Planning Lessons
Teachers can use cognitive dissonance in a variety of ways. Children can be encouraged to learn by creating dissonance between what they think they know and what they actually know. This is helpful with misconceptions in certain subjects like science or math. Students may think that the moon is full when it is closest to the sun, teachers can plan an interactive activity showing students that the moon is actually full when it is farthest from the sun. Students then have to change their conflicting belief from their old misconception to the new knowledge, reducing the dissonance. This would also work in a lesson relating to bulling, prejudice, and tolerance; encouraging students to act a certain way to create harmony in the classroom and school environment.
Contemporary Education
Teachers should also keep cognitive dissonance in mind when teaching students how to make decisions and problem solve. Problem solving is a basis for constructivist theory, so cognitive dissonance most likely used in the classroom in this form. According to Jack Snowman and Rick McCown (2013) there are 5 steps to teaching problem solving techniques.
1. "Teach Students how to identify problems" 2. "Teach students how to represent problems" 3. "Teach students how to compile relevant information" 4. "Teach several methods for formulating problem solutions" 5. "Teach students the skills of evaluation" (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p.226-227) |
Research
In History of Motivation Research in Education by Bernard Weiner in 1990 discusses how cognitive dissonance is used as a motivational approach to education, because you have the drive to reduce the discomfort you feel by having conflicting cognitions. "...research concerned with cognitive balance and dissonance made use of drive theory concepts, particularly drive reduction and homeostasis (e.g., cognitive dissonance, or an imbalance among cognitive beliefs, was considered to be a drive, and humans were believed to be driven to bring themselves back to a state of equilibrium, or cognitive consonance, in which all beliefs “fit”)" (Weiner, 1990).
Online Resources
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance By Leon Festinger
What is Cognitive Dissonance? By Kendra Cherry (About Education)
Cognitive Dissonance By Saul McLeod (SimplyPsychology)
Cognitive Dissonance By Phil Barker (BeyondIntractability)
Cognitive Dissonance: 50 Years of a Classic Theory by Joel Cooper
Twenty Years of Cognitive Dissonance: A Case Study of the Evolution of a Theory by Anthony G. Greenwald and David L. Ronis
What is Cognitive Dissonance? By Kendra Cherry (About Education)
Cognitive Dissonance By Saul McLeod (SimplyPsychology)
Cognitive Dissonance By Phil Barker (BeyondIntractability)
Cognitive Dissonance: 50 Years of a Classic Theory by Joel Cooper
Twenty Years of Cognitive Dissonance: A Case Study of the Evolution of a Theory by Anthony G. Greenwald and David L. Ronis
References
Barker, P. (2003, September). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cognitive-dissonance
Cherry, K. (2014). What is Cognitive Dissonance? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/f/dissonance.htm
Cooper, J. (2007). Cognitive dissonance: 50 years of a classic theory. London: Sage Publications.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
McLeod, S. A. (2008). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2013). Constructivist Learning Theory, Problem Solving, and Transfer. In Ed Psych. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning.
Weiner, B. (1990). History of motivational research in education. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 82(4), 616-622. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.82.4.616
Cherry, K. (2014). What is Cognitive Dissonance? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/f/dissonance.htm
Cooper, J. (2007). Cognitive dissonance: 50 years of a classic theory. London: Sage Publications.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
McLeod, S. A. (2008). Cognitive Dissonance. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2013). Constructivist Learning Theory, Problem Solving, and Transfer. In Ed Psych. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning.
Weiner, B. (1990). History of motivational research in education. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 82(4), 616-622. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.82.4.616