Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Contemporary Approaches in Education 2025, Vol. 4(2) 115-128
AI and the Evolution of Learning Theories: From Historical Paradigms to Emerging Models
pp. 115 - 128 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijcae.2025.1406.3
Publish Date: December 31, 2025 | Single/Total View: 0/0 | Single/Total Download: 0/0
Abstract
This opinion paper discusses artificial intelligence (AI) within the historical course of theories of learning and the intersections of pedagogy, technology, and policy. Building on the legacy of behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and critical pedagogy, AI is interrogated not only as a technical tool but also as a transformative force that conceptualizes of educational thought. Starting with a vignette invites readers to analytically question whether AI represents a continuity of earlier patterns or a paradigmatic disagreement, and whether it positions learners as empowered mediators or as datafied objects within algorithmic systems. The study highlights that the future of learning depends on balancing two forces: the historical needs of education and the new technical possibilities created by AI. It argues that AI’s strengths—such as personalization, adaptability, and creativity—should be combined with education’s long-term commitments to equity, diversity, and democracy.The contribution lies in incorporating theoretical reflection with narrative pedagogy, offering a background for educators to involve with AI not merely as a technical phenomenon but as a socio-political and epistemological challenge restructuring education in the 21st century.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, learning theories, behaviorism, constructivism, critical pedagogy
APA 7th edition
Yildiz, S.B.Y., & Erbek, N. (2025). AI and the Evolution of Learning Theories: From Historical Paradigms to Emerging Models. International Journal of Contemporary Approaches in Education, 4(2), 115-128. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijcae.2025.1406.3
Harvard
Yildiz, S. and Erbek, N. (2025). AI and the Evolution of Learning Theories: From Historical Paradigms to Emerging Models. International Journal of Contemporary Approaches in Education, 4(2), pp. 115-128.
Chicago 16th edition
Yildiz, Seval Bircan Yilmaz and Nursen Erbek (2025). "AI and the Evolution of Learning Theories: From Historical Paradigms to Emerging Models". International Journal of Contemporary Approaches in Education 4 (2):115-128. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijcae.2025.1406.3
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