HED4814
ASSIGNMENT 03
Due Date: 11 September 2025
2025
Psychology of Education
Due Date: 11 September 2025
Total Marks: 100
Task:
Analyse the learner’s challenges using psychological and contextual frameworks.
Your analysis must include:
1. Cognitive and emotional factors.
2. Social and environmental influences.
3. Historical and cultural dimensions.
0 7 6 4 0 1 2 2 9
, Psychology of Education
Due Date: 11 September 2025
Total Marks: 100
Task:
Analyse the learner’s challenges using psychological and contextual
frameworks.
Your analysis must include:
1. Cognitive and emotional factors.
2. Social and environmental influences.
3. Historical and cultural dimensions.
In the scenario, a Grade 8 learner in a South African public school faces
many challenges that affect learning. The learner speaks isiZulu at home
but learns in English at school. This language barrier makes understanding
and participating in class very difficult. Cognitive factors play a big role in
the learner’s struggles. According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive
development, learners in early adolescence (around 12–14 years) move
into the formal operational stage, where they are expected to think logically
and abstractly (Piaget, 1972). If a learner does not fully understand the
language of instruction, it can limit their ability to process new information
and apply abstract thinking in subjects like mathematics and science.
Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory also highlights that learning
happens through interaction with others and through language (Vygotsky,
1978). If the learner feels unable to communicate in class, their cognitive
development is affected, and learning becomes more challenging.
Emotional factors also contribute to the learner’s difficulties. The learner’s
low participation suggests a lack of confidence and possibly fear of making
mistakes in front of classmates. According to Bandura’s self-efficacy theory,
learners who believe in their ability to succeed are more likely to
participate and persist in learning tasks (Bandura, 1997). The learner may
have low self-efficacy in mathematics and science because of repeated
difficulties, which can cause anxiety and reduce motivation. Emotional
support from teachers and peers is important to help the learner build
confidence and feel safe to engage in learning.
Social and environmental influences play a key role in this learner’s
academic experience. The school is overcrowded, meaning that the learner
may not receive enough attention from the teacher. Bronfenbrenner’s
ecological systems theory explains that learners are influenced by multiple