Summary Chapter 2 Participative learning

Teacher engages

Chapter 2 learners in
activities for
effective learning
Participative learning
 Teacher
» Sound content knowledge
» Repertoire of teaching methods
» Classroom management skills
» Move smoothly from one method to another to accommodate all learning styles
 Learner:
» Active participation in learning



Teaching and learning in the South African Context
 1994 – South African Qualification Authority (SAQA).
» Responsible for establishing and monitoring the National Qualifications Framework
(NQF).
» NQF reflects the nature and quality of all qualifications attainable in South Africa.
 1997 – Outcomes-based education (OBE).
» OBE said emphasis should be on what the learners could do, or competencies they
could demonstrate as result of learning. (Micro-level).
» OBE said all learning had to be geared towards attaining the critical outcomes.
(Macro-level).
» OBE over-emphasize learning activity.

 1998 – C 2005
 2002 – Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) Gr. R-9.
 2003 – National Curriculum Statement (NCS) Gr. 10-12. NCS Grade R-12 consists
of:
» Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements.
» National policy pertaining the programme and promotion requirements of NCS.
» National Protocol for Assessment.
 2012 – CAPS focus on the content of individual subjects, how to teach and assess them.
» CAPS require teachers to engage in participative learning.


Teaching and learning experience
for all participants
Teaching learning dynamics
 Teaching-learning relationships between teachers and learners are dynamic.
» Sometimes teacher activities are predominating
» Sometimes learner activities are predominating
 Teachers teach more than they learn.
 Learners learn more than they teach.
 Effective teaching takes place only when teacher inspires a creative attitude in the classroom.

 Concept of participative learning

, » Constructing knowledge influenced by person’s cognitive style, wealth of past experiences.
» Success of teaching-learning experience = teacher ingenuity to create a classroom climate that
promotes active participative learning.

Dewey
 Reflective thought
» ongoing engagement and critical evaluation of information
 Reflective learning
» A state of uncertainty/ difficulty and puzzlement that is the start of the thought
process
» Finding information to clear up uncertainty- replace it with understanding of the
concept
 Reflective teaching
» Teachers reflect on teaching and the learning environment:
 Socio-cultural differences
 Facilitating knowledge construction
» Reflective teacher moves away from podium
» Encourage learners through
 Empathetic listening
 Evaluating the learning content critically against own existing knowledge
 Consider others view on a subject
Jean Piaget
 Theory of cognitive development in children
» Prior knowledge/ pre-existing knowledge structures = ‘schema’
» New learning content is assimilated and accommodated into existing relevant schema
 resulting in a modified new schema through the process of adaptation
 Assimilation – new info is added
 Accommodation – new info makes anew schema
 Learning occurs when existing knowledge is altered with new knowledge (Constructivism)
LEV VYGOTSKY
 Zone of proximal development:
» Tasks of varying degrees of complexity which a child cannot master alone but can gain
competence in with assistance.
 Scaffolding:
» A process in which students are given support until they can apply new skills and
strategies independently.
 Easy suggestive reference or clue.
 Example of how to complete the activity.
 Questions that provoke answers
Freire
 Against passive reception of factual knowledge (Banking approach.)
Locke
 Against Tabula rasa / blank slate theory.
» Links a child’s brain to a clean slate on which teacher may inscribe knowledge.


Condition for participative learning
 Learner expresses own views
 No destructive criticism from teachers of peers