • Allows us to better understand students’ current thought processes
  • Allows us to think about teaching/learning strategies to help students move to higher levels of processing knowledge and skills from our courses
  • Explains students’ responses/approach to questions/problems/work: reduces teacher frustration

 Teaching Strategies to Help Students Move to More Sophisticated Levels of Thinking

Our role as teachers is to challenge the students’ present way of thinking in order for them to move to more sophisticated ways of thinking: from dualism to multiplicity to relativism to commitment. Challenge does not mean that we have to be confrontational or aggressive in our behaviour (this would not be productive), but that we have to think of ways to help students to move from one stage of thinking to the next. This is very challenging for students as they are moving from their present “comfort zone”. This process of change or learning can take students a long time and they may be resistant to this change: we all feel insecure during periods of change! Therefore, we have to be very supportive during this period of change. This involves thinking about your interactions with students, but more importantly in the learning activities and evaluation tasks that you design.

To learn more: 

This is a sample mini-lecture prepared for the participants of the Boise State University Course Design Institute, Summer 2012.

(Same as above but longer )

This video is created by the same academic and also reviews Perry’s 4 stages of cognitive development. It’s 20 minutes long, but well worth your valuable time. The great thing about this video is that it explores the student characteristics and teaching implications of the 4 stages of cognitive development. As you listen to the presenter’s examples try to think of your past students: can you think of students that thought or acted in ways described at each stage. The 3rd stage “relativism” explores the use of evaluation rubrics and student work examples to aid students cognitive development. The last 4 minutes explores the limitations of Perry’s work and has some very interesting thoughts on the effects that student stress can have on their level of cognitive processing.

Learn all about Marcia Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship in our quick overview of her research, findings, and conclusions on the theory and what it means for today’s college students!

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