Investigation of different Themes in Teaching Practices

Educational Philosophy

Students will learn more effectively through the active learning method. The method involves student participation on a high basis. It is one of the approaches in which students listen, write, talk, read, and reflect on the material they study.

The method stands in contrast to the mode of learning where the teacher does most of the talking and students just listen. Students and their needs are the main focus of this method. There are methods that engage the students in group discussions, role plays, case studies, etc. These methods are somehow involved in active learning. Rich environment active learnings (REALs) provide learning activities that engage in a continuous collaborative process of building and reshaping understanding. In short, we can say that active learning promotes the inert knowledge of a student (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995).

A study was conducted on the use of active learning methods in school. The study revealed that using active learning methods increased the overall examination rate by 6% compared to the average methods used by the teachers. The study also revealed that student performance in the subjects of science, engineering, and mathematics also increased with the use of active learning methods (Freeman et al., 2014).  It has been found evident that the active learning method is now used in most parts of the world to engage students and to make them aware of the knowledge that they have to use in the outside world (Seery, 2015). Another study revealed that the use of the active learning method is beneficial not only for the student but also for the teacher and increases the professional development capabilities of the teacher (Van Der Bergh et al., 2014). It has been found evident that teaching with the help of active learning is more effective than just lecturing or delivering the content of the lecture. The research identified four ways by which an instructor can apply active learning: by posing messy problems, expecting students to talk in the form of groups, expecting them to collaborate, and backward instruction design (Dollan & Collins, 2015). Social constructivism and Humanism theories of learning are connected with my life. Social constructivism explains that learning is a process of constructing meaning.

The main emphasis of this theory is the use of cultural tools like language as a major influence in constructing meaning. Students engage more in the classroom if the challenge provided to them is in balance with their own skills, and with group discussions and participation, they engage more (Shernoff et al., 2014). The competitions I participated in during my childhood made me a rational thinker. I started asking questions about whatever I learned in school. There was a time when I lost my grades in my graduation period, but with continuous support and motivation, I achieved what I wanted to achieve. A study revealed that the use of iPads in the classroom increases student engagement (Mango, 2015). The active learning method is linked with the theory of constructivism and social constructivism. Social constructivism theory says students will learn from social interactions with people. In a classroom, interacting with your teacher or classmates can increase a student’s learning. Constructivism says that getting a clear picture by constructing means of a problem can increase the learning of a student. However, my educational philosophy is based on social constructivism; with the help of interactions and with the help of the material I study, writing helps me learn more and more.

Students learn most effectively through active learning methods. Studies have also shown that students involved in active learning methods have increased performance and effectiveness in class.

Knowledge is considered to be the most important part of life. It is a powerful acquisition, if given to another being it doesn’t decrease. Someone once remarked that while ignorance was the curse of GOD, knowledge played the role of a wing that carried one to heaven. The study revealed that knowledge helps one to face carried challenges (Devi & Jain, 2016). In order to compete in this modern era, one must acquire knowledge; now, the era is more competitive for tents, and possessing just one set of skills will not be able to compete in this competitive era. However, aces with different skills and possessing a vast amount of knowledge can lead one to the position where he or she wants to be. With the power of knowledge, one can accomplish anything. Fifty years ago, nobody thought the fastest car would come or that the android system would come, which would change the face of the earth; all of this happened because of knowledge.

The main purpose of knowledge is to make someone capable enough to survive in this modern era on his own. Knowledge gives you the power to achieve anything. Those who have the power of knowledge have the command to rule the world. Knowledge gives the power to live. There are many ways by which I can include all the students in my class to stay focused. First of all, while delivering a lecture, I’ll provide students with 10 to 15 min off so that they can relax and not feel sleepy in class. Secondly, building scenarios and problems and providing them to the students will also engage more and more students. They will solve the problem on their own. I will give participation grades to the students. This will help them stay focused in class and ask questions so that they can get good grades. While providing them with an example, I will use student’s interests and fascinations that will remain in their minds.

Those students who will not participate or disengage in the class. I will surely go and talk to them to know about the problem. There may be certain problems or issues they might have that are causing them to not engage in the classroom. Most of the time, there are certain factors involved with the student’s motivation towards study. Not everyone is motivated by grades. Some of them are motivated by recognition, and some of them are motivated by given authority in class, so there may be certain factors.  Giving punishments is not the solution to every problem. Listening plays an important role in solving a problem. So I will listen to their problems and solve them so that they could actively engage in the classroom. It has been found that giving out leadership authority to students will increase their productivity and performance in the class (Anderson & Lu, 2016).

The environment is important in developing the interests of students. I will make sure that the environment of my class is so appealing that everyone in my class, including me, stays motivated. It is important to give the students a few minutes during a lecture so that they can absorb the content that has been delivered. To enhance the student’s learning experience in the class, four factors play an important role: Motivation, group learning, skill development, and transfer of knowledge (Leow et al., 2016). I will have normal conversations with the students. I will not let them feel like they are talking to their teacher but rather a friend. This will enable them to share their problems with me more comfortably than they share with me as a teacher.  To understand more about students and to have a proper look at them, I will have a separate interaction with every student. Every student has their own capabilities and mental abilities. Everyone is not the same. It has been found evident that a teacher’s competence increases the performance of the student (Sultan & Shafi, 2014). With the help of understanding and incorporation of different learning styles, a teacher can create an environment that would enhance the creativity and performance of the students (Sowle et al., 2016).  Intelligent students pick things easily, while dull students take time. My focus would be more on these students who are dull, I will let them be part of intelligent students, by giving them chance to prove their capabilities. Giving them a chance to prove themselves increases their confidence. I am sure this will help them to get motivated and work hard.

Example

My educational philosophy is based on the active learning method, which is a part of the social constructivism theory. The purpose of developing an educational philosophy is to improve effectiveness and my classroom interaction. Four different areas are identified that will increase the classroom’s effectiveness.

Learning Environment

As a teacher or facilitator, I am responsible for establishing an environment that will enable and value the learning of both the teacher and the students. I believe that students will learn when they take responsibility for determining what they want to learn and learn what is personally beneficial to them. The environment of a classroom must be collaborative, safe, and professional. This will allow students to express their views freely and discuss their opinions freely.

Flexibility

I will be able to adopt multiple roles. Roles like Facilitator, coach, mentor, teacher, counselor, or instructor. Every role has its own function. The teacher provides information, the instructor gives instructions, a mentor gives guidance on professional grounds, and a consultant helps students with problem-solving. I will be able to adopt such roles, which will help students ask any question that comes to their mind.

Authenticity

Authenticity would be more important for me as a teacher. If I don’t know something, I will admit that I don’t. However, I will make sure that for next time, I know the answer for sure by looking for the answer to the question. In my lectures, I will smile often and laugh with the students to increase their engagement in the class. While encountering a problem, I will offer options, but I will make them solve the problem on their own rather than focusing on the offers I will make.

Competence

To establish and maintain competence as a teacher, I will be skillful in the outcome of what a group is working on and how a group works together. I will have full command over the content of the lecture so that while delivering the lecture, I can answer any question that could be raised by any student in the class. It is important to diagnose which student is weak, which is sharp, and which is intelligent. I will provide the most opportunities to students who are dull and require attention. I will stay connected with them. This does not mean that I will discriminate; I will have an eye for bright students as well. I believe that giving opportunities to dull students to stand out in the class will increase their confidence, which eventually increases their grades.

References

Anderson, M.L. and Lu, F., 2016. Learning to Manage and Managing to Learn: The Effects of Student Leadership Service. Management Science, 63(10), pp.3246-3261.

Devi, U. and Jain, D.V., 2016. Role and importance of knowledge management in Indian business enterprises. International Journal of Commerce and Management Research, ISSN, pp.2455-1627.

Dolan, E. and Collins, J. (2015). We must teach more effectively: here are four ways to get started. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 26(12), pp.2151-2155.

Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H. and Wenderoth, M.P., 2014. Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), pp.8410-8415.

Grabinger, R.S. and Dunlap, J.C., 1995. Rich environments for active learning: A definition. ALT-J, 3(2), pp.5-34.

Leow, F.T., Neo, M. and Hew, S.H., 2016. Investigating the key attributes to enhance student’s learning experience in a 21st-century class environment. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 14(4), pp.244-256.

Mango, O., 2015. iPad use and student engagement in the classroom. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 14(1).

Seery, M.K., 2015. Flipped learning in higher education chemistry: emerging trends and potential directions. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(4), pp.758-768.

Shernoff, D.J., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Schneider, B. and Shernoff, E.S., 2014. Student engagement in high school classrooms from the perspective of flow theory. In Applications of Flow in Human Development and Education (pp. 475-494). Springer Netherlands.

Sowle, C.L., Joy, B., Harper, K., Robinson, Z., Hale, S. and Barbaro, T., 2016. The Effects Of Classroom Environment on Student Success.

Sultan, S. and Shafi, M., 2014. Impact of Perceived Teachers’ Competence on Students’ Performance: Evidence for Mediating/Moderating Role of Class Environment. i-Manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 8(1), p.10.

Van den Bergh, L., Ros, A. and Beijaard, D., 2014. Improving teacher feedback during active learning: Effects of a professional development program. American Educational Research Journal, 51(4), pp.772-809.