“Self-pity gets you nowhere. One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world making the most of one's best.”
~Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1968)
Learner achievement is linked to the successful understanding and implementation of different teaching and learning theories (DfES: Primary National Strategies, 2005). Each individual member of the current e2e team has a good understanding of the complex needs of e2e students: all members ascribe to the same student-centred approach. The teaching styles of team members are similar in their holistic approach, which supports and believes in unconditional positive affirmation of each individual learner. This positive regard is constantly given throughout the learner’s journey of self-discovery whilst on the programme. But parallel to learner validation, the team strongly believes in and works together towards reinforcing firm boundaries. Teaching strategies also positively fosters peer support and promotes the merits of collaborative ‘discovery learning’ amongst students.
Much emphasis is given to knowledge creation through tutor-led discussion, where students are encouraged to share their experiences, thoughts and opinions in structured workshops. The process of which, is facilitated within a holistic environment that embraces emotional literacy and acknowledges the multifaceted approach required to allow learners to transform abstract thought to concrete comprehension. The pedagogical approach amongst the e2e team is united, it understands and considers the sociocultural background that defines and shapes the multiple-intelligence of each learner and how that in turn can affect the learning outcomes of individuals. Kublin et al (1989) states:
‘Vygotsky (1934/1986) described learning as being embedded within social events and occurring as a child interacts with people, objects, and events in the environment’
(Vygotsky in Kublin et al (1989:p. 287)
‘…most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.’
(Bandura, 1977:p.22)
However, for some individual’s, where there is an absence of good role models within a family, or indeed within their local community, to facilitate the modelling of emotional and social skills, there is less chance of them acquiring these skills for transition into the learning environment.
Moreover, whilst these reports are aimed at educators in primary and secondary schools, a good number of those who participated in this research, and who fell into the NEET segmentation, as explained by the DCSF (2009b, p.p.25-26)[1], had failed to develop many of the emotional and social skills expected of learners at foundation stage through to year six. Within the researcher’s personal experience, this is not uncommon an attribute to students who enrol onto the e2e programme.
Therefore, when designing the activities for induction, the researcher had to consider the type of learner who would be targeted and how the skills deficit would be exposed in a safe environment in order to remove barriers to learning. Petty (2004) states: ‘…most informed opinion now considers that what happens in the learning ‘process’ is at least as important as its ‘product’’ (Petty: 2004, p.304). Clearly the paper-based induction resources could not stand alone: chosen teaching strategies and theories behind their use needed to be acknowledged and understood by all those involved in the delivery of the induction programme for it to be successful. It was the researcher’s intention to create a uniqueness of approach: ‘bespoke’ due to the combination of strategies and adherence to a planned agenda.[2]
In NFER’s[3] (2009) research report: Increasing Participation: Understanding Young People who do not Participate in Education or Training at 16 and 17, which was commissioned by the DCSF, it is concluded that:
‘These young people are likely to require strategies to address their aversion to education and training by making it more appealing and as unlike school and classroom-based activity as possible.’
(NFER, 2009: p. 109)
In response to the NFER report it was also the researcher’s aim that the induction design and delivery of same would mean that participants would have their appetites sufficiently whetted, ensuring that they would want to remain in a productive, positive learning environment until they were able to re-engage with, and be committed to, a longer-term course. In Curzon’s appraisal of the works of Carl Rogers (1902-87), he states:
‘Experiential learning has the following important elements: it possesses a quality of personal involvement and stimulates the feeling and cognitive aspects of personality; it is self-initiated, in that the impetus to learn come from within; it is pervasive and can affect the learner’s entire personality; it is evaluated by the learner as satisfying a need; its essence is ‘meaning’.
(Curzon, 2003:p.117)
For this reason activities were based on ‘discovery/situated learning’ by regarding them as a group of like-minded individuals, it was the researcher’s intention to encourage them to act collaboratively as a ‘community of practice’ as termed by Lave and Wenger (1991:pp.98-100), to allow students to explore and promote experientialism through conversation and reflective practice. Watkins, Carnell and Lodge (2007) state:
‘…the goals of learning need to focus less on knowledge acquisition by individuals and more on knowledge generation with others.’
(Watkins et al: 2007,p.18)
The activities, were designed to promote the incidental development of ‘emotional and social’ skills, and also gave learners an opportunity to ‘discover’ that they were not alone in their negative educational experiences. By ‘sharing’, they were able to ‘identify’ together how barriers to learning are established through ‘learned behaviour’ and ‘collectively’ they ‘discovered’ strategies for change: this ‘constructivist’ approach to knowledge creation is further explained by Baker, Jensen and Kolb (2002): 760
‘…conversational learning suggests that conversation is a meaning making process whereby understanding is achieved through interplay of opposites and contradictions…a linguistic process that leads to generation of new ideas and concepts…it involves stating a point of view and questioning it from other points of view, eventually seeking consensual agreement.’
(Baker et al: 2002, Chapter 4)
It is this researcher’s opinion, from personal experience of day-to-day practice that the majority e2e students arrive with the capacity to be independently innovative in the creation of new knowledge, yet they lack the explorative skills for an inquisitive mind. The desire and motivation for investigation is also absent: most are too dependent on being fed information rather than be proactive in a process of self-discovery. However, all students have to participate in Employability and Personal Development lessons as part of the e2e programme: the aim of which is to develop student’s ownership of the type of skills employers are looking in new recruits. Workers, who have the ability to acquire, modify and create new knowledge from public knowledge and build upon it.
Apart from a specific set of skills necessary to perform a particular job, employers are looking for applicants with good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively through different mediums. They also want new recruits who are flexible and adaptable, with the ability to multi-manage and prioritise. To be able to assess a situation and address any need appropriately, whether that be practically or interpersonally.
It is these ‘softer’ skills that are explored and exercised throughout the bespoke induction, through tasks that aim to create a deeper form of constructivist approach to learning and draws upon the collective experience and knowledge of individuals.
[1] Government defines those young people who are NEET and those who are in jobs without training (JWT) as constituting an overall group of young people who are deemed to be in education or training (NET). The segmentation analysis identified three segmentations within each of the ‘NEET’ group and the ‘JWT’ group. The NEET segmentation comprising of those: open to learning, undecided and sustained. Whereas JWT comprises those who are: transitional, sustained or at risk.
[2] Horsley (2009) Complete Induction agenda [online] http://neetlearners.blogspot.com/2009/10/induction-agenda-day-1-1000am-activity.html
Horsley (2009) Complete Induction Lesson Plans [online] http://neetlearners.blogspot.com/2009/10/e2e-induction-lesson-plans.html
[3] National Foundation of Educational Research
References:
Baker, A.C., Jensen, P.J. and Kolb, D.A. (2002) Chapter Four. Conversational Learning An Experiential Approach to Knowledge Creation. Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.
DCSF (2009a) Delivery the behaviour challenge: Our commitment to good behaviour. DCSF-00961-2009. Nottingham: Department of Children Schools and Families Publications
DCSF (2009b) Increasing Participation: Understanding Young People who do not Participate in Education or Training at 16 and 17. Research Brief: DCSF-RR072. London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.
DCSF (2009c) Learning Behaviour: Lessons Learned. A review of behaviour standards and practices in our schools. DCSF-00453-2009. Nottingham: Department of Children Schools and Families Publications
DfES (2005) Developing children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills: a whole-school approach. Department for Education and Skills: Primary National Strategy 1747-2005PD5-EN. London: Stationery office.
Fosdick, H.E. (1878-1969) Self pity quotes . [On-line] Available from http://thinkexist.com/quotations/self_pity/ [Accessed 19th October 2009]
Kublin, K. S., Wetherby, A. M., Crais, E. R., & Prizant, B. M. (1989). Prelinguistic dynamic assessment: A transactional perspective. In A. M. Wetherby, S. F. Warren, & J. Reichle (Eds.), Transitions in prelinguistic communication. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press
Maslow, A., and Rogers, C. (2003) Chapter Nine. The Humanistic Psychology School in Curson, L.B., (2003) NFER (2009) Increasing Participation: Understanding Young People who do not Participate in Education or Training at 16 and 17. Research Brief: DCSF-RR072. London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.
NFER (2009) Increasing Participation: Understanding Young People who do not Participate in Education or Training at 16 and 17. Research Brief: DCSF-RR072. London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Petty, G. (2004) Teaching Today: A Practical Guide. (3rd Ed.) Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd
Teaching in Further Education: An Outline of Principles and Practice. (6th Ed) London: Continuum.
Watkins. C., Carnell. E. and Lodge. C. (2007) Effective Learning in Classrooms. London: Paul Chapman Publishing
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment.