primary and middle school education: theory and practice

Primary & middle school education theory & practice

Dr Robert ShawSchool of ManagementGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

Teachers’ Law of the People’s Republic of China

Article 7 Teachers shall enjoy the following rights:

(1) to conduct educational and teaching activities and carry out reform and experiment in education and teaching;

(2) to engage in scientific research and academic exchanges, join professional academic societies and fully express their views in academic activities …

Today

1. How do you become a good teacher?

2. Teaching-learning in the west

3. William James

4. Traditional teaching methods

5. John Dewey

6. Modern educational practice

How do youbecome a good teacher?

Truths about learning

1. The child / student learns – focus on their needs

2. As adults we teach ourselves

3. Give the students space in which to learn

4. The more you want your students to be creative the more you must leave them alone

5. If you want your students to be responsible give them a chance to practice responsibility

Which is the best teacher?

There are no silver bullets in education

The silver bullet

1. Simple questions do not have simple answers

2. Teachers sometimes look for “tips” that will help them –but you cannot avoid thinking!

3. What sort of teachers does China need?

12

CurriculumWhat you teach

EvaluationHow you assess

PedagogyHow you teach

What teachers need to know

1. Child development

2. How students learn, including, for example, how language and literacy develop at each age level

3. Subject content

4. Many instructional strategies, for example, direct and indirect instruction, experience-based and skill-based approaches, lecture and small group work

What teachers need to know

1. Child development PSYCHOLOGY


PSYCHOLOGY

3. Subject content ACADEMIC DISCIPINES


PEDAGOGY

1. Child development PSYCHOLOGY


PSYCHOLOGY

3. Subject content ACADEMIC DISCIPINES


PEDAGOGY

What skills teachers need

1. Diagnose diverse students

2. Devise programmes for specific learners

3. Select and use educational media (presentations & e-learning)

4. Teach in different modes (lecture, group, tutorial, distance

5. Time management and multitasking

1. Diagnose diverse students

2. Devise programmes for specific learners

3. Select and use educational media (presentations & e-learning)

4. Teach in different modes (lecture, group, tutorial, distance

5. Time management and multitasking

1. Become a reflective teacher

2. See the literature on this

3. This is vital!

4. Journals are a good way to start

5. Support groups also good

Teacher reflection

What stops students learning?

1. Boredom (rote learning, drills, memorising)

2. Meaningless material

3. Learning without a goal

4. Fatigue

What de-motivates students?

1. De-motivated = bored

2. What do students find boring?

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Teaching-learning in the west:two approaches to education

1. Traditional approach

2. Modern way

3. .

4. .

5. .

Teaching-learning in the west:two approaches to education

1. Traditional approach

2. Modern way

3. These ideas apply to all student grades/levels

4. Various version of the ways

5. Key peoplea. William James - traditionalb. John Dewey - modern

Traditional approach

1. Ideas about schooling came from the family and the army

2. Professional teachers

3. Scientific approach

4. Needs of mass education

5. William James was influential

William James

1. American

2. 1842 – 1910

3. Philosopher, psychologist, physician

4. Pragmatist

1. Comprehensive textbook

2. Scientific appraoch

3. Attention

4. Motivation

How do we motivate students? Traditional approach

1. Positive reinforcementa. Rewards for success, rubber stampsb. Kind commentsc. Stars, certificates, notes to parents

2. Negative reinforcementa. Punishmentsb. Negative comments

Two kinds of motivation

1. External motivationa. Motivation based on something external to

the task itselfb. Operant rewards & punishmentsc. Examination learning is an example

2. Internal motivationa. Motivation that comes from within the

student’s relationship to the taskb. Learning because you love to learnc. Learning incidental to some activity

Modern approach

1. New goals: thinking, creativity, originality

2. Education as a way of life

3. Humanistic approach

4. Needs of the individual

5. John Dewey was influential

John Dewey

1. American

2. 1859-1952

3. Philosopher, psychologist, educational reformer

4. Advocate for pragmatism & liberalism

1. Thinking is like breathing

2. Reflective thinking is what is important

3. We cannot require it of students

4. All we can do is set up the right conditions

1919-1921

Columbia University

Student Hu Shih became a leader

in the New Culture

Movement

Arrived a few days after 4 May

1919

Effect on university leadership

John Dewey

The On-going Dance of John

Dewey and China: A Western

Philosopher becomes a Second

Confucius

西风东渐化孔子，今世前缘谈杜威

Modern approach

1. Motivation relates to curriculum, pedagogy and evaluation

2. Internal motivation best

3. Let them learn

4. Child centred

5. Encourage and support

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46

TextbookWhat you teach

ExaminationHow you assess

TeacherHow you teach

Traditional education

The three evils of teaching

47

1. Curriculum

2. Evaluation

3. Pedagogy

The three evils of teaching

48

1. CurriculumTextbooks

2. Evaluation

Examinations

3. PedagogyDesks

The harm done by textbooks

49

Textbooks

1.Kill student motivation

2.Stop the teacher from developing

3.Freeze the curriculum

4.Give a foreign view of what is important

50

Qiu Ying 仇英 c.1540 Civil service examination

candidates wait for their marks

The harm done by examinations

52

Examinations

1.Kill long-term student motivation

2.Reinforce external motivation

3.Make education unjust for students

4.Waste time and energy

5.Focus on low order skills (next slides)

Examinations & student diversity

54

Benjamin Bloom

The harm done by desks

57

Desk layouts

1.Say who is in control – teacher centred

2.Limit the forms of motivation available

3.Levels the student experience

61

1. Reinforces the idea the teacher is the authority

2. Undermines student confidence

3. Make us teach classes & not individuals

4. Limit our teaching methods (tutorials)

Pedagogy for motivation

1. Be a creative thinker yourself

2. Do not teach EnglishSet up the conditions for thinking and encourage the students to work in English

3. Base projects on the students’ interests

4. Personal glossaries work

5. Reward, reward, reward ……

Thank you - your questions please