ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the learning theory world: self-regulated learning, motivation, metacognition, and others. Theories provide a framework for understanding complex phenomena. The concepts introduced help people understand how learning happens. The theory material here can be overwhelming. This is because there are so many approaches to learning and understanding learning. Learning defies a singular explanation. Generally speaking, learning is a cognitive and behavioral process that results in increased capacity to process information, understand the world, and organize and formulate ideas. Psychologists believed the scientific method could be applied to study of the mind, knowledge, learning, and emotions. Several different approaches to educational psychology emerged from 1890 to 1920, all with their own theorist. At the onset, Darwinism was the common thread between the prominent educational psychologists. Great changes occurred in Americans' daily lives as a result of the Industrial Revolution. People were interested in improving education and growing the economy.
