Which American psychologist contributed to the taxonomy of educational objectives and mastery learning, and influenced Head Start and holistic education?

• A. Benjamin Bloom
• B. B.F. Skinner
• C. John Dewey
• D. Jean Piaget

Answer: (A)

Benj amin Bloom. He created the taxonomy that organizes learning objectives into levels of thinking—such as remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating—and he helped develop the idea of mastery learning, the belief that students can achieve high levels of understanding with appropriate instruction, time, and feedback. This combination shapes how teachers plan lessons, assess progress, and ensure students truly grasp concepts before moving on, which fed into broader educational approaches like Head Start and holistic education that address cognitive, social, and emotional development. Skinner is known for operant conditioning, Dewey for experiential, student-centered learning, and Piaget for stages of cognitive development; their work is foundational, but Bloom’s specific contributions to taxonomy and mastery learning are what connect to this description.