Learning is a process by which the individual acquires various habits, knowledge, and attitude that are necessary to meet the demands of life in general. There are different factors that affect learning.
These include learner-centered factors like motivation, needs, self-concept, interests, goals, level of aspiration, etc., teacher and task-related factors such as teaching style, classroom ethos, transactional skills, and methodology, etc., and environmental factors such as the physical and psychological structures in which learning occurs.
Ashok is very fond of playing cricket and he is very good at it too. He is the captain of his college team. He spends long hours playing or watching cricket and never gets tired or bored. Motivation and personal factors is affecting learning in this example.
- Ashok is intrinsically motivated i.e. he derives internal satisfaction from the game. Intrinsic motivation is closely related to one's need for self-fulfillment, and achievement.
- These needs impel us to become better by learning more, interacting with our environment, and developing ourselves.
- Learning is most effective when there is intrinsic motivation - a desire to learn from within, which finds satisfaction in the achievement itself and does not bother about other factors.
Thus, it is concluded motivation is the personal factor that affects learning in the given an example.
Maturation:
A one-year-old cannot be made to write and a three months old child cannot walk. Unless the learner has 'matured' optimally, he cannot learn. In order for learning to take place, physical, intellectual, and socio-emotional maturation is essential. Also, individual variations in the process of maturation should be acknowledged and appropriately dealt with.
Self-concept:
Self-concept is very important in matters of learning because it influences individual differences in learners, in their, learning orientations, cognitive styles, and the self-learning strategies which they use.
Level of aspiration:
This refers to the extent to which an individual wish to strive to achieve. It emanates from the targets, goals, and ambitions that individuals construct for themselves.