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Cognitive Apprenticeship

Social and Sociocultural Learning Theories

Cognitive apprenticeship is an instructional framework proposed by Allan Collins, John Seely Brown and Susan Newman in their 1989 work on teaching the crafts of reading, writing and mathematics, adapting the traditional apprenticeship model, in which a novice learns a trade by observing and working alongside a master, to the teaching of cognitive skills that are otherwise largely invisible. The framework centers on making an expert's thinking process explicit through modeling, coaching and scaffolding that is gradually withdrawn as the learner gains competence, a sequence often summarized as modeling, coaching, scaffolding and fading. It also emphasizes articulation and reflection, in which learners are asked to voice their own reasoning and compare it to expert performance, and exploration, in which learners are encouraged to pose and solve their own problems once core skills are established.

Facts
Core Claim
Framework proposed by Allan Collins, John Seely Brown and Susan Newman (1989), making expert thinking explicit through modeling, coaching, scaffolding and fading. 2
Origin Year
1989 2
Classification
Education Level
All Levels 1
FAQs

What are the six teaching methods in cognitive apprenticeship?

Modeling; coaching; scaffolding; articulation; reflection; exploration.

Collins, Brown and Newman developed six teaching methods rooted in cognitive apprenticeship theory. The first three, modeling, coaching and scaffolding, are the core of the approach and support both cognitive and metacognitive development. The next two, articulation and reflection, help novices become aware of problem-solving strategies and carry them out more like an expert. The last, exploration, guides the novice toward independence, so that learners can frame and solve problems in the domain on their own. The authors note that this list is not exhaustive and that how well each method works depends heavily on the domain being taught.
Connections

Associated With

Distinct but related: this entity covers the general apprentice-learning perspective across practical fields, while Cognitive Apprenticeship names the specific 1989 Collins, Brown and Newman model for teaching reading, writing and mathematics.

In Approach

Source Cognitive Apprenticeship (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Cognitive Apprenticeship (Wikipedia)
  • a theory that emphasizes the importance of the process in which a master of a skill teaches that skill to an apprentice
  • In Approach: Constructivism, Lead
    Constructivist approaches to human learning have led to the development of the theory of cognitive apprenticeship.
  • In Group: Apprenticeship, Scaffolding and Situated Learning Theories, Lead
    Cognitive apprenticeship is a theory that emphasizes the importance of the process in which a master of a skill teaches that skill to an apprentice.
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2. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationCognitive apprenticeship, lead section
Quote, Cognitive apprenticeship, lead section
Cognitive apprenticeship is a theory that emphasizes the importance of the process in which a master of a skill teaches that skill to an apprentice.
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