Changing Teacher and Student Roles

Two texts I’ve been reading recently have led me to reflect on a thorny issue within teaching and learning - the gap between what the teacher intends for students to learn and the learning that actually takes place. The studies I’ve been reading are The Hidden Lives of Learners by Graham Nuttall, published posthumously in 2007, and the fascinating study of reading, Inquiry into Meaning: An Investigation of Learning to Read (2001) revised ed. by Bussis, Chittenden & Sallinger.

Nuttall’s research tracked students in classrooms through hours of detailed data gathering involving audio/video recordings, anecdotal records, observation, and interviews. The findings showed that what was typically learnt from a lesson varied considerably from student to student and in most cases was indeed not at all what the teacher had planned for them to learn. Reasons given were various - insufficient knowledge of students’ prior knowledge, lack of student motivation and students retaining little from the planned engagement.

Reading this, I connected with the theories of Kelly (1955), used by Bussis et al. as a framework for their study of reading. Kelly proposed that an individual’s personal constructs dictate the way he/she perceives information. Here is an explanation from the first edition of the book by Bussis et al quoted in the revised edition:

...two people exposed to the same events may construe them in very different ways and come away from the same situation with two quite disparate sets of learning and experience. Likewise, individuals may construe different events in much the same way and thereby share similar meanings and exhibit similar behaviours. It is similarity in the construing of events that provides the basis for similar perceptions and actions, and not similarity or sameness in the events themselves. (Bussis et al., 1985, p. 15)

 There are many parallels between the two studies of Nuttall and Bussis et al., the main one being the data collection method. Both are unusual in that they focus on a few selective, representative students and track them intensively, building up a picture of how learning takes place and in what ways. No-one can climb inside the mind of another but this technique of such close observation not only provides revealing data but also a model for teachers to use in their own practice. As Bussis writes, "the lines between assessment and research are blurred" and that "the teacher's intention is a stance of inquiry and of considering more closely what children bring to and take from their classroom experiences" (p. 9). If teachers are to come to an understanding what their students have learnt, not learnt or misconceived, they need a) a rich variety and systematic collection of documentation and b) detailed analysis of the documents in order to plan next steps. Without this data gathering and examination, teaching and learning can just be a series of activities and learning engagements. There needs to be solid knowledge of where the child is at in their current understanding in order to enrich their knowledge base and move them on at the pace appropriate to the individual. 

Nuttall’s research also demonstrates that students learn a significant amount from their peers. However, much of what they learn this way may be incorrect. His findings showed that the influence of peers was far stronger than the influence of the teacher. Additionally, he claims that at least 50% of what teachers present as new information is actually already known by students.

Reading Nuttall’s work, it could be concluded that the teacher is practically redundant these days and students will learn inspite of their education. For some children this is possibly true, but what about the students who don’t posses the prior knowledge or aptitudes required to engage meaningfully in learning experiences? The teacher still plays a vital role, but for it to be an effective one, it needs to change in a variety of ways. I sense that there is huge shift in thinking on the way, which revolves around students taking ownership of their learning and consciously drawing upon their schemas to share and work though understandings and confusions, guided by their teachers. If students are to become the main protagonists in their learning experience, they need to be equipped with metacognitive skills and if teachers are taking on the role of guide and researcher, they need to develop highly effective skills in the areas of research and analysis. 

References:

Nuttall, G. (2007). The Hidden Lives of Learners. NZCER Press.

Bussis, A. M, Chittenden, E & Salinger, T. (2001). Inquiry Into Meaning: An investigation of learning to read. Teachers College Press. New York.

Bussis, A, Chittenden, E, Amarel, M., & Klausner, E. (1985). Inquiry Into Meaning: An investigation of learning to read. Hillsdale, New Jersey.