City myths about education: is it worth believing in them?

When students return to school after school holidays, parents are very concerned about the idea that teachers will start a new quarter using pedagogical methods, which recent studies have shown do not work.

One, for example, from the basic "teaching myths" is the belief in the existence of several styles of memorizing information, such as visual, kinesthetic or audial, and that each student needs an individual approach to the learning process. It is believed that, depending on what type of perception each individual student, someone better perceives the material presented in writing, someone - by ear, and someone can learn the topic only after applying it in practice received knowledge.

Individual styles of teaching have been used in many schools by teachers of a wide variety of disciplines, despite the fact that their effectiveness at that time had not yet been proved. The prevalence of this method of teaching in teacher training programs reaffirms the fact that the system is deeply rooted, without scientific confirmation. Having received the relevant information, teachers in various subjects apply it in practice in many schools.

Let's see why these methods are still used by educators.

Puss in the bag

The simplest query in the search engine "Google" "teaching styles" produces about 5.9 million links. Many of the websites presented are devoted to similar methods or variations on this topic. And each of them "screams" about the effectiveness of such teaching, but only a few try to confirm their myths with relevant weighty arguments.

In Search of an Effective Solution

Research in the field of psychology and medicine showed the entire uselessness of the individual approach to learning. A systematic and critical review cataloged 71 teaching models, 13 of which were designated as "basic". But, unfortunately, the fact was sufficient that in 2007 professors Myron Dembo and Keith Horward came to the decision about the need to use individual approaches to the students in the learning process.

The introduction of individual styles of instruction in schools did not bring any visible results. Nor was the effectiveness of the application of these methods or others similar to them also proven.

Propagation of myths about the styles of teaching

Studies conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s showed that the biggest difficulties that the school brings to children are that we all use only 10% of the brain, while some have a better left hemisphere and Others - right. And it is these differences in children that cause difficulties in the construction of the learning process.

Then they blamed everything on the system, which trains teachers in institutes and universities, on teaching courses and trainings. Even in the Ministry of Education they said that teachers are fed up with absolutely useless information that is not able to help them in their work.

But, surprisingly, recent polls showed that not all methods are used in practice by teachers (only 53%), many of them also use information obtained from more experienced colleagues (41%), from trainings (30 %).

Is the existence of myths useful in the approaches to teaching?

In fact, in every myth there is some truth. Just do not need to trust 100% of each of them, taking such methods as the ultimate truth. Of course, it's much better to still use this knowledge in the work, combining several teaching methods, but only so that the students are not bored in the learning process, and not because someone said it helps better assimilation of information.

Variety in the methods of presenting the material will not be harmful. Children will gladly accept and support the initiative you showed, because the learning process will become fascinating and unusual. But do not take such a reaction as proof that such a form of teaching is still working. Remember that in this situation a positive effect can be achieved, but if this happens, it is only because all students are interested and fully involved in the process, and not because they understand the information presented in different ways better.

The key is education

Of course, we are sure that it is worthwhile to show and explain to the teachers that the system, in which they believed so long, does not work. But this is not so simple as it seems, in fact. Psychologist Norbert Schwartz says that often, when we try to prove to someone the fallacy of his judgments, this can only strengthen the opponent's belief in his own right. And persuade such people in the future is impossible.

Solution

It was agreed that a gradual transition to a restriction or total refusal to train teachers in universities and the introduction of training courses in schools could break this entrenched system. Potential teachers coming to such trainings will not know these obsolete methods, and so eventually the schools of England plan to get rid of this stereotype.

Young teachers will have to introduce new practice and move from non-working techniques to more effective ones. In addition, you will agree, teaching specific skills required in this school is a much more competent approach to training. There is an opportunity to move from theory to practice on the spot, which is undoubtedly very convenient not only for institutions, but also for potential employees.