Evaluate The Characteristics Of Effective Teaching

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When evaluating the characteristics of effective teaching and learning in Sociology it is first necessary to deconstruct differing concepts of what is meant by the term ‘learning’. The word ‘learning’ has different meanings for different people and in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of how individuals acquire knowledge it is crucial to define the concept properly. As Jarvis (2005) comments “When we pause and try and define learning in depth, we cannot help but be struck by the awesome breadth and complexity of the concept” (p3). Teaching is another word that requires more in-depth analysis and explanation, as arriving at a simple definition is equally ambiguous. Another important aspect of evaluating the characteristics of effective learning and teaching is to discuss meanings of ‘effective’. It is important to consider the questions, “effective for what?” and “effective for when?” It also necessary to comment on the impact Social Sciences has had on the 14-19 curriculum most notably with the introduction of many of the recommendations outlined in the Crick Report (1998) and the introduction of the National Diplomas to replace A level and GCSE qualifications. Effective learning has been the subject of much controversy and countless debates in education circles over many years. There are vast amounts of literature that seek to define what it is to learn, how we learn, which environment is best suited to learning, all of which contain valid and legitimate arguments. One thing that is certain however is that the concept of learning and particularly how each individual learns effectively is always changing. It is true to say that not everybody learns in the same manner and the arguments surrounding individual learning styles, whether through multiple intelligence’s, metacognition processes or any one of the many theories surrounding effective learning are
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