3. Schema

• Schema


  A cognitive framework that enables organisms to interpret and comprehend the surrounding world
• Schemata


  A systematic method of organizing information, thereby optimizing cognitive efficiency within the brain
• Schemas


  • They are dynamic entities that can be altered and reconstructed throughout an individual's lifespan
  • They play a pivotal role in shaping theories of learning and influencing instructional methodologies for teachers
• Assimilation


  Fitting new information into existing schemas
• Accommodation


  Modifying existing schemas to incorporate new information
• Schema Formation


  1. Assimilation and Accommodation (Piaget's Theory)

  2. Experience and Observation

  3. Socialization and Cultural Influences

  4. Media and Technology

  5. Cognitive Scripts

  6. Neurological Processes

  7. Educational and Instructional Processes
• Definitions of Schema


  • "Mental templates which are neither entirely new behavior nor an exact replication of old behavior" - Frederic Bartlett
  • "A kind of generic knowledge in the form of unconscious mental structures" - Bartlett 1932
  • "An organized mental pattern of thoughts and/or behavior that can help organize our knowledge and understanding of the world" - Neisser 1976
  • "A plan, diagram, or outline, especially a mental representation of some aspect of the experience, based on prior experience, and memory, structured in such a way as to facilitate (and sometimes to distort) perception, cognition, the drawing of inferences, or the interpretation of new information in terms of existing knowledge" - Colman 2008
  • "A cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning" - Piaget 1952
• Characteristics of Schemas


  • They encompass variables, allowing for flexibility and adaptation
  • They have the capacity to be nested, with one schema encapsulated within another
  • They serve as vehicles for representing knowledge across all levels of abstraction
  • They embody and convey knowledge, functioning as active processes
  • They operate as recognition devices, processing data with the goal of assessing the compatibility of new information within their existing framework
• Types of Schemas


  • Cultural Schemas
  • Social Schemas
  • Self-Schemas
  • Event Schemas
  • Role Schemas
• Gender Schema Theory


  A theory that explains how individuals develop gender-based schemas that guide their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours
• Schemas in Education


  • Organizing Information
  • Facilitating Memory
  • Interpreting and Processing Information
  • Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
  • Reducing Cognitive Load
  • Influencing Perception and Interpretation
  • Guiding Attention
  • Affecting Motivation
  • Resisting Change
• Challenges of Schemas


  • Rigidity and Resistance to Change
  • Stereotyping and Bias
  • Selective Attention
  • Misinterpretation of Information
  • Overgeneralization
  • Influence of Negative Schemas
  • Cultural Bias
  • Limitation in Creativity
  • Influence on Memory Distortion
  • Confirmation Bias
• Mechanisms through which Schemas Impact Memory (Alba and Hasher 1983)


  • Attention Guidance
  • Abstraction Encoding
  • Facilitation of Interpretation
  • Memory Integration and Reconstruction
• Major Theorists


  • F.C. Bartlett
  • Jean Piaget
  • David Rumelhart
  • Roger Schank and Abelson
  • Brewer and Treyens