The Instruction Theory of Jerome Bruner

Abstract

In the movement of ideas and proposals on education, Jerome Bruner stands out and can be considered as one of the key figures in the field of educational psychology. In this chapter, focusing mainly on education, learning, and teaching, the author summarizes Jerome Bruner's proposals, Jerome Bruner's perspective on culture, education and development, and in particular, the main constructs and implications of his theory of cognitive development and his instruction theory. Particular emphasis is given to guided discovery learning, presenting its advantages and disadvantages, as well as a discussion of the main conclusions of the investigations on its use. Finally, examples of the richness of guided discovery learning and the application of Bruner's ideas in different content areas are presented.