Learning Theories Flashcards
7 cards from real AMC 12 practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Learning Theories flashcards as text
An AMC 12 student earns immediate points in a practice app after each correct answer and begins practicing more often. Which theory best explains the increased practice?
Answer: Operant conditioning
Skinner's operant conditioning holds that behavior followed by reinforcement becomes more frequent.
A coach picks AMC problems a student cannot yet solve alone but can solve with guided hints. Which concept is the coach applying?
Answer: Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky's zone of proximal development is the gap between what a learner can do alone and with guidance.
According to Piaget, which stage must a student have reached to reason abstractly about variables and hypothetical cases on AMC 12 algebra problems?
Answer: Formal operational
Piaget's formal operational stage, beginning around age 11-12, enables abstract and hypothetical reasoning.
A prep program covers counting in grade 8, then returns to it in grade 10 with generating functions and in grade 12 with advanced combinatorics. Which idea does this reflect?
Answer: Bruner's spiral curriculum
Bruner's spiral curriculum revisits topics repeatedly at increasing depth and complexity.
For a beginner learning AMC geometry, studying fully worked solutions before attempting problems tends to help most. Which theory predicts this?
Answer: Cognitive load theory
Sweller's cognitive load theory shows worked examples cut extraneous load on novices' limited working memory.
According to Bandura, which source most strongly builds a student's belief that they can solve hard AMC 12 problems?
Answer: Mastery experiences of actually succeeding
Bandura identified mastery experiences as the most powerful source of self-efficacy.
A student reviews trigonometric identities 1 day, 3 days, and 10 days after first learning them. Which finding motivates this schedule?
Answer: Ebbinghaus forgetting curve and the spacing effect
Ebbinghaus showed memory decays quickly without review, and spaced repetition slows that forgetting.
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