In the first part of this series, we discussed how teachers and administrators are striving to apply updated new techniques and processes to address motivational challenges that prevent students from engaging in the learning process. As we continue, we will look at the complexities in students’ lives that affect their engagement in the classroom.
Disidentification with the School: Low achieving and unmotivated high school students show an overwhelming lack of identification with the school. In order to identify themselves, students need to grasp a sense of belonging, of being a valued and important member of the school environment, and that the school is a valuable asset in their personal lives. Students who do not feel accepted tend to lack motivation to actively participate in the learning process and, even worse, tend to develop angry and hostile attitudes towards teachers and classmates. In contrast, students who positively identify with the school (those who experience feelings of belonging, feelings of achievement, and are able to connect the school environment with their personal lives) engaged more easily in active learning.
It is important to point out that the feelings of identification or dis-identification of secondary school students with the learning process is a cyclical experience; that once launched it is very probable that it will be reinforced over time. Students can show interest in school and school-related experiences when they receive positive results (such as good grades, high scores, praise from teachers).
Understanding that student belonging contributes to the learning process, teachers and administrators are encouraged to investigate how to apply different learning styles in the classroom.
Learning styles: Teachers and students alike experience the consequences associated with a generation raised and nurtured in a high-tech society. Today’s students experience tremendous advances in special effects and multimedia; these students are very addicted to instant gratification. Teachers have to get their attention and then stimulate meaningful learning to keep that attention. Teachers must take a proactive approach to include all students in the learning process by varying the curriculum to accommodate a range of learning styles. Some research determines that, ideally, teachers adapt their teaching style to the learning styles of their students. On the contrary, some researchers conclude that students must adapt their learning style to the teachers’ curriculum. Most likely, a combination of the two (the ability to collaborate between teacher and student) would be the greatest value. Although there are a variety of learning styles, by the time they reach high school most students develop a preferred style, perhaps out of habit or perhaps heredity. Regardless, many students find a habit or pattern that works for them and often become dependent to the point of being a slave to that style.
Encouraging students to experiment with ideas and theories allows them to learn from mistakes while also exposing them to other learning pathways. It is important to guide and protect students against frustration and reassure them that trying new forms of learning styles gives them more tools to put in their academic toolbox. This toolbox is the set of knowledge, skills, and abilities that individual students acquire throughout their lives and have available to draw upon when critical thinking or problem-solving skills are needed. To fill this toolbox, students need experience; they need to learn from their mistakes. This means creating an environment where mistakes are not only tolerated, but also encouraged. The term active learning emphasizes the focus on students as learners rather than teachers focusing on themselves as teachers. The concept is not so much about embracing new instructional techniques as it is about reminding teachers to focus on the students themselves; that is, student-centered learning.
Students develop processing preferences over time; basically that we all “feel, think, ponder, and do, but linger at different places along the way.” This is how our learning style is defined. Left-brain students tend to be analytical and logical, while right-brain students tend to be intuitive, creative, and imaginative. The importance for teachers to understand this concept is to learn students’ biases and adapt the classroom environment to meet the different needs of students.
In Part 3, we’ll look beyond the barriers and investigate strategies that will foster a shift from passive to active learning.