Teacher As a Facilitator

2092 Words9 Pages
Teacher as facilitator: One of the face-to-face teacher’s roles Learning is a complex process and there are many interacting variables that influence learning. Learning is not an isolated human activity and for internal school students learning occurs within the context of a classroom1, the school, a broader community and a particular society. The teacher, who is a variable in the classroom context, is charged with the function of acting as an intermediary between the variables outside the classroom and the students to assist the students in their learning (Tylee 1992). The function of being an intermediary means that the teacher has the role of facilitating student learning, as well as being a part of the school and community. Fulfilling the functions of a teacher means that the teacher is also actively engaged in learning. Learning about themselves, the changes in their field, the expectations of the community and society and most importantly learning about their students and ways of enabling their students to grow and develop. The role of the teacher has many facets but that of facilitating student learning is very important. This paper addresses the role of teacher as facilitator and its importance for student learning. The role of the teacher in the overall context can be represented diagramatically as shown in Diagram 1. Learning can be defined as occurring when we change or elaborate what is already known to us (Cambourne 1990). The learning process can be defined as "…making connections, identifying patterns, organising previously unrelated bits of knowledge, behaviour, activities, into new (for the learner) patterned wholes" (Cambourne 1990, p.12). The philosophy underpinning Cambourne’s (1990) definition is that the learner is actively involved in the learning process. The learner is constructing their view of the world and constructing ideas. They are
Open Document