From Behaviourism to Constructivism
2
PEIRCE SECONDARY SCHOOL
Teaching is a long journey of discovery and learning that is both exciting yet tiring. To me, it is tiring to repeat the same routines or when the mind is not challenged anymore. Thus, to ensure that the mind is continually challenged, there must be reflection, of such as a weekly reading up on an educational article would trigger.
Some time back, I came across this article “Teaching and Learning: Lost in a Buzzword Wasteland” by Stephan L. Chew and William J Cerbin.
The main ideas of this article
1. We need to study learning theories so we can be more effective as educators.
2. Current pedagogical trends focus on best practices like student-centred learning, engagement, hands-on practices, technology enhanced learning, flipped classroom, cooperative and collaborative learning, as well as learning that is authentic, guided and integrative. Learning is also brain based, peer based, inquiry based, project based, case based, evidence based, problem based and data driven etc.
3. Teaching and learning is thus lost in a buzzword wasteland.
4. When a teacher comes across a new pedagogy and becomes excited about it, he or she would try this new idea The strategy might be effective but the effects could be transient and they fade as other pedagogies are introduced
5. It may seem innovation works but the effectiveness is not sustainable.
6. All pedagogies should mesh with what we know of how people learn. If a strategy does not leverage on strength and compensate on weakness of the human cognitive system, it will fail. For example, the usage of Digital textbooks with links for student to explore might also be a distraction The solution is to develop a comprehensive theory of how student learn. Teachers can use this theory to guide development and assessment of effective pedagogies.
7.But the list of cognitive factors is extensive . Furthermore, there are also other aspects that affect the factors. By right , a valid theory needs to capture all these factors and how they interact. Thus, till now there is not any theory that covers all aspects of how students learn.
Teaching is a long journey of discovery and learning that is both exciting yet tiring. To me, it is tiring to repeat the same routines or when the mind is not challenged anymore. Thus, to ensure that the mind is continually challenged, there must be reflection, of such as a weekly reading up on an educational article would trigger.
Some time back, I came across this article “Teaching and Learning: Lost in a Buzzword Wasteland” by Stephan L. Chew and William J Cerbin.