Paradigms of Knowledge and Instruction

Abstract

The theme of this essay is that there are only three core instructional paradigms and that within the framework of these paradigms, only five types of knowledge can be acquired. The instructional paradigms (behavior, development, and apprenticeship) are defined by how novices are distinguished from experts and by the nature of the mechanism of transformation (from novice to expert). The knowledge typology is derived from contemporary cognitive science and from the precognitive experimental paradigms of learning. The types of knowledge are: declarative (verbal learning), procedural (skill learning), conceptual (concept attainment), analogical (one-trial learning), and logical (problem solving.) A number of examples are provided, including the contents of a journal issue. This classification system clarifies the theoretical history of research projects, reveals commonalities that underlie different terminologies, helps resolve controversies, and provides guidelines for educational research that will advance the field.