The last few years haw witnessed many developments in nurse education, partiadarly as links with higher education are strengthened. The clinical environment, however, remains a key area for learning, and practitioners continue to make a huge contribution to the education of both pre- and post-registration students. In order to maximise opportunities. a knowledge of learning theories is useful. This is the first of three articles explaining the different theories of lea rning. This week the behaviourist theories are described. The following weeks will discuss cognitive and humanist perspectives. The series of three articles uses a creative approach to explain the theories, and to highlight their relevance for teaching in clinical practice.