The nature and direction of learning

About this book

As the title indicates, a considerable portion of this book is devoted to a consideration of the learning process. It is a text that deals more with the theory of method than with the details of classroom procedure. The treatment of the "direction of learning" occupies nearly three-fourths of the book and covers the topics commonly discussed by writers in this field. Interestingly, the author divides this book into five "units," each of which is subdivided into several problems. The typical treatment of a problem includes four phases: (1) exploratory and pretest questions, (2) a discussion of the problem, (3) discussion questions for summarizing and testing, and (4) a list of parallel readings. The "exploratory and pretest questions," (a distinctive characteristic of this volume) are ingenious, and serve to stimulate thinking about the problems considered. This book, with its treatment of methods of teaching, should be a highly effective instrument for use in the professional training of teachers.