Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Teaching and Learning Philosophy

Educators have fundamental beliefs that form the basis of their understanding of student-centered teaching goals, methods, and theoretical underpinnings of teaching and learning. According to Wesner et al. (2016), a teaching philosophy entails a “constantly evolving, reflective document” that allows current or future educators to identify their beliefs regarding teaching and learning, set student-centered teaching objectives and goals, and elaborate approaches for personal development.

Delton et al. (2017) argue that the teaching and learning philosophy statement is one of the significant components of educators’ portfolios. Therefore, educators should understand various requirements and thresholds for developing a personal learning and education philosophy.

As a psychology educator, various concepts would inform my teaching and learning philosophy. These concepts are the theoretical underpinnings of my philosophy, role description, balancing teacher-as-dictator and teacher-as-facilitator concept, classroom dynamics, teaching style, student motivation, and collaborative efforts. These components of a teaching philosophy statement apply to teaching and learning levels, including pedagogy and andragogy.

Theoretical Underpinnings of a Personal Teaching and Education Philosophy

Teaching and learning processes obtain insights from many theoretical premises that explain how learners acquire, comprehend, retain, and analyze information regarding learned concepts. For example, my teaching philosophy for adult learners should obtain insights from Malcolm Knowles’ andragogical principles that present adult learners as self-motivated, experienced, and willing to learn through a self-directed learning approach (Loeng, 2018).

It is essential to note that understanding the theoretical underpinnings of personal teaching is a profound strategy for informing the selection of teaching/learning methods and developing learner-centered instructions.

Role Description

As an educator, I must understand my role in contributing to learners’ knowledge and the comprehension of learned concepts. Therefore, my role and responsibilities are imperative alongside learners to set strategic objectives for enhancing the teaching and learning processes (Swart, 2018). At this stage, educators can briefly explain their fundamental beliefs regarding teaching and the preferred approaches to achieve strategic goals.

Further, describing the role of learners can form the basis of assessing their knowledge, strengths, and areas of improvement. Therefore, it is essential to consider when writing a personal teaching and learning philosophy statement.

Teacher-as-Dictator vs. Teacher-as-Facilitator

In the current teaching and learning landscapes, educators are responsible for developing conducive learning environments for highly-diverse learners. The determination to address learning disparities and inequalities prompts educators to adopt more interactive teaching methods to create equal chances for participation. Effective and participative relationships between teachers and learners narrow down to the perception that teachers can be dictators or facilitators (Lee & Kim, 2017).

When writing a personal teaching philosophy statement, you must include your view on discipline, openness to negotiation, and the level of interactions you would prefer to cultivate with learners. This concept is essential in providing information regarding personal profound beliefs and standpoints about collaborative learning.

Classroom Dynamics

A personal teaching philosophy statement should indicate individual awareness of class dynamics and atmosphere. The concepts of class atmosphere and dynamics include learners’ strengths, educational needs, and knowledge development opportunities.

Also, the statement should indicate that an educator develops a rapport with learners based on meaningful interactions. As a result, this concept can enable educators to articulate their goals and set priorities for their classes and learners.

Learner Motivation

Learners’ motivation is essential when writing a personal teaching philosophy statement. As a psychology educator, I am responsible for understanding the sources of inspiration for my learners. Although Malcolm Knowles’ andragogy theory presents adult learners as self-motivated, experienced, and self-directed, it is vital to consider interventions stimulating their desire to learn. I believe this concept consistently improved knowledge acquisition and the learner’s willingness to learn.

Teaching Strategies

Another profound element of personal teaching philosophy is teaching strategies. Educators should explain these teaching methods and materials choices consistent with learners’ characteristics. These strategies should include articulating practices, teaching style, instructional techniques, performance assessment, evaluation, and desired outcomes of these approaches.

I believe this concept is the basis of educators’ teaching philosophy statements because it elaborates on sharing knowledge with learners, assessing their degrees of knowledge acquisition, and improving their learning experiences.

Collaborative and Inclusive Learning Environment

The rubric for composing and evaluating a statement of teaching philosophy requires educators to portray coherence when elaborating strategies for creating inclusive and collaborative learning environments. At this point, it is essential to demonstrate awareness of equity issues and sensitivity to learners’ diversity.

Livingston-Gollaway & George (2020) suggest some options when developing an inclusive and collaborative andragogical learning environment, including problem-based, reciprocal, resource-based, and jigsaw models. These strategies promote peer group learning, critical thinking, and information literacy.

What changes will I make in personal learning endeavors based on what I learned in class?

Throughout the class lessons, I have learned multiple concepts regarding adult learning, including assumptions and instructional and learning methods. Examples of assumptions of adult learning are self-concept, role experience, readiness to learn, orientation, and Internal motivation (Bengo, 2020).

Regarding ideal instructional methods for adults, I realized that educators could use active learning strategies such as small group discussions, case studies, laboratory tests, self-directed learning, debates, practicum, and case studies to Improve learners’ ability to acquire knowledge.

As an adult learner, understanding these instructional methods and learning approaches forms the basis of personal development and improvement in my learning endeavors. For instance, I will change various aspects of my learning styles regarding instructional methods and learning approaches.

Firstly, I will emphasize active learning strategies, such as group discussion and technology-mediated learning approaches. Secondly, I will shift from the traditional learning approaches, such as relying on educators’ materials, in favor of learning interventions like self-driven and problem-based.

Finally, I will endeavor to incorporate aspects of higher-order thinking to enhance my cognition, critical thinking, evaluation, and reasoning skills. These changes are consistent with the determination to promote personal and professional development.

What are questions or issues related to adult learning, active learning approaches, or Higher-Order thinking?

Although adult learning theory, active learning approaches, and higher-order learning support critical thinking, problem-based, and experience-oriented learning, many issues manifest when ascertaining these strategies’ effectiveness. Examples of concerns that hamper andragogical theories’ effectiveness are time constraints and financial barriers. In this sense, it is vital to consider how adult learners balance work, studies, and family commitments. Does adult learning complicate an individual’s capacity to balance family life and work?

When considering the plausibility of active learning in improving knowledge acquisition for adult learners, the key concerns are the lack of a focal point and multiple distractions that can compromise their learning activities. For instance, they require educators to be the focal points during class discussions and avoid distractions.

Finally, the higher-order learning approach supports reflection, self-regulation, critical thinking, information synthesis, and applications. At this point, it is possible to introduce time constraints and a lack of motivation as the significant issues that compromise the effectiveness of this teaching and learning approach (Ainin, 2021). Andragogical educators are responsible for understanding these concerns and developing measures to improve the applicability of the three aspects of learning and teaching.

References

Ainin, Moh. (2021). Challenges in applying higher order thinking skills assessment in the teaching of Arabic in Indonesia. KnE Social Sciences, 413–420. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v5i3.8564

Bengo, N. M. de A. (2020). Managing instructional strategies in classrooms with adult learners. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 68(2), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2020.1712578

Dalton, C. L., Wilson, A., & Agius, S. (2017). Twelve tips on how to compile a medical educator’s portfolio. Medical Teacher, 40(2), 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2017.1369502

Lee, J.-A., & Kim, C.-J. (2017). Teaching and learning science in authoritative classrooms: Teachers’ power and students’ approval in Korean elementary classrooms. Research in Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9659-6

Liu, J., Ma, Y., Sun, X., Zhu, Z., & Xu, Y. (2021). A systematic review of higher-order thinking by visualizing its structure through Histcite and Citespace software. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00614-5

Livingston-Galloway, M. & George, J. (2020). A theoretical perspective of culturally responsive andragogy for international English learners in American higher education institutions. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education, 10(1), 35-52. https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=sotl_ched

Loeng, S. (2018). Various ways of understanding the concept of andragogy. Cogent Education, 5(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2018.1496643

Swart, A. J. (2018). Developing a comprehensive teaching portfolio — A scholarly personal narrative. 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON). https://doi.org/10.1109/educon.2018.8363204

Wesner, A., Jones, R., Schultz, K., & Johnson, M. (2016). Impact of the use of a standardized guidance tool on the development of teaching philosophy in a pharmacy residency teaching and learning curriculum program. Pharmacy, 4(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy4010009

Teaching and Learning Philosophy Instructions

 Week 8 DB
Do a fairly quick review of the main topics of the class and the core content from the readings. Then, answer the following. Use APA headings and in-text citations using the class content as support.

Instructions

If you were developing your own philosophy of teaching/learning, what did you learn from the class readings that would most inform your philosophy? Incorporate elements of higher-order thought in your response, which should be at a doctoral level depth of reflection. Elaborate on 7-10 specific concepts. Why did you choose those concepts?
What changes will you make in your own learning endeavors based on what you learned in class? Again, draw broadly from the class sources in a way that indicates a solid understanding of class content.
What questions or issues were raised in your mind related to adult learning theory, active learning approaches, or higher-order thinking?