NBPTS Exceptional Needs Specialist Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

In the context of Cognitivism, learning is defined as a change in thinking. This educational theory emphasizes the internal processes of the mind and how individuals understand, process, and remember information. Cognitivism posits that learning is not just a manipulation of external behavior but involves an active mental engagement where learners acquire, organize, and utilize knowledge.

This perspective is rooted in the understanding that cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving play critical roles in how individuals learn. Therefore, when we talk about learning from a cognitivist viewpoint, we are primarily concerned with how learners modify their internal cognitive structures, leading to new understanding and ability to apply that knowledge in various contexts.

In contrast, the other options—such as changes in behavior, environment, or feelings—are more aligned with different educational theories. Behaviorism, for instance, focuses on observable changes in behavior as a result of learning experiences, while changes in environment pertain to situational learning contexts, and emotional changes relate to learner engagement or affective learning theories. Thus, within the framework of Cognitivism, the notion of learning fundamentally revolves around changes in cognitive processing.