The learning environment within South African classrooms is a cause for great concern according to Prof Grosser. “A growth mind-set that focuses on challenges and opportunities to foster ability is fundamental to help all learners become advanced performers in school and life.”
Prof Grosser says that the state of the South African classroom is problematic because of the focus that it places on content. Content should only serve as a vehicle to enable the learner to develop the thinking skills, values and dispositions that will enable him/her to succeed in life. These thinking skills and dispositions must be at the heart of every school and its activities.
Prof Mary Grosser and Prof Jaco Hoffman.
Prof Grosser explains that advanced performance is an approach that may be applied in the classroom in teaching and learning that does not focus on the sole delivery of content only. This approach is about creating a learning environment where the learner can make sense of the content by him/herself and, in the process, learn the skills, attitudes, values and dispositions needed to enter the working world and become entrepreneurial, global learners. These learners are creative, care for the world and would like to improve the world that they live in.
The advanced performance approach also makes provision for all learners in the classroom to achieve and is therefore most conducive for inclusive education purposes. Prof Grosser explained how these values and dispositions are actually included in the objectives of the curriculum and assessment policy statement.
“Teaching should cater for achieving these outcomes and thereby achieving advanced performance. Teachers must aim to create a place where all learners are accommodated and which advocates for diverse teaching and learning opportunities.” She argues that after 12 years at school acquiring important analysis, evaluation and problem solving skills and dispositions such as respect, open-mindedness and humility, a learner would possibly enter the workplace better equipped and able to solve societal problems.
Prof Grosser feels that a mind shift needs to take place. “Teachers should believe that all learners can succeed and that they (the teachers), should make it happen. Their day-to-day approach will need to be one that nurtures enquiry in the classroom,” she says.
It is her opinion that these skills and dispositions will only be developed through enquiry based learning. Prof Grosser explains that some strategies in enquiry based learning may actually drive the process.
Learners are to be involved in independent learning where social skills like respect and proper conversational skills as well as working with others may be developed. They must also be empowered to take control of their learning and become the drivers of their own learning process. Student teachers need to realise that teaching is not about dumping content, it is about enabling learners to learn.
Teachers must also realise that inclusive education is not just about proximity, but about planning and executing the learning process to include all learners in the classroom.
The teacher training curriculum should therefore comprise of two elements - he intellectual curriculum as well as the emotional curriculum. By means of the content, a student teacher is taught how to address skills, values and dispositions. Without this approach, our future teachers will not be able to nurture advanced performance.
“Our teachers should be asked whether they know what it means to be a teacher. It is not you taking control of the content or delivering the meaning of the content. It is you giving your learners the tools to discover the meaning of the content for themselves.”
