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According to the behaviourists the modification in behaviour is due to systematic training, experience or past learning. For the gestoltists training or experience is not very essential and learning may result by the process of insight.

The Purposivist defines learning as the awareness of the means to an end. Despite all these fundamental differences it is commonly accepted that learning is a change influence by previous behaviour or past experience.

Munn says, ‘Learning is more or less permanent incremental modification or behaviour which results from activity, special training or observation”.

According to G. A. Kimble ‘Learning refers to a more or less permanent change in behaviour which occurs as a result of practice.’

To quote Thorpe, ‘We can define learning as that process which manifest itself by adaptive changes in individual’s behaviour as a result of experiences”.

Generally, the term learning refers to the process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behaviour. There are several examples of learning in our everyday life.

The process of learning starts right from birth and continues throughout life. Hence it has been a key issue for developmental and educational psychologists. The study of learning was carried on even by the early Greeks. Later on, several psychologists as well educationist carried on studies on learning. Different psychologists defined the term in different ways.

According to Underwood, ‘Learning is the acquisition of new responses or the enhanced execution of old ones.”

Hilgard and Atkison defined learning as, ‘a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of practice.’

Avery and Cross saw learning as, “a relatively enduring change in response that an organism gives to some stimulus approximation as a direct result of practice or training.’

Postman and Egan, ‘Learning may be defined as a measurable change in behaviour as a result of practice and the condition that accompany practice.”

Hilgard wrote, ‘Learning is the process by which behaviour (in the broader sense) is originated or changed through practice or training.’

In the words of Woodworth, ‘Any activity can be called learning so far as it develops the individual (in any respect good or bad) and makes his later behaviour and experiences different from what they would otherwise have been”.

According to Johnson, “The development of adaptive behaviour changing with changes in the demands of the environment, is a different and biologically higher type of development, which is called learning.”

For Cronback, ‘Learning is shown by a change in behaviour as a result of experience”.

Kingsley Garry, ‘Learning is a process by which the changes in performance are brought about.”

Bernard defined learning as, “a process by which an organism that satisfying the motivation adopts or adjusts to situation in which it must modify its behaviour in order to overcome obstacles or barriers.’ Bernard believed that the process of learning starts from needs which is objective. When it gets motivation, readiness comes in the activity, through reinforcement and organisation of perception and pre-experiences, the person attains the goal or learns.

Chief characteristics of Learning are as given below:

1. Learning is improvement

2. Learning is adjustment.

3. Learning is universal

4. Learning is proficiency

5. Learning versus maturation

6. Learning is organisation of behaviour

7. Learning is objective.

8. Learning is a lifelong process

9. Learning is organisation of pre-experience.