PROBLEMS IN UNDERSTANDING PROCEDURAL LEARNING
PROBLEMS IN UNDERSTANDING PROCEDURAL LEARNING

Summary/Abstract: In Slovenia, there has been a considerable confusion regarding the concepts and terms used to denote procedural knowledge. Through an analysis of the curriculum of primary teaching subjects and basic study literature on educational psychology and didactics we have concluded that each subject field has a different name for procedural learning. An examination of primary teaching students’ knowledge in their fourth year of study showed that they have many difficulties with differentiating knowledge types and also with lesson planning to attain procedural learning objectives. In the academic years 2011/12 and 2012/13, a research on primary teaching students’ progress in understanding and use of knowledge on procedural learning objectives was conducted through practical exercises of didactics of social sciences. We used the qualitative and descriptive non-experimental quantitative method of educational research. Thirty-six students participated in the research in the first year and thirty-one in the second year. The students answered the same question(s) prior to the practical exercises and after it. During seven weeks of practical exercises, the students achieved progress in identifying procedural objectives and planning lessons with an emphasis on procedural objectives, but many still misunderstand different types of knowledge and learning objectives. For a better knowledge of students, greater cooperation of the general educational sciences and didactics is imperative. Based on the experiences, we assume there are many other terminological differences in basic educational concepts between the educational sciences that cause unnecessary confusion among students.

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