About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about what learning and development is, focusing in particular on: (i) defining development as the growth and change within an individual; (ii) the three types of development as cognitive, physiological and social; (iii) the definition of learning as a permanent or long-term change to our behaviour, feelings or thoughts as a result of experience; (iv) examples of development which don’t constitute learning, e.g. wearing glasses as eyesight deteriorates; (v) differentiating behaviourism from other forms of psychology, including through its sole focus on behaviour, rather than mental processes; (vi) some key assumptions made by behaviourists about learning.

About the lecturer

Dr Cathal O’Siochru is a senior lecturer in education studies at Liverpool Hope University and has a background in psychology, research methods and education. Dr O’Siochru’s research interests include the psychology of education, epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, and assessment practices. Some of Dr O’Siochru’s recent publications include 'Action learning: how can it contribute to a collaborative process of pedagogical action research?' (2020) and 'Academic perspectives of metrics: Procedural justice as a key factor in evaluations of fairness' (2019).