Transformative education: Grief and growth

2004

I recognize the power of change and the subversive nature of these courses. … In all these classes in the courses, there's been a dialogue going on, almost at village level-in communities-which is beginning to talk of a different society. And carrying it forward is a considerable responsibility because the change isn't finished. It's just begun. I see myself as a change agent for equality-I think a counselor must be. Joe, Counselling Skills Tutor Whatever it is, we're doing it together-and for me it is about doing something together-it's working, because people are going out there with changed lives. It's effecting change in adults. Ursula, Counselling Skills Tutor I got all the people on the course to write a little book, and twenty-three of them wrote a chapter about themselves. They explored the impact that the course had had on their lives and it was absolutely astounding and astonishing. Jack, Counselling Skills Tutor. I am passionate about this course. If that was gone, I wouldn't do it. Moira, Counselling Skills Tutor. intact. Pedagogy, in this context, is a matter of 'principle and purpose, rather than mere technique' (Crowther, Martin and Shaw, 2000: 174). A key to liberatory knowledge is seen as transformative learning or the development of transformative awareness. Attempting to define and theorise transformative awareness is not straightforward, but it is a felt and recognised phenomenon in adult education circles, referred to by both students and tutors. It is preferable to attempt to theorise it, than to leave unacknowledged the power of what happens when people experience learning, awareness, movement and insight into their lives and their circumstances. These processes and their outcomes often leave us 1 with a sense of agency, that is, the ability to effect change in our worlds. for example the dangers of this being co-opted? Key concepts in adult education, which inform methodologies in the classroom, include the needs of mature learners, varieties of learning theories and styles, the significance of transformative learning, the importance of experience in learning, the fact that learning is an emotional as well as an intellectual event, and the importance of collective and group forms of learning (Chappell, Rhodes, Solomon, Tennant and Yates, 2003; Preece, 2001). Counselling skills training in a context of adult education The epistemological and methodological principles of adult education are interwoven with generally accepted methods of active, experiential counselling training. Johns (1998:11) sets out three core elements of such training: a student-centred ethos in which acceptance and trust are central; the willingness to be alongside students' unique learning journeys; and the valuing of 'readiness to learn' as the starting point (ibid).

A defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience. For some, any uncritically assimilated explanation by an authority figure will suffice. But in contemporary societies we must learn to make our own interpretations rather than act on the purposes, beliefs, judgments, and feelings of others. Facilitating such understanding is the cardinal goal of adult education. Transformative learning develops autonomous thinking.

2023

This assignment evaluates theoretical perspectives in teaching, learning, and assessment practises; based on two lesson observations, A and B, delivered by a teacher in the ESOL Entry 2 subject. I will use learning theories to evaluate the teaching and learning strategies used in both lessons: behaviourism, cognitivism, social constructivism, and humanist approaches. Using these theories in the learning process allows teachers to improve their

2002

2006

Introduction Learning is a change in behavior or having the capacity to capacity to change in a certain manner after practicing of after gaining an experience (Gibbony,2006).Behavioral, cognitive and humanistic theories are some are some of the learning theories in relation to education. A teacher can use one or a combination of the theoretical approaches to enhance learning in the learning environment. Behavioral learning theory Behaviorists focused on learning which was affected by changes in behavior because they believed that only observable, measurable, outward behavior is worthy of scientific inquiry which led to the conclusion that all students given the right environment are able to have similar understanding (Weeger and Diego, 2012).The theory of behavioral learning also contends that repetitive reinforcements whether positive or negative are essential to the learning processes The teachers duty according to behaviorists learning theory is to use reinforcement either positive or negative to strengthen or reward the wanted behavior while the negative to punish or end the unwanted behavior (Salvin, 2003). Students are required to respond actively as a responder for example, following an occurrence of the desirable behavior like high grades for effort in assessment or presentation of negative stimulus following unwanted behavior like students fail for plagiarized work (Learn and Signer, 2010).The students will more likely to work harder because they know they will receive a desired reward for their work. This theory is meant to ensure that the students have rapid and decisive response when dealing various strains of diseases in a more notable manner to effect an incisive outcome. Constructivist learning theory Constructivist view learning as search for meaning because they believed that knowledge is constructed by the learner and the learner develops his or her own understanding through experiences. They are used on observation and scientific study about how people learn and construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world by experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. Constructivist teachers therefore encourage students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain understanding. By questioning themselves and their strategies students in the constructionist classroom ideally become expert learners. Teacher's role is to encourage this learning and reflection process. For example groups of students in clinical medicine class are discussing a problem in anatomy; though the teacher knows the answer to the problem she focusses on helping the students restate their questions in useful ways. She prompts each student to reflect and examine his or her knowledge. Constructivist teacher provides tools like problem solving and inquiry based learning activities the students formulate and test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences and convey their knowledge in collaborative learning (Tobias and Duffy, 2009).The implicit role alluded by the constructivist learning theory is to remit opportunities for students to handle the hectic circumstances in case diagnosis and management, in order to explore the associated ramifications to further their knowledge and skills. Cognitive theory of learning Cognitive theorist believes that learning involves the integration of events in active storage system comprised of organizational structures which are termed as schema (Tobias and Duff, 2009). Individuals interact by their world by constantly collecting and organizing information. The cognitive theory also contends that people are in control of their own learning and as we organize the information in the brain

Before embarking into the world of academician, as a teacher we need to be fully embraced of our own passionate profession as whether we are willing to carry the responsibilities up to the highest expectations. The teachers or lecturers need to know who they are and what is inside them to accomplish the mission as educationist in guiding and giving the best facilitation of making the students achieve their career goals. It is not exaggerating if they need to be accomplished with the knowledge, psychological toughness, right working attitudes and sincerity of the highest regards. The students of them too need to know what they want and how to interact with their lecturers concerned. It is of no used if nothing materialized when no effective communications are done to realize the relationship between the two.