Nermin BOĞAZ

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My Personal Pedagogy

1. Learning:

I would like to begin with a definition for learning. Educational theorists define learning differently

based their research and observations. Some define learning as a change in behaviour, others define it

as the process of gaining new skills, knowledge or understanding. I think learning is “a process of

looking always for the better”. Throughout the years, educational theorists and psychologists has done

research on how people learn and how to make learning better. As Woolfolk (2016) states in his article,

I also believe that providing a single way or a recipe to help people learn well is not possible. Learning

is a multi-dimensional process. It

happens in a number of ways, and a wide

range of variables can affect what and

how people learn. People frequently

concentrate on the measurable and

evident ways that learning occurs, but it's

crucial to keep in mind that learning isn't

always immediately apparent. People can

learn ideas and abilities that are not

immediately apparent. Thus, I will reflect

my ideas on my teaching and learning experience. We, as human beings start learning when we are

born according to Sanghvi, P. (2020). When we are just a baby, we start discovering the world around

us, acquire the language that we are exposed to and satisfy our basic needs such as pooping, sufficient

food and sleep. As we grow, we learn more about the world around us by experiencing new things and

making connections. To me, assessing learning or reflecting on learning start when a child start being

schooled. Till that time, families are not so aware of the learning process of their children if the child
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does not have an observable learning difficulty. When the child start going to school, the first thing

that they will learn is how to read. I can’t remember my experience on reading, but I give examples

from my teaching experience. I think people learn well when they are motivated. This motivation can

depend on the educator, the external factors or intrinsic motivation. As a learner, I can state that I learn

better when I am interested in the subject and that interest makes me more motivated. For example, I

learn well any subject if there something that would motivate me extrinsically such as a small prize or

a certificate. Another thing that affects learning well is culture. I think culture plays a significant role

in an individual's life and learning experience. A research based on the impact of culture on learning

shows that the culture of the individual shape the individual from the beginning of life. To give an

example, people learn well when they are coming from a culture which values learning. I have another

assumption that people learn well in a cooperative learning environment. As Fosnot (2005) suggests in

his article, working in cooperative learning environments allow the learners to enhance their

communication skills, gain confidence, learn from each other, and develop higher-level thinking skills.

According to my observations in the real classroom environment, the learners learn a lot from each

other when they are working cooperatively on a well-structured task. When it comes to the role of the

learner, I believe that the role of the learner can change according to the subject area, the requirements

of the course or depending on the learning theories adopted by the educators. However, I think that the

learner should be independent in their learning process and take the responsibility of their own learning.

Also, the learners should be able to manage their time effectively and do their best.

References

Fosnot, C.T. (2005). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice, Second Edition. Teachers

College Press. Kindle Edition. pp.316-317

Sanghvi, P. (2020). Piaget's theory of cognitive development: a review. Indian Journal of Mental

Health. 7. 90. 10.30877/IJMH.7.2.2020.90-96.

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Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational Psychology (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

2. Instruction:

I think instruction is like a chocolate factory because it requires many systems working together

in a harmony. There are so many people working in a factory and some of them are operatives,

packers, engineers, managers, and paymasters. All these people are in contact with each other to

work the factory in the best way possible. In the case of instruction, the stakeholders, teachers,

parents, school principals, and even students work together to have the best instruction possible.

To make a factory work is quite challenging so we need a good team to lead the people in the

factory, follow each stage and interfere when necessary and this is just like a team which

provides leadership in program development, evaluation, and coordination. In a chocolate

factory, many kinds of chocolate are produced to satisfy the customers because each customer

has a different palatal delight. These differences correspond to different learning styles, needs

and multiple intelligences in the case of the instruction. To learn about the choices of the

customers, sometimes the factory or the brand sends questioners to them and ask them about

what kind of chocolate they would like to have. Some would like to have vegan chocolate, sugar-

free or bitter. Till the chocolate is produced, there are so many stages to follow carefully. If any

of the stages is skipped or not followed as it should be, the result might not be so satisfying.

During the stages, the team should always control the steps and find solutions when a problem

occurs. The taste of the chocolate should always be controlled before it takes places on the

market shelves. This reminds me of formative assessment during instruction before any course

is over. To prepare the perfect chocolate, we need the good cacao beans which might refer to the

issue or problem in the case of instruction. So, this is basically deciding on what to teach. Also,

the procedures are important for the process of producing a chocolate. As Bruner (1966) suggests
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in his article, theories of instruction should address four major points. The first one is

predisposition toward learning; the second one is the best ways to organize a body of knowledge

so that the learner can easily understand it; the third one is the best ways to present material; and

the last one is the type and pace of rewards and punishments. Knowledge should be simplified,

new ideas should be generated, and information manipulation should increase as a result of good

knowledge-structured techniques. Moreover, what to teach is a significant part of it as well as

how to teach. Plus, there are a set of instructions to guide the workers or technicians in the

factory. These set of instructions corresponds to the set of goals and objectives in the case of

instruction which guide the educators. After all the stages of producing, the chocolate is ready

to be packaged. The package should also be appealing for the customers. In the case of

instruction, the package refers to the course materials which should be appealing for the learners.

The learning materials should be designed of interest of the learners as Novak (2020) states in

the article. When the chocolate takes its place on the market shelves, the customers choose the

best chocolate according to their needs and choices. The markets sometimes offer a piece of

chocolate to the customers coming to the market to observe their experience with it. All the

experiences that the learners have can lead to the implementations of course materials and the

set of instructions. The factory where the chocolate is produced might refer to the educational

organization A chocolate is a product which is something that needs to be improved. According

to the evaluations of the customers, the package, the amount of sugar or the name of the chocolate

can be changed or modernized in time. This might refer to summative assessment in the case of

instruction. The instruction is also something that can be modified according to the changes in

educational organizations, improvements in technology or cultural transmission. All the stages

of producing a chocolate, the set of instructions, the setting of the factory and even the color of

the package of the chocolate work together to make it leave a good taste in the mouth of the
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tasters. The instruction is an outline of a procedure working together to have successful

development in knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

When it comes to the role of a teacher, Bugelski

(1956) suggests some roles for teachers such as

being subject-matter expert, The teacher should

be subject expert and love their subject. The

teacher should know their students well and find

solution to possible problems just like an

administrator. Teachers should prepare their

students for the changing world. Teachers should be empathetic and be able to put themselves

into their students’ shoes. I think the teachers have complex set of rules but helping students

learn by imparting knowledge to them and by setting up a situation in which students can and

will learn effectively can be a general role that all the teachers should have.

References

Bugelski, B. R. (1956). The psychology of learning. Chapter 12 p. 275-299

Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction (Vol. 59). Harvard University Press. Chapter

3 p.39-73

Novak, J. D. (2010). Learning, creating, and using knowledge: concept maps as facilitative tools

in schools and corporations. Routledge.

3. Theories of Instruction:

Instructional theories provide suggestions for improving instructional methods. Merrill (2002)

presents first principles of theories of instruction since the principles help us to generalize the

results and observations. Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three basic
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theoretical perspectives, and learning theories are typically influenced by instructional theory.

When modifying instructional theories, the educational content and, more importantly, the

students' chosen learning styles are considered. They are used in the classroom as models or

teaching aids by instructors and trainers to encourage learning. Instructional theories cover a

variety of educational philosophies, ideas, and tactics. Learning theories are important because

they allow teachers to understand how their students learn. Through using different learning

methods, teachers can develop more comprehensive learning strategies and help students find

success in education. Teachers employ a variety of learning theories in the classroom, and

depending on the requirements of each individual student, each theory may be equally

beneficial. Understanding learning theories enables teachers to relate to a wide range of

students. To reach diverse students, teachers can concentrate on various learning styles,

resulting in instruction that is specifically tailored to the requirements and abilities of each

student. To use these learning theories in their classrooms, teachers can develop specialized

strategies and methods. Prioritizing a well-rounded education is essential for teachers who want

to master a variety of teaching and classroom management strategies. To be able to apply

learning theories in their classrooms, teachers must be familiar with them. Learning is

influenced by educational theories in many different ways. Examples from learning theory can

influence how teachers approach instruction and manage their classrooms. A successful and

inspirational classroom experience can be achieved by choosing the proper strategy, even if it

involves merging two or more learning theories. Since the time of Socrates and even the

founders of behaviorism and cognitivism, educational philosophies have advanced

significantly. Teachers and students can both benefit from this growth as we continue to

enhance our understanding of how people learn most effectively. Learning theories will

undoubtedly continue to advance since research about how people learn comes from research

in many different disciplines. Plus, learning theories are conceptual frameworks that explain
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how information is absorbed and processed throughout the learning process. Model-based

instructional design is informed by learning theory. Understanding various learning theories

can help you develop effective instructional and assessment methods. As a teacher, I can make

use theories of instruction to improve my instruction and manage my classroom. Moreover,

they can help me guide my students to become independent learners. Positive reinforcement is

a tool that teachers can use to help the students to follow classroom rules. As a direct result of

the behaviorism theory, students who receive positive reinforcement are more likely to

remember the adequate behaviour in the future. Another example is teachers can utilize

constructivism to help understand that each student will bring their own past to the classroom

every day.

References

Driscoll, Marcy P. 1994. Psychology of learning for instruction. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Chapter 1 p.3-25

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational technology research and

development, 50(3), 43-59.