Discovery learning: what is it and how does it work?

What is discovery learning and what dynamics does it generate in school operations?

Each and every one of us learns a great deal throughout our lives. And throughout history, institutions such as schools have been created, which allow part of this knowledge to be transmitted to new generations and provide them with the tools to develop in today's world.

But the same methodologies have not always been used: there are different ways of learning and teaching, some of which are more advantageous than others to achieve and develop knowledge. One of them is discovery learningwhich we are going to talk about in this article.

Discovery learning

Discovery learning can be understood as a way to obtain knowledge, which is characterized by the fact that the acquisition of knowledge is produced by the subject himself.. Thus, the information does not come from the outside, but is limited to providing the means through which the user himself comes to acquire it.

Thus, it starts from the establishment of starting hypotheses from which the subject reaches his own conclusions, in a self-regulated way and enhancing the research itself by basing it on the identification of problems to be solved in an active way.

It is one of the main ways by which new contents can be presented in the psychic structure, allowing the subject himself to generate the learning, assimilate it and shape it by himself.

This type of learning is much more frequent and useful in the field of science, where the understanding of knowledge is based on the individual's own discoveries. knowledge comes from self-discovery rather than directly from the repetition of information. rather than coming directly from the repetition of information.

Its foundations in constructivism

Learning by discovery, defended by Bruner, is based on constructivismwhich states that learning depends on the construction of knowledge by the learners or students: it is an active and not a passive process, in which the subject acquires knowledge through processes of assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge.

It is relevant that knowledge must be meaningful, that is, new information must be linked to previous knowledge and schemes in order to be able to understand them and give them meaning. It also pays great attention to the intrapsychic and contextual factors of the educational process, highlighting among the former the intellectual capacities and especially the motivation to learn.

However, although it may seem that learning by discovery is necessarily linked to meaningful learning, the truth is that this modality or path alone does not imply per se that learning is meaningful, so that no correspondence can be established.

It is possible for meaningful learning to take place by reception, as long as the information coming from outside allows the construction of knowledge from the knowledge of the students. the construction of knowledge from previous schemas, through assimilation and accommodation through assimilation and accommodation.

The learner: an active subject

One of the most relevant elements of learning by discovery is that allows the student or learner to be an active subject in his or her own construction of knowledgeThis way, he/she can more easily give meaning to the new material and organize it according to his/her interests and previous knowledge.

It also allows the learner to develop the ability to think for him/herself and critically with existing material, as well as to enhance lateral thinking and increase the sense of self-efficacy in the long term. It is also linked to high levels of student interest and motivation to learn.

The role of the teacher

Unlike in more traditional and mechanistic teaching, in which the teacher is a transmitter or source of the knowledge that students receive and from which they acquire information, in discovery learning the role of the teacher changes.

In discovery learning, the teacher or professor acts as a guide who provides the tools for the subject to develop knowledge by himself, instead of acting as a source of knowledge that transmits it to passive receivers.

In this sense, a scaffolding is generated, in such a way that the learner builds based on the aids that the professional provides in an adjusted manner, but without ceasing to build knowledge by himself.

Points in favor of this type of learning

Discovery learning has a number of great advantages over other types of learning. To begin with, it is a type of learning that fosters creativityIt is a type of learning that fosters creativity, as well as the fact of taking advantage of and encouraging intrinsic motivation towards learning in such a way that the learner seeks to learn not for possible external motivators but for the pleasure of learning itself.

It also helps the student to learn how to learn, favoring metacognition and the ability to search for information, synthesize it and be critical of it. It also favors the acquisition of problem-solving skills and the search for verification of hypotheses, as well as theas well as the acceptance and learning from mistakes.

In addition, it should be taken into account that this type of learning can be more easily adapted to the tastes, desires and abilities of the students, as it does not focus so much on one type of knowledge but rather on what the subject wishes to explore.

In addition to this, it makes it easier for the subject to feel more empowered and to play a more active and creative role in their day-to-day life. It also empowers the subject by making him/her the protagonist of his/her learning process, contributing to his/her greater independence.

Possible disadvantages

In view of the above points, it may seem that learning by discovery is always positive and advantageous for the development of knowledge, but it also has a number of disadvantages that have led some authors to criticize this type of procedure.

In this sense, it has been argued that the learning obtained can be positive and useful, but it can be ineffective due to the high difficulty in transferring this type of learning to the learner. the high difficulty of transferring this type of learning to classrooms with a large number of subjects. with a large number of subjects.

On the other hand, the fact of depending on the motivation of the subject may cause the discoveries made to leave aside material or elements that, although not appealing to the subject, may be useful in everyday life. It can also make it more complicated to manage frustration in the face of having to perform undesirable or uninteresting tasks.