Abstract
Translating the purposes of education into practice is particularly challenging for those who are new or have recently entered academia. By reflecting on my first years of teaching in higher education, I discuss two key aspects of my teaching practice: shifts in choice of teaching methods and a critique of different forms of assessment. Through the discussion, I argue that a teacher needs to be reflective on both these aspects and that such reflection needs to be carried out so that the student develops into a “self-directing,” “self-monitoring,” and “self-correcting” individual. At the end of the discussion, the relevance of a “project-based learning” approach starts to become significant in taking my pedagogical practice forward.
Highlights
Following Bernstein’s (1975) division of the education environment into “curriculum”, “pedagogy”, and “evaluation”, Bates (2005) talks of the importance of contextualizing knowledge and, of how it presents challenges for teachers amid increased mobility of students who bring along with them unique sets of norms, ideas, and values underpinning the purposes of education
I discuss at the end of this paper, how my initial years of teaching experience has given me insight on the importance of developing instructional methods that has parallels with a ‘Project-based learning’ approach, where learners are more autonomous, take on increased responsibility in their learning (Tassinari 1996; Wolk 1994; Worthy 2000), and thereby able to fit learning around their capabilities (Moursund 1998; Grant 2002)
In addition to choice of assessment methods, there is a need to appreciate the varied purposes of assessment, that is, “to discriminate between students” at the degree level, on one hand, and “to establish competence at autonomous research study” at the doctoral level, on the other hand (Haines, 2004, p. 9). In many ways, such an inquiry falls within my passion of being an “effective” teacher, and in the three areas, Bernstein (1975) divides the education environment into curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation
Summary
Following Bernstein’s (1975) division of the education environment into “curriculum” (epistemological considerations), “pedagogy” (techniques used by teachers to achieve teaching objectives), and “evaluation” (setting out the standards for assessment), Bates (2005) talks of the importance of contextualizing knowledge and, of how it presents challenges for teachers amid increased mobility of students who bring along with them unique sets of norms, ideas, and values underpinning the purposes of education. I discuss at the end of this paper, how my initial years of teaching experience has given me insight on the importance of developing instructional methods that has parallels with a ‘Project-based learning’ approach, where learners are more autonomous, take on increased responsibility in their learning (Tassinari 1996; Wolk 1994; Worthy 2000), and thereby able to fit learning around their capabilities (Moursund 1998; Grant 2002)
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