To what extent are children active in their own learning?

How children learn new behaviours and skills has been of great fascination to child psychologists and the general public alike. Today, one can see the extent of television viewing figures for programmes giving practical and ‘pop psychological’ advice to their audiences on such matters. This essay details the main features of the views and applications of four ‘grand’ theoretical models that describe the process of learning in early childhood: Behaviourism, Social Learning Theory, Stage Theory and Social Constructivism. A critical comparison between these accounts with regards to the child’s active participation in their own learning will then follow.