Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ESSAY:
Topic: Active learners
Issue: How can I create a learning environment where children are actively engaged?
Statement: Actively engaging children in their learning environment creates the best
possible outcomes for them as learners.
Essay:
A well-developed teaching philosophy should articulate teachers beliefs, teaching
approaches and practices. It is clear that teachers all have the same belief in wanting
what is best for the student, while achieving the best possible outcomes for them as
learners. They must also ensure students are happy and supported. This can be achieved
through actively engaging them in their learning environment, therefore the importance
of creating active learners should be portrayed in a teaching philosophy. However,
teachers must not simply state that students should be actively engaged in their learning
environment, teachers must consider what it means to actively engage them, and how
the environment should look and feel. It is important that teachers must clearly
articulate and unpack their beliefs, teaching approaches and practices throughout their
teaching philosophy, this will avoid general statements which have no value. This essay
will explore how the learning environment should be structured, ways teachers can
control and organise the environment, and methods to empower student voice, allowing
them to become actively engaged in their environment and successfully achieve the best
learning outcomes.
Learning environments must be structured in ways that allow students to become
actively engaged, in order to offer the best outcomes for them. Schools play a vital part
in preparing students for their future roles as active and informed citizens (Quinn &
Owen, 2016, p.2). Therefore, students involvement must be embraced from the
beginning to empower their future. Research states that an active learning environment
for students must have a sense of belonging, promote inclusion, inspire peer support and
constructive interactions, while also being student centred to permit control over their
learning (Waters, Cross & Shaw, 2010; Kurawa, 2010; Acat & Donmez, 2009).
1 | Page
2 | Page
3 | Page
environment. It is clear that students must believe they have a right to speak and
influence future conversations, rather than an environment where the teacher questions
them with predetermined answers in their head (McVitte, 2004). The research presented
visibly displays the significance of student voice to empower students in becoming
active learners in their environment, where they have ownership over their learning,
while being respected and valued for their opinions.
Evidently the key to achieving the best possible outcomes for all students is through
actively engaging them in their learning environment, it is also critical that this
environment is structured in a way that encourages this. The teacher must manage,
control and organise the environment in positive ways to promote active learners, and
students must also have ownership over their learning, their voice must be heard so that
they gain the respect to become actively engaged. If these ideas are not considered or
put into action by teachers, students can not become active learners. Therefore, the
research further strengthens the idea that a learning environment can be developed to
actively engage students in their learning, allowing them to achieve the best possible
learning outcomes for themselves. The ideas and concepts in this essay depict what
makes an active learner, these should be further portrayed in a teaching philosophy.
Word count: 1253
References:
4 | Page
Acat, B., & Dnmez, I. (2009). To compare student centred education and teacher
centred education in primary science and technology lesson in terms of learning
environments. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 1805-1809.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.320
Banks, T. (2014). Creating positive learning environments: antecedent strategies for
managing the classroom environment & student behavior. Creative
Education, 5(7), 519-524. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.
acu.edu.au/docview/1523893980/fulltextPDF/D0DEC0ABAE564753PQ/1?
accountid=8194
Fogelgarn, R., & Lewis, R. (2015). Are you being your best? Why students behave
responsibly. Australian Journal of Education, 59(3), 278-292. doi: 10.11
77/0004944115602974
Fox-Turnbull, W. (2016). The nature of primary students conversation in technology
education. International Research Journal of Technology and Design Education,
26(1), 21-4.doi: 10.1007/s10798-015-9303-6
Keen, D., Pennell, D., Muspratt, S., & Poed, S. (2011). Teacher self-report on learner
engagement strategies in the early years classroom. Australian Educational
Researcher, 38(3), 293-310. doi: 10.1007/s13384-011-0029-5
Kurawa, G. (2010). Teaching diversity in a primary school: Examining teachers
classroom strategies for inclusion. Procedia - Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 5(22), 1585-1591. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.329
McVittie, J. (2004). Discourse communities, student selves and learning. Language and
Education, 18(6), 488-503. doi:10.1080/09500780408666897
5 | Page
for field-based teacher education. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(3), 394417.doi: 10.1080/00220272.2012.719550
Pirola- Merlo, S. (2003). Relationship management in the primary school classroom.
Frenchs Forest, NSW: Person Education Australia.
Quinn, S., & Owen, S., (2016). Digging deeper: Understanding the power of student
voice. Australian Journal of Education, 0(0), 1-13. doi:10.1177/000494411
5626402
Slee, P. T., Campbell, M., & Spear, B. (2012). Child, adolescent and family
development (3rded). New York, United States of America: Cambridge
University Press.
Waters, S., Cross, D., & Shaw, T. (2010). How important are school and interpersonal
student characteristics in determining later adolescent school connectedness, by
school sector? Australian Journal of Education, 54(2), 223-243. doi: 10.1177/
000494411005400207
Waters, S., Lester, L., & Cross, D. (2014). Transition to secondary school: Expectation
versus experience. Australian Journal of Education, 58(2), 153-166. doi:
10.1177/0004944114523371
Feedback:
6 | Page
7 | Page