Schema theory is a branch of cognitive science that describes how the brain structures knowledge. A schema is an organized unit of knowledge for a subject or event based on past experience. It is a pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them). People use schemata to organize current knowledge and provide a framework for future understanding). Schemas can be changed and reconstructed throughout a persons life through assimilation and accommodation.
Schemas can be very complex and can be used to organize a wide range of information, including mental models, social schemas, stereotypes, social roles, scripts, worldviews, heuristics, and archetypes). In Piagets theory of development, children construct a series of schemata, based on the interactions they experience, to help them understand the world).
In education, schema theory can be used to help students construct strong schemata and remember more information. Teachers can consider schema theory when planning lessons and making resources. Schema theory is also considered in the seminal work, "Rosenshines principles of instruction".
