Teaching has always been packed with new philosophies about learning and teaching. Instructors are regularly blitzed with thoughts for reform. They are requested to use new syllabuses, new teaching tactics, and new valuations. They are focused to prepare scholars for the current state even test or to document and evaluate scholars’ effort through groups and presentation assessments.
Pedagogy is the method and practice of training especially as an educational subject or academic theory. It is also known as formal teaching, where the trainer directs all the learning processes. Informal teaching is known as andragogy, where the student is the focus, for instance, through team work and dialogs. Pedagogy regularly focuses on lessons of a similar topic at the same stage to all students and does not constantly allow the distinct knowledge to be taken into account. In the scenario given we tried to take into account the theory involved. Eliza brings a large cardboard box containing an entire cat skeleton that she discovered under the new home that their household had moved into and when the teacher asks her to open it, there are mixed reactions among the students most especially Ahmed who is puzzled and begins to cry when he realizes it was once a breathing animal like his pet. Therefore, the theory involved would be intellectual theory whereby, info understanding is centered on the thinking process. Variations in behavior are not seen only as a pointer to what the student is thinking. Learning takes place through internal processing of info. The intellectual style to learning theory puts into consideration what a student is thinking and concentrates on mental procedures rather than observable behavior (Peters, 1999). Variations in performance are seen and used as signs as to what a student is thinking. Ahmed’s reaction is based on emotions and mental frustrations when he thinks that the same could happen to his pet Tiggy.
Some of the other theories we discussed in groups were behaviorism and humanism theories. Behaviorism adopts that a student is fundamentally reflexive and will be shaped through constructive or undesirable reinforcement. Learning is therefore well-defined as a change in behavior (Blaise, 2011). Giving instant response, whether constructive or undesirable, should enable the student to act in a specific way. Behavior changes according to its direct consequences. The probability that the antecedent behavior will happen again is increased by both positive and negative reinforcements. Primary rein forcers please elementary human requirements while secondary rein forcers get their importance for being linked with primary rein forcers. An example of a positive reinforcement scenario, Mrs. Jacob’s third grade class is behaving below par. She resolves to cultivate a behavior controlling structure for her learners in the hope that it will inspire them to behave well. At the end of each lesson, if the students have adhered to the instructions at a tolerable level, Mrs. Jacob puts a score mark on the board. Every day, if there are more than eight score marks, Mrs. Jacob draws a star on the board. Once ten stars have been drawn, the class will get a biscuit party. She is optimistic that the motivation of a biscuit party will motivate them to follow the guidelines. On a negative scenario, Student-athletes are required to maintain a minimum grade of a B in every course in order to take part in their various sports. If a grade goes below a B, the student will not be allowed to participate until he or she improves the grade. The negative reinforcement of not being allowed to compete frequently motives a learner to rapidly do what is required to improve his or her grade. Positive shows the application of motivation while negative shows the withholding of motivation. Behaviorism is centered on the impression that behaviors are attained through conditioning which happens through interaction with the surroundings. There exist two categories of conditioning, one is classical conditioning where the neutral motivation is paired with a naturally occurring motivation. The second type of conditioning is operant conditioning which occurs through punishments and reinforcements. An association is usually made between a behavior and the consequences for the behavior (MacNaughton, 2009).
Humanism is a theory that considers learning as an individual act to achieve potential. Humanists believe that it is essential to learn a person as a whole, mainly as they grow and develop in life (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). The theory of facilitative learning was created based on a belief that people have a natural humanoid zeal to learn and that knowledge includes changing one’s own perception. This theory proposes that education will happen if the person delivering it acts as an initiator. The facilitator should create an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable and have the ability to discuss new concepts and study from their errors, as long as they are not exposed by external influences (Albon, 2011). For instance, Collins wants to be a basketball player when he grows up. He has the thought of school as a boring place and is annoyed when teachers try to make him study things that are not relevant to his life. To Collins, school seems dissimilar to his life and dreams, and so he is not able to study and grow. When scholars, like Collins, don't achieve their potential, it's because to some degree something is hindering them. In humanism control, efficiency and uniformity of scholars and trainers is valued over innovation, creativity, individuality and freedom. Teaching the set of courses becomes more significant than teaching the student. The theory is also based on the fact that all humans a natural tendency to learn, grow and develop completely. The main aim of human education is to create educational experiences that align with these natural needs (Quintero, 2007).
During the case study we were able to identify and predict five factors that contributed to effective learning environments. Motivation, is one of the most important factors in any learning atmosphere. Scholars have to be exceedingly motivated to study. Motivation is the dynamic strength that makes scholars stay with it even when they are experiencing difficulties in understanding info being offered during teaching (tchrishill1, 2009). Any difficulty related to learning can be overawed if the learner's inspiration is in abundance. The teachers as well have to be greatly encouraged to teach and must have the zeal to communicate info during teaching in a way scholar can comprehend. If learners are having trouble understanding, the teacher has to be inspired adequately to spend the additional time it takes to guarantee that the learner ultimately understands offered trainings.
Secondly, aptitude determines how fast and easy the learning process will be. The ability of the instructor in giving demonstrations, giving relevant comparisons, preparing descriptive images, scheming realistic rehearsal drills, and in common, observing the scholars’ attentiveness level will add to determining how rapidly and simple scholars understand new material. Teaching with propensity make it simple for scholars to study (Edwards, 2009). Third, presentation or demonstration is also the core of teaching. The well enhanced the teacher organizes and conveys the presentation, the simpler it will be for scholars to study. Presentation can entail, the teacher's lectures, demonstrations, replications, projector slides and visuals.
Repetition on the other hand, strengthens a scholar's understanding of well-educated material. Even scholars with tremendously great ability will find it hard to study from demonstrations made only one time (Fleer, 2010). All teaching sessions should start with a recap of recent demonstrations. Reviews also aid the teacher to limit difficult the topic is presented throughout each lesson. Being assured that definite material will be revised, the teacher can evade getting into complex topics through the first time the info is delivered. Lastly, practice with bolstering acts as the measure to evaluate the accomplishment of teaching. Well-made practice trainings should be accurate, making the learner to do things in a similar way they must when the exercise is finalized. Bolstering must be as an outcome of the scholars' rehearsal (Lindon, 2012). If the learner demonstrates a solid understanding of the offered information, corroboration should praise the success. On the other hand, if the exercise uncovers a scholar's lack of understanding, bolstering should come in the form of recurrent demonstrations and more training to ensure that the scholar ultimately understands the course.
Theoretical foundations categorize learning as behavioristic or intellectual. Behavioristic studying was the earliest pattern identified through case studies conducted. Psychologists defined knowledge as a change in behavior and used incentive response actions as case in point. Evolving from learning philosophies are descriptions of preferred methods or approaches to education. Classified as intellectual and learning methods, these approaches to learning are the ways that individuals gain knowledge, which is more apprehensive with method or procedure than content.
References
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