Theorists
Theories
Identifications
Ages
Wild Card
100

He emphasized learning by doing. He believed education should be connected to real life and democracy, not just memorization. His ideas are the basis of experiential and progressive education.

John Dewey

100

This theory argues that learners actively build their own understanding. Instead of just receiving information, students learn by exploring, questioning, and connecting ideas.

Constructivism

100

A pyramid of human needs that must be met in order:

  1. Physiological needs (food, water, sleep)
  2. Safety needs (security, stability)
  3. Love and belonging (friends, family, connection)
  4. Esteem needs (confidence, respect, achievement)
  5. Self-actualization (reaching full potential, personal growth)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

100

What age does the brain fully develop (Prefrontal Cortex included)?

Age 25

100

At what age can you administer an IQ test?

Age 6

200

She developed a child-centered approach where students learn independently using hands-on materials. Her method is still widely used in a specific type of schools worldwide.

Marie Montessori

200

This theory says learning is based on stimulus and response. Students learn through reinforcement (rewards/punishments).

Behaviorism

200

Explains how different layers of environment shape development:

  • Microsystem: immediate surroundings (family, school, friends)
  • Mesosystem: connections between microsystems (home–school relationship)
  • Exosystem: indirect environments (parents’ jobs, school board decisions)
  • Macrosystem: culture, laws, society, values
  • Chronosystem: changes over time (life events, historical context)

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

200

What age range is the "foundation for learning" built?

Ages 2-7

200

What does O.C.E.A.N stand for?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism

300

He focused on how children develop cognitively. He proposed stages of development, showing that kids think differently at different ages which hugely influencing curriculum design. 

Jean Piaget

300

This theory emphasizes the whole student. It focuses on personal growth, motivation, and emotional well-being, not just academics.

Humanism

300

How thinking develops with age:

  1. Sensorimotor (0–2): learning through senses and actions
  2. Preoperational (2–7): symbolic thinking, imagination, egocentric thinking
  3. Concrete operational (7–11): logical thinking about real objects/events
  4. Formal operational (12+): abstract thinking, reasoning, hypothesis testing

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

300

What age does object permanence develop?

8-12 months

300

What is the difference between prosocial and antisocial behaviors?

Prosocial - actions that benefits others

Antisocial - actions that harm others or break social rules

400

He argued that learning is social. His concept of the “Zone of Proximal Development” explains how students learn best with guidance and collaboration.

Lev Vygotsky

400

This expands on constructivism by emphasizing social interaction. Learning happens best through collaboration, discussion, and guidance (like teachers or peers helping).

Social Constructivism

400

Learning happens through social interaction and culture:

  • Knowledge is built through communication with others
  • Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): what a learner can do with help
  • Scaffolding: support from teachers or peers that is gradually removed

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory

400

What age does kids develop fairness?

Ages 8-12

400

What does each side of the brain do?

Left Side - logic and language

Right Side - creativity and visual/emotional processing

500

He critiqued traditional “banking” education (teachers depositing knowledge). He promoted critical thinking and dialogue, especially in empowering marginalized groups.

Paulo Freire

500

This theory focuses on how the mind processes information. It looks at memory, thinking, and problem-solving (like organizing lessons to match how the brain learns).

Cognitivism

500

Behavior is shaped by consequences:

  • Positive reinforcement: add reward to increase behavior
  • Negative reinforcement: remove something unpleasant to increase behavior
  • Punishment: reduce behavior by adding or removing something unpleasant
  • Learning happens through reward and consequence systems

Skinner's Theory of Operant Conditioning

500

What age range does cognitive ability becomes unchanged?

late teens, early 20s

500

What is the purpose of the axons myelination?

helps strengthen and speed up brain connections

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