Learning Theories: Implications for the Nurse Educator

There are two specific learning theories that have to be addressed here. These are social cognitive and constructivist. By discussing both of these through the lens of the nurse educator, one is better able to understand how these theories work within that context and how they can affect not only what the nurse educator chooses to teach but what and how those who need nursing education actually learn. Social cognitive theory is focused on the observation of others (Bandura, 1985; Berg & Miller, 1992). In other words, it is believed that human beings cannot learn everything from their own experiences, and that part of helping the human race to continue is learning how to adapt from seeing what others are doing (Pajares, et al., 2009). While that might seem to be common sense, it is a very important theory of learning that has...
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