The fundamental principles of learning and study
From the introduction:
The present volume is a rewriting of the manuscript which the writer has used for some time as part of his lectures to students in educational psychology. The aim is especially to show how the results of general psychology and experimental psychology and of allied sciences can be put into use by the teacher- er and the student in the problems of learning and of study.
In the chapters on Making the Appeal to the Student, and Attention and Sustained Effort, examples have been given from the writer's own studies and observations for the purpose of illustrating psychological principles involved and to suggest to teachers ways that have proved successful in the actual every- day work of the teacher. The writer thinks that
The Habit Theory has not received its due in educational practice and perhaps not in educational thought. It is a principle that runs through the whole work of education and the adoption of it as the fundamental working principle of the teacher's work should help to bring the definiteness that is needed. If habits, including habitudes, dispositions and attitudes, are not all the results that education can show, we can see what is left out after we do our duty to the first and fundamental things.
The general scheme of the book can be indicated by the following statement of some of the main thoughts:
1) The nature of education and of the educational process from the point of view of permanent results in the indiv^idual.
2) The necessity for permanent results of some kind and the nature of these results.
3) The process of learning, of making acquisitions that can be made more or less permanent and suggestions for the right direction of this learning process.
4) A discussion of how to make the best progress in learning.
5) The getting of not only specific but general improvement. 6) The factors that make for permanent results.
7.) Modes of appeal for the purpose of arousing and directing the desired activities.
8) The development through lower to higher stages of attention, activity, and effort.
The directions for students appearing in chapter 16 are practically unchanged from the early writing nearly three years ago. References at the ends of chapters indicate books and articles that seem to the author to be most useful to the teacher if he wishes to choose from a large number of possible references.
Others may be equally good, but a selected bibliography seems to be most valuable. It is my pleasure and duty to acknowledge the helpful criticisms and suggestions of Dean L. D. Coffman, Professor N. Wilde. Professor H. H. Woodrow, Professor J. Peterson, and Mr J. R. Kantor, of The University of Minnesota and of Professor H. W. Odum, of The University of Georgia.
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