ENGLISH AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STATE ISLAMIC STUDIES INSTITUTE (STAIN) SALATIGA 2005

  «

THE LEARNING CONCEPT OF EDWARD LEE THORNDIKE

  Submitted to the Board o f Examiners in Partial Fulfillment o f the Requirements for the Degree o f Sarjana Pendidikan Islam (S.Pd.I) in the English and Education Department by

  NUR HIDAYAH NIM. 113 01 065

  

ENGLISH AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

STATE ISLAMIC STUDIES INSTITUTE

(STAIN) SALATIGA

  

2005

DEPARTEMEN AGAMA SEKOLAH TINGGI AGAMA ISLAM NEGERI (STAIN) SALATIGA

  Jl. Tentara Pelajar 02 Telp. (0298) 323706, 323433 Fax 323433 Salatiga 50721 Website :

D E K L A R A S I

  B ism illahirrahm anirrahim

  Dengan penuh kejujuran dan tanggung jawab, peneliti menyatakan bahwa skripsi ini tidak berisi materi yang pernah ditulis oleh orang lain atau pernah diterbitkan. Demikian juga skripsi ini tidak berisi satupun pikiran-pikiran orang lain, kecuali informasi yang terdapat dalam referensi yang dijadikan bahan rujukan.

  Apabila di kemudian hari ternyata terdapat materi atau pikiran-pikiran orang lain di luar referensi yang peneliti cantumkan, maka peneliti sanggup mempertanggung jawabkan kembali keaslian skripsi ini di hadapan sidang munaqosyah skripsi.

  Demikian deklarasi ini dibuat oleh peneliti untuk dapat dimaklumi.

  Salatiga, 20 Desember 2005 Peneliti

  NUR HIDAYAH NIM. 113 01 065

  Drs. Sa’adi, M.Ag The Lecturer o f Education Faculty State Islamic Studies Institute o f Salatiga ATTENTIVE COUNSELOR NOTES

  Salatiga, Desember 20th, 2005 Case : Nur Hidayah’s Thesis

  Dear The Head of State Islamic Studies Institute of Salatiga Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

  After reading and correcting Nur Hidayah’s thesis entitled “THE LEARNING CONCEPT OF EDWARD LEE THORNDIKE ITS IMPLICATION IN LEARNING LANGUAGE”, I have decided and would like to propose that if it could be accepted by the educational faculty, I hope it would be examined as soon as possible. Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

  Drs. Sa’adi. M.Ag NIP. 150 256 821

DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS AFFARIS

  Jl. Stadion 03 Phone (0298) 323706 Salatiga 50721

STATEMENT OF CERTIFICATION

THE LEARNING CONCEPT OF EDW ARD LEE THORNDIKE

  

ITS IM PLICATIO N IN LEARNING LANGUAGE

  N U R H ID A Y A H NIM: 11301065

  Has been brought to the board of examiners in January 7th, 2006/Dzulhijah 7th 1426 H to completely fulfill the requirement of the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan

  Islam (S.Pd.I) in English and Education Department.

  Salatiga, January 7th. 2006

  Dzulhijah 7th 1426 H

  

NIP. 150 256 821

  MOTTO Every bardsfp is follow ed b y ease

  5 (Q5. At In sfra fi )

Read h tbe name o f your Lord wbo created created

man from d o ts o f congealed blood, Read! Your Lord is

tfe M ost Boumffui One, w fo ta u g ft b y trie pen, taught

man what be did n o t Rnow, (Q5 A! Alaq: 1-5)

  

DEDICATION

  This thesis is whole heartedly dedicated to : My beloved Dad and Mom, Mr. Karim and Mrs. Masturoh , thanks for your - love, I really love you. “nothing gonna change my love for you”.

  My beloved brothers, Ifan and Hanif, I love you, do the best for your future. I - hope you will be a good moslem.

  • My special friends, Indah, Muji, Alfi and Siti. I really love you. Together with you, giving special memory in my live. Remember, we are the champion !! My sweet and wonderful friends, Abu Daffa, mbak Nung, Sekar, Faiz, Wanti, Ali, Nanang and Heri, keep your smile whatever will be.. ’’You know I can’t smile without you”. My husband will be, prepare yourself before Allah makes us together.. “I will be right here waiting for you”.

  For Myself, you must be survive !!

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

  AlhamdulillaHrabbiralamin, in the name of Allah the Lord of the universe, because of Him the writer could complete this thesis as one of the requirements for getting Sarjana in English Department of Educational Faculty of State Islamic studies Institute (STAIN) Salatiga in 2006.

  However, this success would not be achieved without supports, guidances, advice, helps and encouragements from individuals and institutions, therefore, let him say thanks to :

1. Drs. Badwan, M.Ag, the Head of State Islamic studies Institute (STAIN) of Salatiga.

  2. Drs. Sa’adi, M.Ag, the consultant of this thesis, thanks for his careful guidance, wisdom, kindness and suggestions during the completion of this thesis.

  3. Hammam,S.Pd., Hanung Triyoko,SS., Ruwandi,S.Pd, Dra. Woro Retnaningsih. and whole lecturers in English Department, thanks for your supports, guidances and helps.

  4. My beloved mother and father, who have taught me everything, facilitated me, I really love you, may God bless you.

  5. My younger brothers Alik Ifana and Akhmad H anif, I’m very sorry I cannot care and spend much time for you, I love you so much.

  6. Abu Daffa and Mbak Nung, thanks for your spirit to reach my future, thanks for everything, Allah will replace everything you give to me.

  7. My wonderful friend, Ali Suryo, thanks for everything, be patient, please forgive me for everything I do., together with you, giving an other meaning of my life. You must keep your ideal to the end. I really love you. We have much memories, I can’t forget it because you mean everything to me at the present.

  8. My beloved Sekar., thanks for your help and kindness., we must keep our accompanies !! you are my true close friend, in sadness or happiness we always together.. I really love you !!

  9. My beloved best friend, Nanang.. Thanks for your patience!! You teach me how to be wise and patient women. We have a secret, you must keep it. OK!!

  10. My Beloved sister Faiz, be patient and wise, I am sorry I have make your heart pain. In the deepest of my heart, I really love you, sometimes You are very funny but sometimes you make me annoy., he., he !!

  11. All of Ratno’s boarding house, Jeki (my roommate), Uyung (my sweet ffind), Othim, Sisca, Uung, Kino, Ida, Zidan, Enuk, Wien, Chorry, Illus, Farhah. We have much memories.

  12. All of my friends of TBI 01, especially Hanik.

  13. Mas Yuli, thanks for your help.

  14. All people who help me that I can not mention one by one.

  Finally, the writer realizes that this thesis is still far from being perfect and still needs many improvements therefore all suggestions and criticisms for perfection will be welcome and received with gratitude. However the writer hopes that this will give useful significance for readers

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  

  CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   CHAPTER II THE BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD LEE THORNDIKE, HIS WORK AND HIS VIEW OF LEARNING

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   F. The Evaluation of Learning in Edward Lee Thorndike’s Perspective in Teaching Learning, especially in Learning Process

  CHAPTER V CLOSURE A. Conclusion of the Thesis...............................................

  48 B. Suggestion....................................................................

  50 BIBLIOGRAPHY CURICULUM VITAE APPENDIX

  

CHAPTERI

  

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

  Learning is an activity which is always done by every people. Since the people bear until die, there are much learning processes which are already done.

  Learning not just happens in certain institution, but the interaction with the environment then the people get the new experience is a learning process too. These environments are family, playing environment, school environment, neighbor etc. like this quotation :

  “Learning pervades our life. It is involved not only in mastering a new skill or academic subject but also in emotional development, social interaction, and even personality development. We learn how to fear, how to love, how to be polite, how to be intimate, and so on”.1 From that explanation above, it can be taken that the definition of learning may be defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior that result from practice behavior change there are due to maturation (rather than practice) or to temporary conditions of the organism (such as fatigue or drug- induced state) are not included.2

  From those explanations above, it can be seen that learning is a complex phenomenon. Learning needs involvement of all aspects of

  'Rita L. Atkinson, Ricard C. Atkinson at all., Hilgard’s Introduction to Psychology, Harcourt Brace and Company, USA, 1996, page 227

  2Ibid., page 227

  2

  personality of human being, thought, emotions, and body language, beside lmowledge, attitude and the previous convictions and the future perceptions.

  Quantum Teaching defines that learning with all its definitions is a full-contact activity.3

  4 So, there are many experts attempt to research and analyze about learning itself. From that, it can be known about the qualification of learning, the success and the failure of learning.

  From many experts who are known by the writer, Edward Lee Thorndike is an expert that according to the writer can give an explanation about the concept of learning with his theory of connectionism or bond psychology.5 In this research, the writer will try to describe the theory of learning by Edward Lee Thorndike. So it can be summarized explicitly about learning according to Edward Lee Thorndike.

  This research has a purpose to explain explicitly the concept of learning according to Edward Lee Thorndike perspective, so as a student teacher who will face the teaching learning process directly can understand the essence of learning. Like this quotation in Quantum Teaching :

  “The teaching or learning process is a complex pnenomenon. Everything have meaning every word, thought, measure and association and in how far you compose the environment, presentation, and course design, as far as that the learning process is happen.6

  3Bobby De Porter, Mark Reardon & Sarah Singer Nourie, Quantum Teaching, Ari Nilandari, Mizan, Bandung, 2004, page 3

  4Ibid., page 6

  

5Sumadi Suryabrata, Psikologi Pendidikan, Rajawali, Jakarta, 1984, page 269

  6Bobby De Porter, Mark Reardon, Sarah Singer Nourie, op. cit, page 3

  3 The word you in that text refers to the teacher. If every students

  teacher or a teacher understand about the essence of learning like that explanation above, so every knowledge or skills which are given will succeed optimally and it means that the teaching learning process is successful.

B. Statement of the Problem

  1. How is the concept of learning according to Edward Lee Thorndike ?

  2. How to apply the view of Thorndike in the teaching learning process ?

  3. What is the implication of Thorndike’s theory of learning in language learning ?

  C. Limitation of the Problem

  The writer would like to limit the problem into the concept of learning according to Edward Lee Thorndike and it’s application in teaching learning process especially in learning language.

  D. Objectives of the Study 1. To reveal the concept of learning according to Edward Lee Thorndike.

  2. To find out the relevance'of the application of Edward Lee Thorndike’s view in teaching learning process.

  3. To find out the implication of Thorndike’s theory of learning in language learning.

  4 It is to contribute scientific development, especially of learning concept which is related with teaching learning language process.

E. Benefits of the Study

1. Theoretical benefit

2. Practical benefit

  A clear understanding of learning concept will be a motivation for teachers or students teacher to make teaching learning language process successful.

F. Definition of the Terms

1. The Concept

  • 7 A concept is an idea underlying a class of thing for general nation.

  It also means the idea or definition which is abstracted based on the concrete even.7

  8

2. Learning

  • Depdikbud, Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, BP, Jakarta, 1994, page 456

  New York, 1980, page 7

  s Hornby, op. cit, page 481 l0H. Dougla Brown, Principles o f Language Learning and Teaching, Prentice Hall,

  s Hornby, Oxford Advanced Dictionary, Oxford University Press of Concern English, New York, 1974, page 175

  7A

  Wide knowledge gained by careful study.9 It also means acquiring or getting of knowledge of a subject or a skill by study, experience, or instruction.10 ■ *

  9A

  5 G. Literature Review

  The writer would like to tell the other thesis has not do this research yet as comparison. There are as follows : the first, the title is “PROBLEM OF LEARNING TENSES (A CASE STUDY AMONG THE 3rd YEAR

  STUDENTS OF SLTP MUHAMMADIYAH SALATIGA IN SCHOOL YEAR OF 2002/2003)”, which has been researched by Badriyah in 2003, the students of State Islamic Institute (STAIN) of Salatiga. She analyzes about the factors of effecting learning. There are internal and external factors.11

  The second, review related to this research and the title is “THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE INTEREST OF LEARNING ENGLISH AND ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS OF THE SLTP N 3 MERTOYUDAN MAGELANG IN THE YEAR OF 2001/2002”, which has been researched by Misbakhul Munir in 2002, the students of State Islamic Institute (STAIN) of Salatiga. He analyzes about theories of learning. There are the theory of learning according to capacity psychology, association theory and Gestalt theory. 12

  The third review related to this research and the title is “CHILDREN STRATEGIES

IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPELLING, THEIR

  CORRELATION WITH THEIR ERROR SPELLING (A CASE STUDY AMONG STUDENTS OF MIN TEGALARUM GRADE FOUR AND FIVE,

  IN THE 2002/2003)”, which has been researched by Kunti Asihani Alfi

11 Badriyah, Problem o f Learning Tenses (A Case Study Among the 3rd Year Students of

  

SLTP Muhammadiyah Salatiga in School Year Of 2002/2003), unpublished thesis, Salatiga 2003

!2 Misbakhul Munir, The Correlation Between the Interest o f Learning English and

  

English Achievement o f the Students o f the SLTP N 3 Mertoyudan Magelang in The Year o f

2001/2002”, unpublished thesis, Salatiga 2002

  6 Muslihah in 2002, the students of State Islamic Institute (STAIN) of Salatiga.

  She analyzes about the learning strategies. There are direct strategies and indirect strategies.13 The fourth review related to this research and the title is “THE

  EFFORT OF SCHOOL IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS OF THE ENGLISH SUBJECT (A CASE STUDY OF SLTP ISLAM SUDIRMAN I BRINGIN, KABUPATEN

  SEMARANG IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2003/2004)”, which has been researched by Maskuri in 2004, the students of State Islamic Institute (STAIN) of Salatiga. He analyzes about the management of the learning state. Those are the collide phase, the natural phase, the name phase, the demonstration phase, the frequent phase, and the party phase.14

  The fifth review related to this research and the title is “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES IN ENGLISH TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS OF FIFTH YEAR STUDENTS OF MADRASAH

  IBTIDAIYAH SRUWEN 04 KEC. TENGARAN KAB. SEMARANG 2002”, which has been research by Agus Edy Setyawan in 2002, State Islamic Institute (STAIN) o f Salatiga. He analyses about the natural learning. The

13 Kunti Asihani Alfi Muslihah, Children Strategies in Learning English Spelling,

  

Their Correlation With Their Error Spelling (A Case Study Among Students o f MIN Tegalarum

Grade Four and Five, in the 2002/2003), unpublished thesis, Salatiga 2002

  14 Maskuri, The Effort o f School in Solving the Problems o f the Teaching and Learning

Process Of the English Subject (A Case Study o f SLTP Islam Sudirman I Bringin, Kabupaten

Semarang in the Academic Year O f 2003/2004), unpublished thesis, Salatiga 2004

  7

  word learning is one way to describe all the change that took place in Juan during the school. 15

H. Research Methodology

1. Method of Collecting Data

  a. Primary source The primary data source is the data which is used in the research directly. That is “Theory o f Learning” by Gordon H. Bower and Ernest R.16

  b. Secondary source The secondary data source is the data source which supports and complete the primary source. In this research, the writer uses the book entitled “ Psikologi Pendidikan” by Sumadi Surya Brata B.A. Drs. MA. Ed.S Ph.D. 17 and “Principles o f Language Learning and

  Teaching ” by H Douglas Brown.18

  c. Tertiary Source The tertiary source is the data source, which supports and complete the primary and secondary data source. They are : Quantum

  Teaching

  by Bobby De Porter, Mark Reardon and Sarah Singer Nourie,19 Psychology o f the Education Process by Joel R. David and

15 Agus Edy Setyawan, The Effectiveness o f Using Games in English Teaching

  Learning Process o f Fifth Year Students o f Madrasah lbtidaiyah Sruwen 04 Kec. Tengaran Kab. Semarang 2002, unpublished thesis, Salatiga 2002

'"Gordon H. Bower and Ernest R. Hilgard, Theory o f Learning, Prentice-Hall, New

York, Fifth Edition " Sumardi Suryabrata, Psychologi Pendidikan, Rajawali, Jakarta, 1984 18 H Douglas Brown, op. cit.

  19Bobby DePorter, Mark Reardon & Sarah Singer Nourie, op. cit.

  8 Samuel Ball,20 Education Psychology fo r Teachers by Anita E.

  2

  2

  3 Reflective Teaching in

  22 Second Language Classroom by Jack Ricard and Charles Lockhart, Pendekatan Dalam Proses Belajar Mengajar by A. Tabrani Rusyan, Active Learning by Mel Siberman,24 Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language by Charles C. Fries,25 etc.

2. Method of Analysis

  a. Descriptive analysis It tries to collect the data to construct, to analyze and interpret the data having been obtained.

  b. Critical method It will uncover the thought of Edward Lee Thorndike about the concept of learning and finding its relevance with the teaching-learning language especially in learning language process.

  Woolfolk, Lorraine Me Cune-Nicolish,21 2

I. Outline of Thesis

  21 Anita E. Woolfolk, Lorraine Me Cune-Nicolish, Education Psychology fo r Teaches, Prentice-Hall, USA, 1984

  22 Jack C. Ricard, Charles Lockhart, Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom, Cambridge University Press, USA, 1994

  23 A. Tabrani Rusyan et. all., Pendekatan dalam Proses Belajar Mengajar, Remadja Karya, Bandung, 1989

  24 Mel Silberman, Active Learning, Asman and Schuster Company, Massachusetts, 1996

  25 Charles C. Fries, Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language

  20 Joel R. Davits, Samuel Ball, Psychology o f the Education Process, Me. Graw-Hill Inc., USA, 1970

  This thesis is divided into five chapter. Chapter I tells about introduction. That includes of background of the study, statement of the problem, limitation of the problem, objectives of the study, benefit of the

  9

  study, definition of the terms, literature review, research methodology, and outline of thesis.

  Chapter II tells about the biography of Edward lee Thorndike, his works and his view of learning. Chapter III tells about the Theories of Learning. It includes the definition of learning, the role of teacher in teaching learning process, the problem of teaching learning especially in learning language process.

  Chapter IV tells about an analysis of learning. It includes the essence of learning, the aim of learning,. the material of learning, the method of learning, the evaluation of learning and the implication of learning in Thorndike’s perspective for the teaching learning language process.

Chapter V tells about closure. There are conclusion and suggestion. The last part is bibliography and appendix.

  

C H A P T E R II

THE BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD LEE THORNDIKE,

  A. The Biography of Edward Lee Thorndike

  E. L. Thorndike was born in Williamsburg, Massachusetts on August, 31, 1874. He was the son of a Methodist Minister, Edward R. Thorndike, and Abby Thorndike. Thorndike was fortune because his father was a minister and during this period of time it was more likely that children of minister or pastors would receive a higher education.

  Thorndike, even as a young student, was a very dedicated to his studies. When attending college, Thorndike’s first area of interest was English.

  He received his BS (Bachelor’s Degree) from Wesleyan University in 1895. After receiving a BS, he decided to attend Harvard. Harvard is where Thorndike found his love for psychology. And in 1897 he received his MA

  (Master Degree) from Harvard University. At Harvard, he worked under and

  • with William James. He received his PhD {Philosophic Doctoral) from Columbia University in 1898, and at Columbia he worked under James M. Cattel.

  About his carriers and nominations, in the same year that he received his PhD, he accepted a position as Assistant professor at Western Reserve University.

  11 At the age of 26, married Elizabeth Moulton on August, 29, 1900.

  James E. Russel approached Thorndike after one of his class exercise offering a position at teachers college of College of Columbia University. He remained teaching there until he retired in 1940, but he worked actively till his death, ten years later. He became president of APA (American Psychological Association) in 1912 and became president of the American Association for the advancement of science in 1934.1

  Though Thorndike’s father was an itinerant Methodist minister, the predominance of religion during Thorndike’s youth did not inspire his latter beliefs. Rather, he rejected religion as an adult and viewed science as a secular alternative. The often referred to himself as an “intellectual agnostic”.

  Children of 19,n-century ministers were more likely to receive higher education than other children because of the strong ties between the clergy and universities. Thorndike chose to attend Wesleyan University, a Methodist ministry-sponsored college, from where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1895. He received another undergraduate degree from Harvard University, and then shifted his focus to psychology and earned a master’s degree in 1897.

  Thorndike subsequently applied to Columbia University and entered its psychology doctoral program. In his first summer term, Thorndike met James McKeen Cattell, a nationally prominent and distinguished professor. Cattell quickly gained Thorndike’s respect and admiratoion. They corresponded regularly, and Thorndike solicited thesis advice and assistance

  1 A/Thomdike.htm

  12

  with experiements. Catteli proved very supportive of Thorndike’s work and accepted one of his manuscripts for publication in Science magazine. He also invited Thorndike to give his first lecture at the American Psychological

  Association. Catteli exerted great influence within the scientific community, and his acceptance of Thorndike as a star pupil proved to be immensely rewarding for the young scholar.

  Many psychologists consider Thorndike’s 1898 doctoral thesis Animal

  

Intelligence: An Experimental Study o f the Associative Processes in Animals

  to be the origin of the scientific study of animal behavior. In his field-breaking work, Thon described his “puzzle box” experiments with cats. From these, he proposed several “laws” concerning the bonds between stimuli and responses, which he labeled the Connectionism Theory of Learning. Though Thorndik’s work appears quite similar to Ivan Pavlov’s 1902 law of reinforcement, the two studies appear to be a case of simultaneous independent discovery.

  Pavlov (1928) himself wrote, “I must acknowledge that the honor of having made the first steps along the path belongs to E. L. Thorndike”.

  Following Cattell’s recommendation, Thorndike began to apply his doctoral research on animal intelligence to human subjects-particularly children. Thus began Thorndike’s merger of psychology and pedagogy.’

  Thorndike, a proponent of research-based curriculum reform, prompted curricular and methodological changes in several subject areas. For example, he frequently spoke out against the classical course of study traditionally offered in secondary schools, and considered both Latin and

  13 Greek to be unnecessary. He asserted that progress in these languages did not

  correlate to progress in other subject areas. In 1910, he published a scale to measure children’s handwriting that used a positive correlation between rate and quality. The scale gained quick acceptance and became the first standardized achievement test to be widely used in public schools.

  Mathematics was another of his curricular foci. Thorndike did not approve of arithmetic practice solely for the sake of “mental gymnastics”, and incorporated this theory into his 1917 series Thorndike Arithmetics-an instant best seller. In this exercise book, Thorndike only included mathematical problems that were directly relevant to real, daily life.

  Thorndike authored a number of books and articles to help educators and textbook writers choose the appropriate vocabulary for their students. In 1927, he compiled The Teacher’s Word Book, a list of 4.5 million words in

  English from 41 different sources, including newspapers, advertisements, and popular fiction. He ordered these words on the basis of most commonly to least commonly used. He released two subsequent revisions of this popular list in 1932 and 1944. The latter books also contained word lists, but a greater number of these words were taken from a broader range of contextual sources. His main desire for these lists was that they be used to determine if a specific word should be included in writing for children.

  He argued for the existence of inherited intellectual differences, and that an accurate intelligence test could predict and individual’s future carter.

  Thorndike thus developed the CAVD intelligence test, which measured

  14

  completion, arithmetic, vocabulary, and directions. The logic behind this test became the foundation for modem intelligence tests.

  In 1928, Thorndike conducted a major study of adult learning, the first of its kind. This study revealed that the ability of adults to learn declined very little with age, disproving the prevalent belief that ability for mental development stopped at about age 16. This finding changed the direction of adult learning and spumed new developments in the field of adult education. Thorndike’s ideas became poplar worldwide, and his book Adult Learning was even translated into Polish.

  In 1939, Thorndike officially retired from Columbia University, but continued his research and writing. In 1946, Thorndike gave his last public speech at the Roxbury Latin School. Soon afterward, Thorndike wrote to a friend, “I am now a very tired old man, but not unhappy”. His last year was one of illness-pneumonia, shakiness, and a minor stroke. His wife later found files, papers, and personal correspondence that he had carefully arranged in preparation for death. Many of these papers are in Montrose, New York, under the custody of Frances Thorndike Cope. Another large collection is held at the teachers college archives at Columbia University. Small collections of miscellaneous papers and notes can be found at Wesleyan Univesity, in Middletown, Connecticut, the Cornell University Library, and the Harvard University Library/ 2

  2

  15 B. The Works of Edward Lee Thorndike

1. Major Publication

  a. Thesis on Animal Intelligence in 1898 (he was 24 at that time)

  b. Education Psychology (1903)

  c. Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements (1904)

  d. The elements of Psychology (1905)

  e. Animal Intelligence (1911)

  f. A Teacher’s Workbook (1921)

  g. The Measurement of Intelligence (1927)

  h. The Fundamentals of Learning (1932)

i. The Psychology of Wants, Interests and Attitudes (1935)

  j. Human Nature An the Social Order (1940) k. Published more than 50 books and more than 400 articles.3

2. Research

  Thorndike first research project pertained to “mind reading ability” in children. In this experiment, Thorndike would think of a number, letter or object and the child in front of him would try to guess what he was thinking of.

  After the failure of the “mind reading” experiments Thorndike decided to do an experiment on the instinctive and intelligent behavior of chickens. While doing the experiment, Thorndike kept his chickens in his

  3

  16

  room up until the point were his landly began to protest. No space in Harvard, so William James took his chickens in.

  The next research is The Puzzle Box Experiment. The animal (often a cat) is put into a box and tries to find its way out. The box consisted of ropes, levers, and latches that the animal could use as a means of escape. Once the cat escapes, a reward is given.

  Thorndike trough his observation realized that after time, the cat would use a trial and error technique. Thorndike also realized that with more trials the less time it took the cat to escape. Thorndike concluded that the cat learned through trial and error as do humans in similar circumstances.

  Becoming less interested in animal research and he decided to devote himself to research with humans.

3. Contributions

  a. Thorndike was viewed as a man who changed the way children were educated.

  b. Revised dictionaries in order to make it-easier for children to read by using simpler word and offering pictures.

  c. Studied animal intelligence with the puzzle box.

  d. Applied the knowledge learned from his studies with animals to humans.

  e. Designed a scale to measure children’s handwriting, reading, drawing and arithmetic.

  17

  f. Designed a scale to measure intelligence called : C - Sentence Completion A - Arithmetic Ability V - Vocabulary D - Ability to Follow Direction

  g. CAVD became the foundation of IQ tests

  h. Devised IQ tests for the U.S. Army during WWI.4

C. Edward Lee Thorndike’s View of Learning

  The most characteristic form of learning of both lower animals and man was identified by Thorndike as trial and error learning, or as he preferred to call it later, learning by selecting and connecting. In this paradigmatic situation, learners are confronted by a problem situation in which they have to reach a goal such as escape from a problem box, attain some food, or win some money. They do this by selecting a response from a number of possible responses, performing that response, and then receiving some consequence or outcome. A trial is defined by the length of time (or number of errors) involved in a single reaching of the goal.

  The typical experiment is one in which a hungry cat is placed in confining box, which is reproduced from Thorndike’s very first paper (1898).

  Some sort of unlatching device - a loop of wire, a handle, a knob - would be mounted inside the box; when it was manipulated, the door would fall open, permitting the animal to escape confinement and get a bite of food just outside

  4

  18

  the door. In Thorndike’s analysis, the interior of the problem-box constitutes the “stimulus situation”; to this stimulus situation, the animals would bring a repertoire of possible behaviors of responses to try out in attempting to escape from the box. Thus, typically the initial trials would be characterized by much irrelevant, unsuccessful behavior for the first several minutes - a great amount of clawing, biting, rubbing, meowing, thrashing about, and clinging to the ceiling - before the door latch would be tripped, in almost an “accidental” fashion. The performance score recorded on a given trial was the amount of time elapsed before the animal performed the correct response and escaped.

  Initially, the times were very large due to so much random, irrelevant behavior. However, on succeeding trials the time score become smaller, but slowly and irregularly.

  The Thorndike’s experiments on animals had a very profound influence upon his thinking about human learning. He became convinced, contrary to the then popular beliefs, that animal behavior was tittle mediated by ideas. Responses were said to be made directly to the situation as sensed.

  While he did not go so far as to totally deny ideation among animals, he was convinced that the great bulk of their learning could be explained by the direct connecting of acts to situations through the automatic action of the law of effect, unmediated by ideas. The similarity of the learning curves of human subjects learning many difficult associations with those of animals led him to

  • 19

  believe that the same essentially mechanical phenomena disclosed by animal learning are also fundamental to human learning.5 Animal’s learning or human’s learning, have an essential laws of learning, there are : law of readiness, law of exercise, and law of effect.6

1. Law of Readiness

  Readiness characterizes many of circumstances under which a learner tends to be satisfied or annoyed. Thorndike recognized several forms of readiness; 1) a strong desire for an action sequence is aroused, then the smooth carrying out of that sequence is satisfying. 2) If that action sequence is thwarted or blocked from completion, then such blocking is annoying. 3) If an action is fatigued (tired out) or satiated, then forcing a further repetition of the act is annoying.

2. Law of Exercise

  In a short account of Thorndike’s views, the impression may be given that repetition of a habit was presumed to increase its strength, on the premise that “practice make perfect”. Thorndike in his early writings referred to this as the law ofexercise. This law has two forms : 1) The use of connection increase its strength. 2) The disuse of a connection (not practicing it) lead to its weakening or forgetting.7

  5 Gordon H. Bower and Ernest R. Hilgard, Theory o f Learning, Prentice Hall, New York,

  • ” ifth Edition pagr 2 -

  5 Sumadi Suryabrata, Psikologi Pendidikan, Rajawali, Jakarta, 1984, page 271

  20

3. Law of effect

  The law of effect refers to strengthening or weakening of a connection as a result of its consequences. When a modifiable connection is made and is accompanied or followed by a satisfying state of affairs, the strength of the connection is increases. If the connection made and following by punishment or an annoying state of affairs, its strength is decreases.8

  Beside those laws, Thorndike suggests that there are five subordinate laws and minor laws. Those are; law of multiple response, law of attitude (law of set, law of disposition), law of partial activity (law of prepotency element), and law of associative shifting. But those five laws, in the next work is used rarely, because there are no connection between primary laws and subordinate laws clearly.9

  8 Ibid., page 25

  9 Sumadi Suryabrata, up. cit., page 276

CHAPTER III THE THEORIES UNDERLYING LEARNING A. The Definition of Learning There /are much definitions about learning. Those definitions are very

  complex. Learning not just happens in certain institution. Everyday, human beings face that process, they face something new, watch closely, analyze and make summary that they get something new, so they get experience from those.

  The researches about learning have already researched by several figures at least since the Golden Age of ancient Greece, for examples Socrates. He implies that through a questioning discovery-type process, man could best learn to understand his environment. Plato added the thought that man was born with certain native potentialities. Those with poor potential a person lit to be a ruler. Aristotle interests in how man is able to organize in his mind the multitude of events, lie constantly experiences, suggested three laws of association-contiguity, similarity, and contrast.5

  It can show that the item of “learning” have a great consent because of its roles. The next definition, will give illustration more about learning itself. 1 *

1 Joel R. Davits, Samuel Ball, Psychology o f the Education Process, Me. Graw-Hill Inc., .

  USA, 1970, page 2

  22

  1. Learning is not something found only in the classroom. It takes place constantly, every day of our lives.

  2. It is not something that is “correct”. If a students misspells a word on a test, one cannot say that the student did not learn to spell the word, only that the student learned the wrong spelling.

  3. Learning does not have to be deliberate or conscious. A tennis player may have learned a bad method of tossing the ball before serving, but the player could be completely unaware of the pattern until the instructor points it out. Finally, learning does not always involve knowledge or skill ' j such as spelling and tennis attitudes and emotions can also be learned.

  According to Edward Lee Thorndike, animal’s learning or human’s learning, have a primary laws in learning. If those laws are available, so the learning process occurs.

  Those three laws are : law of readiness, law of exercise, and a law of effect/

  1. Law of Readiness Readiness characterizes many of circumstances under which a learner tend to be satisfied or annoyed. Thorndike recognized several forms of readiness; 1) a strong desire for an action sequence is aroused, then the smooth carrying out of that sequence is satisfying. 2) If that action sequence is thwarted or blocked from completion, then such blocking is 2

  3

  2 Anita E. Wool folk, Lorraine Me Cune-Nicolish, Education Psychology fo r Teaches, Prentice-Hall, USA, 1984, pae UjiS

  23

  annoying. 3) if an action is fatigued (tired out) or satiated, then forcing a further repetition o f the act annoying.

  2. Law o f exercise In a short account o f Thorndike’s views, the impression may be given that repetition of a habit was presumed to increase its strength, on the premise that “practice makes perfect”. Thorndike in his early writings referred to this as the law o f exercise. This law has two forms: 1) The use o f connection increase its strength. 2) The .disuse o f a connection • (not practicing it ) lead to its weakening or forgetting.4

  3. Law o f effect The law o f effect refers to strengthening or weakening of a connection as a result of its consequences. When a modifiable connection is made and is accompanied or followed by a satisfying state o f affairs, the strength o f the connection increases. If the connection is made and following by punishment or an annoying state o f affairs, its strength decreases.5

  Beside those laws, Thorndike suggests that there are five subordinate laws and minor laws. Those are; law o f multiple response, law o f attitude (law o f set, law o f disposition), law o f partial activity (law of prepotency element), and law of associative shifting. But those five laws,

  4Gordon H. Bow er and Ernest R. Hilgard, Theories o f Learning, Prentice-Hall, New York, Fifth Edition, page 27

5 Ibid., page 26

  24

  in the next work is used rarely, because there are not connection between primary laws and subordinate laws clearly.6 From those definitions o f learning above, it is clear that learning is an activity which involve o f all subject in teaching learning process. The teacher has a great role in that process, and the learner must has a great desire too, to follow the teaching learning process.

  B. The Role of Teacher in Teaching Learning Process A role can be defined as the part take by a participant in any act of communication. In some interaction, roles are relatively fixed (e.g., doctor- patient or teacher-student) whereas in others, role are temporary and open to negotiation. For example within an office, a group o f colleagues may have hierarchical roles (e.g. senior, accountant, junior accountant, assistant accountant), whereas in a social situation outside the office context the same colleagues may interact on equal terms. When roles are compared (e.g. patient-child, doctor-patient, pilot-flight attendant), they are seen to have the following characteristics:

  1. They involve different kinds o f work and different levels o f responsibility.

  2. They involve different kinds o f relationships and different patterns of interaction <ind communication.

  3. They involve different power relationships.

Dokumen yang terkait

STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF PALANGKA RAYA FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH EDUCATION 2015

0 0 17

THE STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF PALANGKA RAYA FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH EDUCATION 1437 H2015 M

0 0 25

SRN. 0801120405 PALANGKA RAYA STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND ISLAMIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF THE LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM OF THE ENGLISH EDUCATION 1436H2015M

0 0 11

PALANGKA RAYA STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHERS TRAINING DEPARTMENT OF THE LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM OF THE ENGLISH EDUCATION 1436H2015M

0 0 20

By MUHAMMAD PATJRIANUR SRN. 1201120813 STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF PALANGKA RAYA FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER TRAINING DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

0 0 23

STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF PALANGKA RAYA FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION LANGUAGE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH EDUCATION 1337 H 2016 M

0 0 21

BY PUTRI RAFA SALIHAH NIM 1301120843 STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF PALANGKA RAYA FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

0 0 119

EDUCATION FACULTY STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES 2011 SEX DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING ENGLISH

0 0 186

ENGLISH AND EDI'CATION DEPARTMENT STATE ISLAMIC STUDIES INSTITUTE (STAIN) SALATIGA 2003

0 0 75

ENGLISH AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STATE ISLAMIC STUDIES INSTITUTE (STAIN) SALATIGA 2005

0 1 66