NIT of NTL?

Abstract

In Flemish secondary schools, non-indigenous pupils underachieve. This is pardy due to the way teachers use Dutch as a medium of instruction. In the past, various pedagogical solutions have been put forward to address this problem. However, none of these appears to be successful, basically because they leave the 'instruction paradigm' unchallenged. In this article, the perspective of'powerful learning environments' is suggested as a possible way out. Rather than optimizing the way teachers use language to give instruction (i.e. to pass on abstract knowledge), teachers should develop the proficiency to guide learners while engaging in active confrontations with the world and building up knowledge themselves. Powerful learning environments may be visualised as consisting of three concentric circles: a positive and safe learning climate (outer circle), a variety of meaningful and challenging problem tasks (mid circle) and interactive support by the teacher or other learners (inner circle).