In
education, the word “pedagogy” is often used in reference to teaching and
learning. So, what exactly is pedagogy? Why is pedagogy important as the basis
of teaching and learning? What are some pedagogical approaches?
What exactly is pedagogy?
Pedagogy, most commonly
known as the approach to teaching, refers to the principles and methods of
instruction and includes activities of educating and imparting knowledge or
skill. Typically, both the educator and student engage in pedagogy. Educators
engage in pedagogy through delivery of the subject matter while students are
pupils of pedagogues. According to Peterson, Dumont, Lafuente, and Law (2018),
“Pedagogy is at the heart of teaching and learning” (p. 4) and refers to the
“repeated patterns or sets of teaching and learning practices that shape the
interaction between teachers and learners” (p. 8).
Why is pedagogy
important as the basis of teaching and learning?
A common way to
approaching pedagogy is to understand pedagogy as the foundation of teaching
and learning. Pedagogy defines the learning experiences as determined by the
learning content, context, and learning expectations. Educators are the subject
and educational experts who “determine what will be learned, how it will be
learned, when it will be learned, and the way in which learning will be
measured” (Speed, Bradley, & Garland, 2015, p. 5). However, teaching is
more than a transfer of content, knowledge, and skills from educators to
students. The way educators teach affect how and what students learn.
What are some
pedagogical approaches?
Pedagogies provide
frameworks for making decisions about how educators teach. The selection of a
particular pedagogy impacts student learning. Educators are designers of
learning, and therefore, should make informed decisions about pedagogy.
Pedagogical approaches
are sets of teaching and learning practices. Different pedagogical approaches
are based on different theories of learning with different views regarding what
is most important in learning. Pedagogical approaches provide reliable ways of
organizing learning and combining practices (Peterson, et al., 2018). They are
often categorized into three board spectrums: teacher-centered pedagogy,
learner-centered (student-centered) pedagogy, and learning-centered pedagogy.
Some pedagogical approaches are: inquiry-based, project-based, and
technology-enhanced learning.
Inquiry-based learning
Inquiry-based learning is
an activity-oriented, student-centered collaborative learning approach wherein
students are actively involved in knowledge construction. Students gain an
understanding of investigative procedures through deep active engagement and
opportunities to collaborate. Sciences classes are a natural setting for
inquiry-based learning (Kaiser, Mayer, & Malai, 2018).
Project-based learning
Project-based learning
is a pedagogical approach in which students gain knowledge and skills through
investigating and responding to an authentic, engaging, and complex question,
problem, or challenge for an extended period of time (Loizzo, Conner, &
Cannon, 2018). Students are encouraged to use critical thinking skills to
answer questions and create real-world products. Projects should provide
students with authentic real-world experiences.
Technology-enhanced
learning
Technology-enhanced
learning focuses on pedagogy whether than technology (Glover, Hepplestone,
Parkin, Rodger, & Irwin, 2016). Blended and flipped educational
environments are examples of the technology enhanced pedagogical approach in
practice. In blended and flipped learning, there is an integration of
face-to-face and online learning experiences to suit different educational
contexts and purposes. Blended learning has shown to improve students' academic
performance, motivation, attitude, and satisfaction (Levy, 2017). In a study on
the flipped classroom, authors found that the flipped approach improves
physical and cognitive engagement of students, but does not improve their
emotional engagement (Malik, Khan, & Maqsood, 2018).
Conclusion
As an instructional
designer, my conversation with educators starts with pedagogy as the foundation
of teaching and learning. Pedagogy defines the interaction between educators
and students, which involves learning experiences as determined by the learning
content, context, and learning expectations. Different pedagogical approaches
have different purposes and different avenues for promoting the acquisition of knowledge
and skills. Focus on pedagogy first.
References:
Glover, I., Hepplestone,
S., Parkin, H. J., Rodger, H., & Irwin, B. (2016). Pedagogy first:
Realising technology enhanced learning by focusing on teaching practice:
Pedagogy first. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(5),
993-1002. doi:10.1111/bjet.12425
Kaiser, I., Mayer, J., & Malai, D. (2018). Self-generation in the context of inquiry-based learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2440. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02440
Levy, D. (2017). Online, blended and technology-enhanced learning: Tools to facilitate community college student success in the digitally-driven workplace. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER), 10(4), 255. doi:10.19030/cier.v10i4.10039
Loizzo, J., Conner, N.
W., & Cannon, K. J. (2018). Project-based learning for developing
digital literacy in undergraduate science communication. NACTA Journal,
62(2), 142-150.
Malik, Z. A., Khan, S. S., & Maqsood, M. (2018). Exploring the relationship between student engagement and new pedagogical approaches. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 47(2), 170-192. doi:10.1177/0047239518788281
Peterson, A., Dumont,
H., Lafuente, M., & Law, N. (2018). Understanding innovative
pedagogies: Key themes to analyse new approaches to teaching and learning.
Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
doi:10.1787/9f843a6e-en
Speed, S. A., Bradley,
E., & Garland, K. V. (2015). Teaching Adult Learner Characteristics and
Facilitation Strategies Through Simulation-Based Practice. Journal of
Educational Technology Systems, 44(2), 203–229. doi:10.1177/0047239515617449
Cite this blog:
Washington, G. (2019, January 28). Pedagogy: The basis of teaching and learning
[Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/
