What is the Relationship between Maturity and Learning?

Maturation is an important factor which influences learning. Maturation is a natural process.

For maturation an external stimulus is not necessary and its sequence is biologically predetermined. On the other hand, learning is a change in the individual. It is a process which takes place as a result of ‘stimuli’ from ‘without’.

The behaviour is said to have matured if a behaviour sequence develops through regular stages (irrespective of intervening practices or training) In case training procedures do not modify or speed up the behaviour. Such procedures are not important.

The changes are not classified as learning. The swimming of tadpoles and the flying of birds can be attributed to primarily to maturation. But in the case of human beings, it is not easy to decide whether the activities result from maturation of learning.

The child learns to talk only .When he reaches a certain stage or age in maturation. Again he does not learn the language just because he attains that age. The language which he learns is that which he hears. Thus the two processes maturation and learning are closely related to each-other.

Maturation facilitates the process of learning. Learning becomes effective when appropriate maturity has been attained. Learning takes place only if the stage for that type of learning has been achieved through a process of maturation.

A teacher should know how to differentiate between maturation developments with that of changes due to learning. For example-Our typical human brain develops with age. It is a maturation process.

But our knowledge, our habits are acquired though stimulus-response activities or in at her words learning. Maturation is important for learning. Before we learn anything, our sensory, motor and nervous structures should attain a certain level of maturity.

For example, we cannot make an infant run simply because he has not acquired the appropriate maturity. So until a certain level of maturation is acquired by the child, training (or learning) may be of no avail.

We should bear in mind that during the early development period of the child, greater level of maturity brings more efficient learning, and learning of complex skills requires a higher level of maturity.