There are four paradigm shifts which are:
- Content Delivery to Capability
- Building Role Driven to Relationship Driven
- Expounding Learning to Experiencing Learning
- Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy
Which of these paradigm shifts will be the most challenging in your context and why?
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy feels the most challenging because it is about mindset and wording. My students are CALD, so with many culturally diverse backgrounds, it is particularly tricky to understand what is wording and manner is going to motivate, challenge and encourage my students. It is something I need to do a deep dive into.
This requires a deep understanding of what personalised learning will look like for each individual
The shift from self-esteem to self-efficacy is the most challenging to accomplish in my opinion. As much as teachers encourage with positive developmental feedback,it takes time for the student to change their mindset.
I agree, applying the mind set and learned optimism can support the cause
A new paradigm is needed for the Fourth Industrial revolution. In reality, I believe all will be challenging, however, I feel optimistic to rise to the challenge of change, as said in other comments I think I am just going to focus most on what I can do right now in which I can model the quote – “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” and foster developing my relationship with students.
Probably content delivery to capability, although the expounding to experiencing is a close second. I feel that we are highly constrained by time and syllabus, and until those change, it will be hard to implement these shifts.
In my opinion as a TAFEy its about finding a balance in the shift for all four paradigms as they are all challenging. Big advantage that I have as an Events teacher is the ability as well as the experience that I have of extensively & regularly using a practical Project approach.
Feedback is more than a satisfactory result – it is constructive and something the student can learn from
yes, I agree
Agree Julie.
I agree, this is also where the concepts of real, tangible, and practical can be part of the learning and feedback at the same time.
I think the most difficult paradigm shift, for me as a PTCT at TAFE, would be Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy. Although I feel it is so important that we give intentional & intelligent feedback (which I feel I do) & predominately model the mindset I want to encourage – ‘You Can Do This’, at the end of the day the student needs to satisfactorily complete an assessment, set by someone else, who does not personally know the student. Often, as educators we can feel frustrated by ‘the system’s expectations’, ‘time’ &, the ‘basic level of education’ of our students.
Well said
While they are all challenging, I think I am just going to focus most on what I can do right away which is modelling the quote – “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” and really developing my relationship with students.
That’s a good idea, thank you 🙂
Self esteem to self efficacy is problematic if a student maybe not a high achiever depending on their family life background , social life experiences and former educational achievements , different strategies in engaging the student are required to lift them to a level of self efficacy .This takes time and experience, time is sometimes a factor.
I agree it add difficultly what the student hear, sees and believes from family and friends that may inform them they aren’t a good learner… they need some “grit” and self-believe to want to step up.
Agree Michelle, belief in self takes time for some students who are easily influenced by others opinions.
I think content delivery to capability building. As high school teachers we are very siloed – ie we teach within our learning area and that’s it, yet this is what needs to be dismantled so capability building can occur.
This is difficult as it’s in the system and while we as individuals can grow and change, we still have to stay within our bounds.
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy would probably be the most challenging. This is due mostly to the different influences outside of the school that we cannot necessarily control, particularly in a time of continuous connectivity through social media, etc.
I believe this to also be an issue within my context too. Many students are driven extrinsically and lack the self-believe to step away from what is socially accepted to be themselves and do their own thing, this is quite damaging to them
Trying to keep students focussed on edu and not so much whats happening at home is a challenge sometimes.
The shift from self-esteem to self-efficacy is probably the most challenging to accomplish. Family support and upbringing of students can have such an impact on their ability to manage challenges and difficulties, including learning challenges.
Absolutely agree, there’s a lot of learner behaviours to contend with here.
Too true 🙂
I concur many factors are involved
This has been an interesting module and has raised a number of issues The concept of content delivery to capability is going to be the biggest challenge as so much of our system is set up on content delivery and ensuring that content has been delivered.
I believe the self-esteem to self-efficacy will be quite challenging. While, we as teachers, can start to change the way we model ourselves, provide feedback and be mindful of our expectations, it may take longer than we think to turn around the mindset of our students.
I agree, Nicole. There are also many other influences impacting this shift,
Definitely, our time with our students is limited in the grand scheme of things. Shifting the mindset of our students is a big job, made more difficult if this is classroom specific and not adopted as a whole school approach.
That’s a good point. I am glad you brought that up, it is really helpful.
With the rise in mental health issues, the self-esteem to self-efficacy is probably the biggest shift i have had to and will continue to have to adapt to.
The mental health issues are a large challenge and seem to be increasing each year. The last few years of Covid has certainly seen this and I do wonder how much media also has to play in this with the constant reporting. It would be interesting to see if media focused more on the positives to what result this would have on our students.
Absolutely, Colleen. Wish the positive mindset was embedded in all aspects of our culture.
Good point Ben! I definately agree 🙁
What I see around me is still this teacher role being the authority. It may take a generation to be a relation driven teacher as it is difficult to do things different from your own learning / childhood / history / habits.
We still have a few teachers who believe they are the keepers of all knowledge and need to be in control – there are less and less of them around, but they are still an element that needs to be supported to move towards new ways of thinking
I feel the 4 Paradigm Shift feed of each other. They are a stepping stone progression. I am not sure how this would work in a totally theoretical unit. Teaching a skill and working with students to master the skill give the opportunity for Capability -. Master the skill and improve, them use the skill to move to more advanced level. The students grows in confidence in their abilities and knowledge. At Tafe we deal with a wide range of ages (18 – 60). In the majority we are dealing with adults. The relationship needs to be respectful and supportive.… Read more »
I absolutely agree Lyn! Acknowledging you don’t know, or have made a mistake, is a great asset to any team! I think of words like; honesty, transparency & team player.
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy. Within the TAFE world feedback is required for every assessment and I try to provide individual and personlised feedback for every student however most dont bother to even acknolwedge it.
I feel with the marking system it is helping Self-Efficacy as students need to comprehend the whole unit before a satisfactory mark can be given. Maybe students will not acknowledge or understand it at the time, but they will eventually when they can connect the dots.
Feedback is essential even though we may not think that it is receivedit probably is.
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy-teaching within a a VET background and as previously discussed throughout this thread ,feedback opportunities are plentiful and are a considerable part of our compliance requirements . However, it is still so valuable to incorporate time into our programs which I acknowledge is much easier said than done , to provide feedback outside the realms of internal and external compliance requirements to our students
Budget cut and reduction available hour to complete the unit reduces the opportunities to build Self – Efficacy. Struggling student need more time and support to develop the skills and confidence to achieve Self – Efficacy.
Within our multicultural society the self esteem self efficacy seems most challenging as different cultures expectations of reward for effort in their studies will drive the type of feedback or affirmation that we need to offer our students. With a lot of learning going online the feedback we are asked to give in the VET world is positive reinforcement so students don’t feel like they have ‘failed’ and drop out of the course. In a face to face situation this can be slightly different.
Trying to convince student that error and making mistakes are a great learning opportunity. the student feel disappointed if don’t get a perfect result or the skill is not yet competent. I try to demonstrate and explain Tafe is a place get things wrong or mess something wrong. There is so much to gain and learn working out what went wrong, how to get it right next time.
Expounding learning to Experienced learning. In the VET world we are so driven by training packages and compliance that we have little input to the teaching methodology
agree, we don’t have much influence on how the outcomes are met.
I agree with this difficulty. There is so much set criteria, marking guides and compliance documents that it can be hard to introduce new methods etc
Self esteem to self efficacy
Having read a number of the comments posted I think, particularly in the TAFE world that this paradigm shift will be for me the most challenging – TAFE is now so much about feedback that it has become overloaded – each part of every assessment requires feedback there is so much that the students don’t take any notice any more. We need to make more appropriate and useful feedback, not feedback for compliance
This is so true Wendy – and as the units are competent or not yet competent the feedback is often irrelevant to the student (unless they are not yet competent and they look to the feedback to the answer they need to submit)
This is so true Wendy. I feel all of the effort we put into individualised feedback isnt acknolwedged by most students as they just want to know if they have passed to move on to the next thing.
self -Esteem Self Efficacy at the start of every new semester I begin to explain the assessments criteria straight away I hear some students say I can’t do that. When I hear that I bring real work experiences into the classroom knowing that once they hear this… they know that they can do the work…
Agree Jeanette – often needs an explanation ad put into context
Self Esteem-Self Efficacy-when I start working with new students I often hear them say I CANT DO IT! My response is the quote: If you say you cant you wont but if you say you can you will! i explain that by them telling themselves that they cant do something just allows them to give up ,so change the thought and use words like this is more challenging than I thought ,or I’m finding this hard ,allows them the ability to keep trying.
Expounding learning to experiencing learning will be challenging, given we are restricted by the rules and regulations.
yes this is my concern as well. We are so driven by compliance
Yes, with compliance and now with the impact of Covid we are so limited in our scope.
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy. This is hard when we are expected to give feedback on every little question a student answers in a assessment
Absolutely agree with you Jackie.
Jackie, I agree, feedback and reflection is vital to improve on any performance however in my experience ,our younger students find it difficult not to hear that they have not achieved perfection immediately
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy as a lot of my younger students are resistant to any feedback that isn’t telling them they are perfect straight up. I find it takes a lot of effort to convince them they will learn how to do it with practice, that I am here to help and teach them how to do the task in front of them. Always encouraging their effort.
exactly. they are resistant to feedback that is not telling them how excellent they are
Agreed, even the simplest, constructive feedback is viewed as an attack.
Further to this a dangerous extreme side effect where students (adult learners) feeling as though constructive feedback is then premise to make unfounded complaints about a teacher, attacking them on a personal &/or professional level with no remorse or regard for facts simply to devalue the original feesback.
This also occurs in the adult learning environment particularly those older students that return to TAFE for job role changes – these students often come in with a mind set of believing that it is all too hard – it is a challenge to keep them engaged and positive
In my opinion as an educator I feel the need to find a balance in implementing a shift for all the four paradigms as they are all challenging depending on the context that you are dealing with. The advantage that I have as an Early Childhood educator is the ability as well as the experience that I have of extensively & regularly using the ‘Project Approach’ of learning and teaching which not only engages children but also makes learning extremely real and meaningful.
i agree. we need to approach all of the shifts and balance them all
These four new paradigms for pedagogy are very important for learners to inspire to learn and maintain motivation. As educators we should not forget when we were learners long time ago. We need something familiar and something challenging. Familiarity to maintain our confidence and challenges to inspire our agency and spirit to learn working together is what our learners what to experience in the learning process.
A good perspective provided to encourage ourselves to think how & when learning was most meaningful for us as children and why??
I agree with that Romi.
Which one do I have control over to change? Where I am in a system that is fixed and rigid. Definitely the most challenging is content delivery to capability – where students often just want the content and pass the course. To engage them in thinking and researching and making decisions on their own is a challenge
I tend to agree with you a challenge is sometimes perceived as making things too hard
Self-esteem to self-efficacy is the most challenging as finding ways to encourage that allows students to take a proactive role in learning is key. The amount of ‘spoon feeding’ in the past year or two has grown at such a high rate. As educators we must continue to provide constructive and relevant feedback and realistically support student on their learning journey.
I feel the spoon-feeding has been increasing due to the added pressure to cover so many topics in a limited timeframe. Instead of having the freedom to explore, especially where there is interest and passion, teachers and learners have to move on to the next topic.
Agree, nurturing and encouraging Self-Efficacy among in students would develop future learners to take risks . I believe to learn one must take risks & risk taking is only possible if the student has a sense of Self-Efficacy.
Self-Esteem to Self-Efficacy We spend so much of our time giving feedback for every part of the assessments which I am sure the students don’t look closely because they when I leave the bad news to the end ie you need to something again they sometimes have not noticed. I feel standardized feedback is not meaningful. We have been told that we don’t give enough feedback so we now have gone overboard with feedback for every little part of practical assessment. I really don’t think best use of our time as teachers and what do they get out of if… Read more »
Where we dont get that one-on-one time to provide relevant feedback we have no choice but to try to impart it in writing on assessment work. yes, I find most do not read it – they want to learn only what they need and just want to pass and move on. I feel so many students are forced into a course that doesn’t interest them.
I totally agree. I myself do so as a student and my students do similar things like me, apart from few who are really keen to learn.
My students are mature learners, so I am honest and genuine when I provide feedback. Also I focus on effort feedback.
Building Role Driven to Relationship Driven might be challenging with high school students. However, even the mature aged students that we have , expect the teacher to be the authority and ‘giver’ of knowledge. This practice is different in my younger age VET learners and they acknowledge and appreciate this mode of delivery
“I came here to learn skills and not to think and problem solve is the attitude of many.
Definitely harder with high school and younger vet students. I find they struggle to hear any feedback that isn’t telling them they are perfect at doing something straight away.
Younger students – ‘can’t you just give us the answer Miss’
All of these shifts play an important role in education, I feel I am open to these suggestions and do act on many of them in the training room. I find giving feedback the most challenging as its often similar to the class as a whole rather than as individuals.
I find writing the feedback on the assessment documents 2-3 times per assessment, it becomes lifeless and a struggle. I do understand my job description and I do understand the need for feedback as its the only way to assist a student to grow, when done right.
Very good point, Karalyn
Agreed
I agree with your outlook all are important .
Personally trying to say less and getting the students to do more has been my biggest challenge.
As educators, we feel we have to be the fountain of source and knowledge, but the ship is slowly turning realizing that we need to direct them to experience learning
completely agree, they need to learn where and how to find the answers they seek, they need to learn how to stay inspired and motivated on the topic and above all continue to experience new technologies that are constantly becoming the new norm
The most challenging paradigm shift will be moving from self esteem to self efficacy
I absolutely agree with you Mark.
Giving the correct type of feedback to get the students to want to keep up their efforts is a big one for me but more importantly, I have to make sure I am setting good examples for them. As I watched this, I thought back to how often I have pointed out weaknesses in my own skills so I will have to stop doing that and explain the advantages of developing those skills.
That’s interesting Fiona, I find I do the same in amplifying and promoting my weaknesses, something I am trying to be aware that I am doing
Feedback can be a challenge. I also highlight my weaknesses – great idea on flipping the script to the advantages of developing the skills. Sometimes this can be difficult depending on the subject matter, especially if its not relevant to industry anymore.
In 2021, to be successful in my role as a Teacher/Educator/Facilitator/Assessor I need to ensure that I equip students for the future by assisting them to achieve self-efficacy and enable them to say “I can do this” and help them to master their learning and feel powerful with their own knowledge and learning. The type and tone of feedback that I provide plays a major part in how students feel towards their studies. I always involve students in their learning and make it “real” by taking an active interest in them by getting to know them, and their interests, and… Read more »
Suzanne, I have found this year more interesting for me, and one thing I am aware of is that I try and get to know students names as well as about them as people.
I think the key point you made was ensuring that you equip students by assisting them to achieve self-efficacy –
great outlook ,I mirror your thoughts .
Feedback is the learners most desired thing a teacher can give them.
Yes, providing feedback that encourages the student to further explore options or discussion points helps develop critical thinking and analytical skills.
David I agree, taking the time to provide meaningful feedback outside of compliance requirements is very much sought by our students
Expounding learning to experiencing learning – as a theory teacher can sometimes be tricky, try as you may to get students to participate and try to get them to experience reality
all of these shifts will require us to think and act with deliberate purpose until our own learned tendencies are overwritten by these new paradigms
The biggest take away from this session for me is the types of feedback we give. I know I am guilty of giving ability feedback from time to time, but I also have given effort feedback. I know adult language learning students especially value the kind of honesty associated with effort feedback. this will be a challenge for me to keep this kind of feedback consistent.
Good pint Julie, really depends on the students and their age/ culture as well
I agree Julia
Working with adults who have a fixed mindset about their learning and abilities can mean that there is a barrier to building self efficacy. I am guilty of the type of feedback I give, trying to empathise with the student using those phrases like ‘maybe it is not your thing’ without realising it maybe cementing this mindset of themselves and their abilities. I will need to focus on using effort type phrases. Although, I think to some adults it may come across as a bit patronising. A minefield!
I agree. Adult learners often join a class already defeated with a mindset that they will never master this. In this case, the effort feedback would be so much more effective and empowering. I guess whether or not the feedback came across as patronising would depend on the words chosen for it. As you say – a minefield.
Feedback needs to be positive then critical to be effective. Nothing is gained from too much negativity
Often we see adult learners, returning to studies after a very long time with the fixed mindset that they can’t learn something new so giving the right feedback to encourage them to try is difficult. I always try to make sure they switch off from comparing themselves to the younger/tech savvy students.
It is important that Teachers can evolve as they teach. Having a fixed mindset is a negative attitude that leads not only to teacher dissatisfaction but also to student apathy. With a growth mindset, teachers can establish student/teacher relationships that challenge both. Students are more able to embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
I imagine that this will reignite many teachers passion for teaching
Certainly.
Yes we as educators can have a very fixed mindset, we need to be constantly embracing ideas, change and a positive approach to our vocation
Authoritative teaching leads to confidence, certainty even if they deviate from the learning outcomes. Teachers must make learning empathetic toward the student. Make learning tangible (facilitate outdoor learning – give them parallels in the real world). Make learning outcomes practical – results could be based on videos for example.
Content Delivery to Capability Building is a challenging change to teaching. I need to re-think my role as a teacher – not just dishing out information and expecting students to understand. Rather I need to nurture their needs and measure more in depth their understanding of the subject by being mindful of my motivation. Practice responding to questions with a question and begin with What or How rather than What. Make the classroom more friendly by changing it to a more friendly environment. Time constraints often tend to dictate time spent on interesting discussion which is a negative approach to… Read more »
I think the 3 ways to create a learning experience is essential to good teaching practices – keep it real, make learning tangible and make learning practical.
I think in the VET sector these things are quite embedded already
Yes agree the VET sector covers off on this but still need the opportunity to put in practice with higher end theory units, especially when students have no industry experience or relevant life experience.
100% agree Jane
I believe self-esteem to self-efficacy will be challenging in a system that is so focussed on results, in particular the relentless drive for every improving SACE results. It does not reward effort and is discouraging to see that often schools are increasingly businesses where high results are the sole focus for leadership to increase enrolments, putting a lot of pressure on teachers and students.
Self esteem to self efficacy will be challenging for teachers and students. Teachers have to use the assessment process which is basically pass and fail not recognising the effort or progression of skills and knowledge. Students predominantly are used to passing and failing also. Perhaps the older generation students will appreciate the effort feedback more readily than those that are conditioned for the talent feedback.
I agree – younger students are conditioned for talent feedback at an increasingly young age, which is very discouraging.
I work with adults and I am concerned that they already have a negative/fixed mindset about their abilities and feedback can sometimes come across as negative no matter what way you deliver it. They don’t want to ‘fail’ any more than younger students.
I agree, adult learners to work well with effort feedback.