Plain English Meaning
Cognitive theory says learning is about thinking and understanding, not just reacting. It looks at how the learner processes information, fits it together with what they already know, and uses it later.
Full Definition
A family of learning theories that explains learning as an internal mental process — how a person takes in information, organizes it, makes sense of it, stores it in memory, and uses it to solve problems and make decisions. Cognitive theory focuses on what happens inside the learner's mind (thinking, understanding, perception, memory) rather than only on observable behavior.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when comparing different ways to explain how people learn during flight training.
Derivation
From Latin cognoscere, meaning 'to get to know' or 'to come to know.' The same root gives us recognize. So a cognitive theory is literally a 'knowing-based' theory — one that focuses on how a learner comes to know something.