EDU10004 Theories of Teaching and Learning Essay 2 Sample

EDU10004 Theories of Teaching and Learning Essay 2

Assignment overview

Assignment details

The essay prompt

Compare and describe how different processes of learning align with contemporary education theories and inform the work of teachers.

The workflow

This essay requires you to work through a number of stages, which are outlined in your weekly learning materials and learning group discussions, during the planning and writing of the assignment.

Step 1: Select a pair of learning modes from the following options.

Please do not separate the pairs as they illustrate aspects of two contrasting contemporary education theories.

Problem-solving (humanism) and motivation (behaviourism)

Showing/doing (sociocultural) and multiple ways of knowing (poststructural) Schemas (developmental) and self-awareness (psychodynamic) See 4.5 Learning modes for more detail on each to help you make you selection.

Step 2: Research how your chosen learning modes align with particular contemporary education theories.

You will describe in the essay how research aligns with understanding theories and how this supports teaching and learning.

Step 3: Link your research to practice. You should think about how these ways of learning actually occur in education. Consider what pedagogical approaches and strategies can be used to encourage and or support these modes of learning. What would it look like in an educational setting?

Step 4: Plan your essay. It is always important to plan your essay before you start writing it. You could create a Venn diagram, a mind map or use other planning tools to tease out the main ideas of the two different learning modes so you have a clear idea of what you will argue in your essay. Go to 4.6 Activity: Preparing for Assignment 2 to help you get ready to write your essay.

Step 5: Write your essay. Use clear headings and sub-headings along with paragraphs to add clarity and structure to your essay.

The Essay Structure

It is helpful to use the following steps to approach the development of the essay:

Essay introduction. The introduction sets the scene for the background information of your essay. Make sure that you provide a brief overview of the two learning modes and the theories/concepts you will be working with in the essay. Lead the reader through what is being discussed, any specific features of your critique, and your rationale outlining why you have chosen to include certain aspects of the subject material.

Essay Main Points:

Now is the time to think about the learning modes and theories with more depth, and identify the theoretical underpinnings of each one. You may refer to specific theorists, however the focus should be on the contemporary educational theory and how it defines learning.

Provide examples of the benefits and limitations of each theory. You do not have to have an in-depth understanding of the theory; however, you will be able to articulate some of the concepts and main ideas. Your examples should provide detailed discussions that inform what the theory represents, the key theorists and some concepts that are central to the theoretical body of knowledge. It would be helpful to use the two theories as headings and then describe the theories with example(s) from practice. Link your discussion to the practice of teaching, providing examples that explain what these are and what they would look like in an education setting. The examples you select to illustrate your theories will therefore align with the underpinnings of your chosen theories and demonstrate how they can be a useful tool for thinking about learning, which may include complex issues like race, class, gender, abilities, families, communities and diversity. Use clear headings/subheadings and paragraphs in this essay to add clarity to your writing.

Essay conclusion. This section is where you make conclusions about the main arguments you have made in your essay, and bring them to a succinct closure. Discuss some of the overall strengths and limitations of using theories in teaching and learning, including reflections from your own learning experiences.

Essential Reading for This Assignment

Read the weekly materials, in addition to Chapter 3: Student learning (Churchill et al., 2019, pp. 81–117).

Supporting Resources

Review the 'Essay writing' area of the Academic writing and presenting section in the Study Resources section of the Student Hub. The Student Hub contains a wide range of useful Study resources, including nfo on Exams and assignments and Referencing.
This will help in understanding more about what is expected please read thoroughly.

Assignment Criteria

Researching two theories and describing how they align with learning and teaching, including the limitations and benefits of each theory.

Descriptions of learning modes describing how they are connected with the two theories.

Description and practical examples of how the modes of learning and theories can be used in education settings.

Structure of the essay including introduction, conclusion and discussion that aligns with the main ideas of the essay.

Logical and coherent structure of essay, English language skills, use of academic literature and consistent use of citing and referencing.

Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:

If the assignment fails to reach a satisfactory standard on each criterion, then it must be awarded a Fail.

The essay includes an introduction that introduces both the topic and content of the essay.

Paragraphs explore one key idea each.

The essay includes descriptions of the learning modes and two theories, and the theories align with the types of learning in the descriptions. An attempt has been made to draw connections between the theoretical, broader societal and educational context.
Use of relevant scholarly and non-scholarly literature.

Correct citation where work is not the author’s original work.

English language skills are demonstrated through clear discussions developed logically across the essay that are generally free from grammatical and spelling errors. There may be some errors as a result of lack of proofreading however, these errors do not detract from the conveyance of meaning.

Solution

Introduction

The alignment of two unique learning styles, schemas and self-awareness, with modern educational ideas, is the focus of this essay. Schemas are conceptual frameworks that people employ to arrange their information, and they have their roots in cognitive development theory. According to the MBA Assignment Expert overview, Self-awareness refers to an introspective knowledge of emotions and behaviours and is based on psychodynamic ideas. By integrating them with contemporary educational theories, these learning modalities have the potential to transform instructional practices. Examining this alignment reveals how teachers might modify their lesson plans to promote emotional intelligence and cognitive development. This article tries to demonstrate how different learning modes, despite their divergent historical contexts, interact with current educational theories to enhance and enlighten teaching practice.
Learning Modes and Theoretical Underpinnings

Schemas: Developmental Foundations

When discussing cognitive development, the term "schemas" is used to describe the conceptual frameworks people employ to organise their knowledge and comprehension of the outside world (Arntz et al., 2021). Based on Piaget's constructivist theory, schemas are crucial to how students assimilate new knowledge and make accommodations for their pre-existing cognitive structures. In accordance with Piaget's theory, people actively interact with their surroundings and modify their schemas through assimilation and accommodation processes. This is consistent with current constructivist educational ideas that support student-centred learning in which students actively develop their knowledge via practical experiences, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Self-Awareness: Psychodynamic Connections

Self-awareness, which is based on psychodynamic theories like those of Freud and Erikson, refers to a person's introspective comprehension of their feelings, ideas, and behaviours. According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory, self-awareness develops as a result of the interplay between the conscious and unconscious mind (Niaz, Stanikzai & Sahibzada, 2019). By emphasising identity development via several life phases, Erikson's psychosocial theory expands on this idea. These ideas fit with current humanistic educational approaches that place a strong emphasis on the all-round development of students. Self-awareness encourages empathy, emotional intelligence, and effective communication, which is in line with student-centred pedagogies that place a high value on social-emotional learning and individual development.

Relevance to Contemporary Education Theories

Within constructivist and humanistic educational theories, schemas and self-awareness find common ground. Constructivist theories emphasise the active involvement of the learner in creating knowledge, which is consistent with the function of schemas in cognitive growth. In constructivist classrooms, teachers take on the role of facilitators, leading students through activities that stretch and push them. The humanistic approach sees pupils as distinct persons with a range of needs. The cultivation of students' personal and emotional growth is an aim shared by humanistic philosophies, which are consistent with the promotion of self-awareness.

Schemas: Alignment and Examples

Alignment with Constructivist Education Theory

The constructivist education approach, which contends that students actively develop their knowledge of the world via experiences and interactions, is strongly resonant with the idea of schemas (Gray, 2023). To categorise and make sense of new information in the context of their prior knowledge, people use schemas as mental frameworks. This relationship is particularly clear in the writings of constructivism's founding father, educational thinker Jean Piaget.

The Influence of Schemas on Learning

Teachers in constructivist classrooms value past knowledge and encourage their students to take part in tasks that stretch and challenge their schemas (Ghosh et al., 2020). Think of a science class that is studying the idea of animal adaptations, for instance. Pre-existing student ideas about animals may include fundamental divisions like mammals, birds, and reptiles. Teachers should provide animals with special adaptations that do not cleanly fit into these categories in order to promote learning and encourage pupils to revise their preexisting schemas. Due to the cognitive dissonance, pupils are more likely to adapt their schemas to make room for new knowledge, leading to better comprehension.

Practical Examples

To engage pupils in learning about plant development in a primary school context, a teacher using constructivist ideas can use hands-on activities. Students could be assigned the duty of planting and caring for seedlings while equipped with their introductory plant schemas (Dai et al., 2021). Students' conceptions of how plants develop alter as the seeds grow and they watch the changes. The teacher's job is to facilitate dialogues that encourage students to express their views and update their schemas in light of newly acquired information.

Students' pre-existing schemas about historical events may be overly general and simplistic in a high school history lesson. The instructor might provide original materials, opposing perspectives, and cultural settings to encourage critical thinking. Students' historical schemas grow more complicated and nuanced as a result of being forced to analyse such complex inputs.

Leveraging Schemas for Understanding and Retention

Teachers use schemas to reinforce what students already know and to help them learn and retain new information (Jung, Lim & Kim, 2022). New information is more likely to be understood and retained when it fits with pre-existing schemas. Teachers can build a scaffold for learning by purposefully creating classes that draw on students' schemas. Additionally, allowing students to consider how their schemas have changed as a result of their learning increases metacognition, enabling them to participate actively in their education.

Self-Awareness: Alignment and Examples

Alignment with Humanistic Education Theory

The humanistic education paradigm, which prioritises the individual learner and lays a significant emphasis on personal growth, autonomy, and holistic development, finds great congruence with the concept of self-awareness (Kumar et al., 2023). The work of theorists like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, who emphasise the value of fostering pupils' self-concept, emotions, and intrinsic motivation, forms the basis of this approach.

The Impact of Self-Awareness on Learning

The encouragement of self-awareness creates a greater comprehension of one's feelings, ideas, and behaviours in the setting of a humanistic classroom (Yao et al., 2022). Students' capacity to participate actively in the learning process, make wise choices, and develop real connections with the subject matter is improved by this increased self-awareness.

Practical Examples

Think about a literary lesson where students are investigating the drives and behaviours of characters. The experiences of the characters are used to compel pupils to explore their own emotional reactions through reflective conversations and writing (Carden, Jones & Passmore, 2022). By assisting students in recognising how their own life experiences affect how they read the text, this technique promotes self-awareness. Their literary analysis is enhanced by this activity, which also fosters empathy and introspection.

Students in a high school ethics course struggle with difficult moral conundrums. Students are challenged to identify their beliefs, prejudices, and ethical stances via open discussions and self-evaluation activities. This in-depth examination of one's moral compass improves self-awareness and gives pupils the skills they need to make moral choices that are supported by personal experiences.

Promoting Self-Awareness in the Classroom

By including activities that promote thought and introspection, teachers may help students develop self-awareness. Regular journaling or reflective writing assignments where students record their thoughts, feelings, and responses to learning situations are a successful method (Law & Rowe, 2019). Additionally, encouraging students to express their ideas and engage in self-discovery in a secure and encouraging learning atmosphere in the classroom through open dialogues and active listening.

Another useful method is guided self-evaluation. Teachers can provide students criteria or rubrics to use in evaluating their own work, assisting them in identifying their strengths and areas for development. This procedure fosters self-awareness of one's intellectual prowess and potential for personal development.
Self-Awareness for Self-Regulation and Personal Growth

Teachers provide their pupils the skills to self-regulate their emotions and behaviours through encouraging self-awareness in them (Mertens et al., 2022). Students who are emotionally aware are better able to control their stress, overcome obstacles, and make thoughtful decisions.

Benefits and Limitations

Benefits within a Diverse Context

When included in current educational theories, both schemas and self-awareness have enormous advantages, especially when it comes to tackling diversity in educational environments.

Schemas: Enhancing Cultural Competence: Schemas help students organise and make sense of their academic material (Schwarzenthal et al., 2020). This mode can be used to improve cultural competency in a classroom with a diverse student body. Teachers may assist students build schemas that take into account multiple cultural viewpoints, enabling them to comprehend and value the diversity of their origins. Teachers may extend students' schemas, promote empathy, and demolish prejudices by exposing them to a variety of cultural information.

Self-Awareness: Nurturing Empathy and Inclusivity: Self-awareness promotes empathy and understanding, which are necessary skills for accepting diversity (Solomon, Martinez & Wren, 2021). Students who are taught to examine their own feelings and prejudices are more receptive to understanding and appreciating the viewpoints of others. Teachers can encourage discussion on issues of race, class, gender, and other elements of diversity by leading self-awareness exercises with a cultural awareness focus.

Limitations and Challenges

Schemas: Oversimplification and Stereotyping: Schemas can promote oversimplification and stereotyping while also assisting in the organisation of information (Edwards & Wupperman, 2019). Relying primarily on pre-existing schemas might lead to pupils categorising complicated problems into general categories across varied classes. Teachers must work around this constraint by promoting critical thinking and pushing pupils to improve their schemas in response to complex situations.

Self-Awareness: Overwhelm and Lack of Context: Sensitivity to pupils' emotional capacity is necessary to promote self-awareness (Kreibich, Hennecke & Brandstätter, 2020). When addressing subjects pertaining to diversity and social concerns, in particular, emotional overwhelm can result from engaging profoundly with one's ideas and feelings. Teachers must establish a secure environment where pupils may participate in self-awareness without feeling alone or burdened.
Linking to Teaching Practice

Encouraging Schema Development

Hands-On Exploration: Offer practical exercises that motivate learners to actively interact with new ideas. Students might design and construct a small environment, for instance, in a science class that is studying ecosystems (Yang, 2023). As kids see how various aspects interact, this experiential learning promotes the creation and improvement of schemas.

Concept Mapping: Introduce idea mapping to your pupils as a visual tool to help them organise their understanding. Students can make idea maps for a history lecture that show the causes, occurrences, and results of a historical event. Through this method, they are able to link similar ideas together and create more intricate schemas.

Fostering Self-Awareness

Reflective journals: Encourage your pupils to keep journals in which they reflect on their learning experiences (Park, Riley & Branch, 2020). For instance, after reading and discussing a piece of literature addressing social issues, students might consider how the subject relates to their own experiences and worldviews. This method fosters self-awareness by promoting reflection.

Dialogue Circles: Set up dialogue circles where students can express their opinions on touchy subjects. Students can have free discussions about their ethnic backgrounds in a social studies class that is studying cultural diversity. By enabling students to identify their own prejudices and get insight from other people's perspectives, this encourages self-awareness.

Integration in the Classroom

Inclusive Text Selection: When selecting educational resources, go for a wide variety of books that reflect other cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints (El Mrabet & Ait Moussa, 2021). This method enables students to create schemas that include a range of perspectives and real-world experiences.

Personalised Projects: Assign projects that let students investigate subjects they are interested in while including self-awareness. Students might produce artwork in art class that represents their own personal journey, utilising colours and symbols to depict feelings and introspection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a closer look at how self-awareness and schemas fit into modern educational theories indicates their enormous potential for influencing successful teaching and learning methods. Through its relationship to constructivist ideas, schemas enable educators to design experiences that test and hone cognitive structures, facilitating a better grasp of challenging concepts. Similar to how empathy and personal development are fostered through self-awareness when it is in line with humanistic methods, they are essential elements of holistic education. These ideas do, however, have certain drawbacks, including the potential for oversimplification and emotional overload. However, educators may encourage inclusion, critical thinking, and self-regulation by using techniques that make use of these modes. It is clear from research and personal experiences that comprehending and using various learning styles may improve students' cognitive growth, emotional intelligence, and general engagement within the classroom. 

References

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Carden, J., Jones, R. J., & Passmore, J. (2022). Defining self-awareness in the context of adult development: A systematic literature review. Journal of Management Education, 46(1), 140-177. Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1052562921990065

Dai, Y., Li, H., Li, Y., Sun, J., Huang, F., Si, L., & Zhu, X. (2021). Preview, attend and review: Schema-aware curriculum learning for multi-domain dialog state tracking. arXiv preprint arXiv:2106.00291. Retrieved from: https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.00291

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