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Theory of skill acquisition was propounded by Hubert and Dreyfus in 1980.

The theory holds that human beings acquire skill through instruction and experience.

They do not appear to learn suddenly from rule-guided to experience-based. Hubert and Dreyfus believed that there is a gradual process involved for a student to go through in order to reach the stage of expertise or knowing how. This theory metamorphosed into a learning model. The Hubert and Dreyfus skill acquisition model shows that a person goes through at least five stages of different knowledge of a specific task and ways of decision-making as the individual improves in the skill.

Hubert and Dreyfus categorized the model into five stages namely novice, advanced beginner, competence, proficiency and expertise. These stages are further discussed below;

Novice: Here, the instruction begins with the instructor decomposing the task environment into context free features which the beginner can recognize without previous experience in the task domain. The beginner is then given rules for determining actions on the basis of these features. The characteristics of these stages are rigid adherence to taught rules or plans, little situation perception and no discretionary judgment. This stage is a stage of “just tell me what I need to do and I will do it”.

36 Advanced Beginner: As the novice gains experience actually coping with the need situations, he begins to note or point out instructions, examples of meaningful and additional aspects of the situation. At this stage, the situational perception is still limited and all aspects of work are treated separately and given equal importance.

Competent: Competence develops when the number of rules becomes excessive or

organizing principles need to be developed and information sorted by relevance. At this stage, the individual partially sees action as part of longer term goals and there is conscious and deliberate planning and formulation of routines.

Proficient: At this stage, a proficient performer perceives situations as wholes rather than in terms of chopped up parts or aspects, he sees what is most important in a situation, perceives deviation from the normal pattern and employs maxims for guidance, with meanings that adapt to the situation at hand.

Expert: At this stage, the learner transcends reliance on rules, guidelines, and maxims,

has intuitive grasp of situations based on deep; tacit understanding, has vision of what is possible and uses analytical approaches in new situations or in case of problems.

Becoming an expert means being a master of a particular situation or skill. The expert operates from deep understanding of the total situation. The individual uses enormous background of experience in every new situation or in solving problems.

The model of skill acquisition by Dreyfus thus reduced the problems associated with the use of trial and error method of skill acquisition or learning by imitation. It also makes possible the stages of skill development as explicit as possible and considers the case of student developing psychomotor skill through instructional methods. The model in use is assessing progress in the development of skills, helps to define a desired level of competence, support the improvement in psychomotor skill

37 development, by understanding the learning of different levels of skill acquisition and helping to determine when a learner is ready to teach others.

The skill acquisition theory by Hubert and Dreyfus (1980) is relevant to the present study as it describes such stages which help the student perfects in psychomotor skill development through instructional methods. Technical college students are beginners and have no experience of the situations/task in which they are expected to perfect especially in electrical installation and maintenance work. They are taught rules to help them perfect in the specific task through the use of demonstration and project-based teaching methods. As the teaching progresses in using demonstration and project-based methods, the students mature into advanced beginners demonstrate certain acceptable performances. They make use of the rules given to them base on experience. At the level of competence, the students can make deliberate plans, achieve efficiency and organization. Students are helped with the use of demonstration and project-based teaching methods to perfect in psychomotor skill development. The students also approach the stage of “proficiency”they can recognize when the expected normal picture does not materialize. They understand situations as a whole. This holistic understanding will help them in decision-making.

Also through the use of demonstration and project-based teaching methods, the students‟psychomotor skill improves and then become experts. Becoming an expert here means performing difficult task without supervision or support of any instructor.

The scaffolding theory of proximal learning was introduced to the study because the scaffolding aspect which is the support the student needs to attain to the zone of proximal learning is not contained in the Hubert and Stuart Dreyfus theory of skill acquisition hence the scaffolding theory.

38 2.2.2 Scaffolding Theory of Proximal Learning

Scaffolding will be considered from the perspective of Lev Vygotsky (1978), according to Vygotsky for students to develop skill then there is need for an instruction to bring the student to the level of what a student can do with and without help. This implies supporting learner‟s active participation in their learning and assisting them in becoming self-regulated learners. According to the author, appropriate instruction delivery is the scaffold which the student needs to achieve what alone would have been too difficult to achieve. The author further stated that the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is that field between what the learners can individually do and what can be achieved with support (instruction). Scaffolding according to Vygotsky, helps student to develop autonomous strategies thus promoting their own psychomotor skill learning and knowledge.

Vygotsky (1978) in the Scaffold theory stated that scaffolding can be used to develop:

a. Skills that students cannot perform.

b. Skills that the students may be able to perform.

c. Skills that students can perform with help.

Furthermore, in developing psychomotor skill through instruction Vygotsky stated that for an instruction to qualify as scaffolding then it must (a) Enable the learner to carry out task which they would not have been able to manage on their own. (b) Be intended to bring the learner to a state of competence which will enable the learner eventually to complete such a task on their own and (c) Be followed by evidence of the learners having achieved some greater level of independent competence as a result of the scaffolding experience (instruction experience).

The theory of scaffolding by Vygotsky is relevant to this study as it states categorically the importance of support and assistance. The use of demonstration and

39 project-based teaching methods is the support and assistance which a learner needs for psychomotor skill development. Delivery of lessons by demonstrating the skill and giving students project/assgnment can help control frustration level of the learner especially in developing psychomotor skill in electrical installation and maintenance work. These supports like teachers using demonstration and project-based teaching methods with the right resources will assist learners perform psychomotor skill which would have been too difficult for them to achieve. This implies that technical colleges should adopt scaffolding theory to provide all necessary support that will enable students develop psychomotor skills perfectly. It is the support and assistance given in any learning situation especially when teachers provide temporary structures that will assist the learners‟ performance and understanding of skills, concept and ability. As the learner gains the control of this new learning, the teacher withdraws gradually while the learner becomes increasingly able to control the task alone.