The Spiral Curriculum: Jerome Bruner's Approach to Learning

 
Bruner & His Spiral
Curriculum
 
Dr Ramesh Mehay
Bradford 2020
 
Jerome
Bruner’s
Background
 
Born New York in 1915
Built on Lev Vygotsky ideas (1920/30s) of Social
Development  Theory & Constructivism
Both believed that learning happens through
personal discovery rather than being taught (or
spoon-fed).
 
The Spiral
Curriculum
 
Bruner believed that any subject can
be taught to  any child at any age
(Bruner 1977)
For example, let’s look at teaching kids
to bake scones during their normal
school education
 
The Spiral
Curriculum
 
Baking Scones: during Home Economics
classes.
Usually what happens is that everything is
done in one go.
You get together the ingredients.
Show them how to weight them all out.
Show them how to mix it altogether with
some water and milk and make a dough.
Separate the dough into scone size bites and
add them to a baking tray.
Put in the oven and take out when done.
Enjoy the taste.
How much do you think the kids have
learnt?
Let me show you another approach and tell
me if you think it’s better or worse.
 
The Spiral
Curriculum
 
With a spiral curriculum:
Session 1 in Home Economics: you explore the
nature of different ingredients.   The dryness of
the flour.  The oily’ness of the margarine.  The
wetness of the milk.  Exploring the basic
ingredients of any cake making.
Session 2: you combine the ingredients to form a
dough.   You explore the processs of making a
dough.  Noticing how the texture changes.   What
happens if you add too much or too little
milk/water.  Exploring the science of water.  The
effect it has?   The importance of precise
measurement in baking.
Session 3: you then explore the effect of the heat
from the over on the dough.  How the texture
changes yet again.   The science of heat.  The
effect of too much or too little heat.   Fan assisted
vs normal
Now tell me.  Which child will be better equipped
at baking any cake and understanding the
principles behind baking?. The child from the
previous session or this one?
 
Spirals in
Medicine
 
In medicine, we can do the same.
Rather than teach about (say) Asthma all in
one go, we can break it down and teach it in a
spiral way.
In year one, you might teach the anatomy of
the lung.  You might explore the histopathology
in asthma and what actually happens.
In year 2 you might start looking at
pharmacology.  And revisit asthma – the drugs
used to treat it.  Their pharmacokinetics and
what they actually do to the lungs at the
microscopic level.
In year 3 you might start looking at holistic
medicine, and exploring how illnesses affect
people’s lives.   You might revisit asthma and
see how it impairs lives if not stabilised or
controlled.
Can you see the constant revisiting throughout
different stages of training – build on what has
gone before?   Welcome to the spiral
curriculum.
 
e.g. lung function
 
e.g. in asthma, COPD…
 
e.g. Rx asthma/COPD
 
e.g. on a
respiratory
ward
 
Scaffolding
 
Back to the baking session….
Can you see how in the second session
the information is “scaffolded” rather
than all “vomited” out at once as in the
previous session?
Bruner believed that adults can
support children  by scaffolding their
learning on top of “spiralising” it.
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Jerome Bruner's Spiral Curriculum emphasizes the importance of revisiting and building upon key concepts in education. Through a spiral approach, learning is structured to promote deeper understanding and retention, moving from basic concepts to more complex ideas over time. This methodology allows students to engage in active learning, encouraging exploration and discovery throughout their educational journey. By applying the Spiral Curriculum, educators can enhance students' comprehension and practical application of various subjects, fostering a more profound learning experience.

  • Spiral Curriculum
  • Jerome Bruner
  • Active Learning
  • Education
  • Learning Approach

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  1. Bruner & His Spiral Curriculum Dr Ramesh Mehay Bradford 2020

  2. Born New York in 1915 Built on Lev Vygotsky ideas (1920/30s) of Social Development Theory & Constructivism Both believed that learning happens through personal discovery rather than being taught (or spoon-fed). Jerome Bruner s Background

  3. Bruner believed that any subject can be taught to any child at any age (Bruner 1977) For example, let s look at teaching kids to bake scones during their normal school education The Spiral Curriculum

  4. Baking Scones: during Home Economics classes. Usually what happens is that everything is done in one go. You get together the ingredients. Show them how to weight them all out. Show them how to mix it altogether with some water and milk and make a dough. Separate the dough into scone size bites and add them to a baking tray. Put in the oven and take out when done. Enjoy the taste. How much do you think the kids have learnt? Let me show you another approach and tell me if you think it s better or worse. The Spiral Curriculum

  5. With a spiral curriculum: Session 1 in Home Economics: you explore the nature of different ingredients. The dryness of the flour. The oily ness of the margarine. The wetness of the milk. Exploring the basic ingredients of any cake making. Session 2: you combine the ingredients to form a dough. You explore the processs of making a dough. Noticing how the texture changes. What happens if you add too much or too little milk/water. Exploring the science of water. The effect it has? The importance of precise measurement in baking. Session 3: you then explore the effect of the heat from the over on the dough. How the texture changes yet again. The science of heat. The effect of too much or too little heat. Fan assisted vs normal Now tell me. Which child will be better equipped at baking any cake and understanding the principles behind baking?. The child from the previous session or this one? The Spiral Curriculum

  6. In medicine, we can do the same. Rather than teach about (say) Asthma all in one go, we can break it down and teach it in a spiral way. In year one, you might teach the anatomy of the lung. You might explore the histopathology in asthma and what actually happens. In year 2 you might start looking at pharmacology. And revisit asthma the drugs used to treat it. Their pharmacokinetics and what they actually do to the lungs at the microscopic level. In year 3 you might start looking at holistic medicine, and exploring how illnesses affect people s lives. You might revisit asthma and see how it impairs lives if not stabilised or controlled. Can you see the constant revisiting throughout different stages of training build on what has gone before? Welcome to the spiral curriculum. e.g. on a respiratory ward e.g. Rx asthma/COPD Spirals in Medicine e.g. in asthma, COPD e.g. lung function

  7. Back to the baking session. Can you see how in the second session the information is scaffolded rather than all vomited out at once as in the previous session? Bruner believed that adults can support children by scaffolding their learning on top of spiralising it. Scaffolding

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