Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition

The Dreyfus model, developed by brothers Stuart and Hubert Dreyfus around 1980, describes the distinct stages learners pass through while acquiring a new skill, with applications drawn out in fields such as nursing, education and operations research. It sets out five stages, novice, advanced beginner, competence, proficiency and expertise, with a sixth stage of mastery available to especially motivated and talented performers. A central claim of the model is that advancing learners gradually let go of explicit rules and step-by-step procedures, gaining instead the ability to act fluidly without consciously deliberating over each decision.