Martin Owen (t.m.owen@bangor.ac.uk)
Fri, 4 Jun 1999 10:16:39 +0000
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 10:16:39 +0000 From: Martin Owen <t.m.owen@bangor.ac.uk> Subject: Re: not just "come to know" & Muhamed
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I want to calrify my position here.
I agree with Eric that "constructivism" position is not just "come to know
learning". I I believe that learning outcomes are strongly determined by
the socio cultural context in which a human (learner) acts. In concurrence
with Eric's point of view, "action" is the key word here.
I have trouble with behaviourism. Behaviourism IS a "teaching and learning
theory" in its own context in that it proposes explicit models of both
behaviour acquisition and modification (which is what defines "learning" in
the theory). This is a highly grandoise claim which is consistently found
wanting. It is why it is difficult to adopt "behaviourist" model and the
"apparent" rationalist vision of the structure of knowledge that also goes
along with its application.
This does not mean that I did not learn from drill exercises which
established the difference between "stationary and "stationery" and large
sections of Wordsworth's sonnets. However in my opinion it is not just an
issue of being eclectic in your choice of learning theories as Bill and
Debra may suggest. The behaviourist approach IS prescriptive. However it is
wrong.
Without pre-empting any comments I make when I lead off on next month's
topic: Practice and pedagogies are the things that are important. As a
teacher that is what you need to reflect upon your teaching and evaluate.
Build your practice on the evidence of your practice and the practice of
your fellow professionals. In that collaborative reflection you will need
draw on theoretical frmeworks .... we need a shared language of description.
Martin
Martin Owen
T.M.Owen@bangor.ac.uk
School of Education Yr Ysgol Addysg
University of Wales, Bangor Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor
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process which engaged man from the moment he forged his first tool and
began to transform the world for its humanization"
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