The Application of a Humanist Theory of Learning in the Education of Under-Achieving 14-16 Year Olds.

by dodders27 (student)

University Degree Education and Teaching

TETA 1028 TASK 1

Write an overview of the main ideas of one theory of learning and of the practical implications of this theory for your subject specialism, in terms of: teaching strategies, resources, assessment methods, inclusive learning and the possible impact on the progress and achievement of learners. There should be evidence of reading and all such reading should be evidenced.(2000 words)

At RAKtrain (Alternative Education Provider) we run personal development courses for learners mainly aged 14-16 years old and are all in danger of becoming NEET (not in employment or education). The theory of learning I use most is a humanist approach. This approach started in the mid 20th Century with different approaches to psychology: behaviourism, psychoanalysis, and humanism. Humanism examines the true potential of learners through creativity, free, will and their own potential. The following quote strikes at the heart of humanist theories;

“The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his own education.”“We think of the mind as a storehouse to be filled when we should think of it as an instrument to be used.”

JW Gardener

An early founder of the humanist movement was Carl Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an influential American . His belief was that we could all reach an ideal self, a real self, best illustrated in his own words:

“This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the faint-hearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one's potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life.” (page 196 Rogers 1961)

The major humanist protagonist however was Abraham Harold Maslow born on April 1, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York and was the first of seven children born to his parents. He received his BA in 1930, his MA in 1931, and his PhD in 1934, all in psychology, all from the University of Wisconsin. A year after graduation, he returned to New York to work with E. L. Thorndike at Columbia, where Maslow became interested in research on human sexuality.

He began teaching full time at Brooklyn College. During this period of his life, he came into contact with the many European intellectuals that were immigrating to the US, and Brooklyn in particular, at that time -- people like Adler, Fromm, Horney, as well as several Gestalt and Freudian psychologists. Maslow published “A Theory of Human Motivation” in 1943 which focused on human motivation that can directly affect behaviour. Without fully understanding Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs (see below) it is difficult to appreciate fully a learner’s motivation or indeed

their resulting behaviour. Maslow’s theories are particularly attributable to my group of learners, as many of them struggle to reach the first stage of Maslow’s pyramid satisfactorily. For example these learners invariably do not eat breakfast or lunch, they most certainly do not have a balanced diet. Some have addictions which will over power their requirement for food thus making it even harder for them to climb Maslow’s scale.

“Maslow proposed a hierarchy of motives, with those at the bottom taking precedence over those higher up. If you are starving, for example, the basic physiological craving for food will trump all other and dominate your thought processes. Once you’re well-fed, you begin to worry about safety, and once you’re safe, you begin to worry about getting affection.” Modernizing Maslow with a multi-level evolutionary structure. Published on May 19, 2010 by in

Thus Maslow’s scale influences many of the teaching strategies and methods that I use with my learners. We ensure that when learners are with us that they ...

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Thus Maslow’s scale influences many of the teaching strategies and methods that I use with my learners. We ensure that when learners are with us that they are sufficiently fed and watered. So breakfast and lunch is always provided so that learners have the ability to complete the mental and physical tasks that we have set for them. Just dealing with these issues alone has a very direct impact on learners. Not only are they able to complete the tasks asked of them but they also have an immediate empathy with you for providing them with something that they do not get at home.

With the potential NEET learners in our groups we would very rarely see someone with the necessary support and self belief to make the top of Maslow’s chart. Thus many of the learners we see are affected by the first 4 levels of Maslow’s chart.

In my experience Maslow’s theories still hold true today. This is further evidenced by University of Illinois professor emeritus of psychology Dr. who in a recent study put Maslow’s ideas to the test across 155 countries from 2005 to 2010. The study asked questions about food, shelter, safety, social support, being respected and being self directed. Deiner’s findings supported the relevance of Maslow’s theory in today’ society, but also indicated that people have higher life evaluations when others in society have their needs fulfilled. Deiner concluded:

“Thus life satisfaction is not just an individual affair, but depends substantially also on the quality of life of one’s fellow citizens,” he said.

“Our findings suggest that Maslow’s theory is largely correct. In cultures all over the world the fulfillment of his proposed needs correlates with happiness,” Diener said.

“However, an important departure from Maslow’s theory is that we found that a person can report having good social relationships and self-actualization even if their basic needs and safety needs are not completely fulfilled.”

Deiner’s findings certainly dovetail with my own current experience of learners. I have had examples of learners who are struggling to satisfy the first 2 levels of Maslow but are climbing Maslow’s ladder in spite of their own personal circumstances. As is shown by the following example..

On a recent course I ran, there was a girl whose mother had recently died, and whose father had recently disowned her. He had told her that she was not his real daughter and that he was moving in with his new girlfriend. She then had to move in with her elderly grandparents where she also found herself taking on caring responsibilities. This meant, shopping and cooking for her grandparents whilst still dealing with school and her recent bereavement. Her behaviour at school had become erratic, and aggressive towards teachers and fellow pupils. Her physiological and safety needs were barely being met, but more importantly her social and esteem needs, were even more badly affected. This was evidenced by her withdrawal in to herself since her mother’s death, her constant truanting, and irrational anger.

On our course she was by far the most mature and courageous learner. Throughout the week we discussed her accomplishments and how she had started to contribute in a team environment. Here was someone who despite struggling with the first 2 levels of Maslow the need for social acceptance, love, and self-esteem were affecting her behaviour were affecting her far more dramatically. During the course I ensured I gave her responsible roles and often used her as a positive example for the rest of the group. She blossomed as a result and really demonstrated what a bright and responsible young adult was lurking beneath her recent poor behaviour.

I also had several informal conversations about her future and how she was going to achieve her goals, during which we discussed her major stumbling block at school. She was currently on a part-time timetable, in order for her to fulfil her ambitions she needed to be at school full-time. I then discussed her case with the school at length and convinced them to give her more support and get her back on a full-time table. The reports from school since then have been good and she is really concentrating on getting good grades so that she can attend college.

She is also an example of a learner having that moment of self-realisation and reflection.

This is a vital stage for any learner but even more important with the type of learners that we see. For many of our learners this is the last chance saloon, and there last chance to re-engage back in to mainstream school. In my experience part-time timetables do not work, and the learners are more likely to disengage completely, and become involved in anti-social behaviour. My learners do not get help and support from home, so the sooner they realise that their future lies firmly in their hands, the better their chance of achieving something for themselves through education.

There is always a reason for a learner’s poor behaviour and as a teacher it is so important to carry that at the forefront of your thoughts when interacting with these learners. Sanctions do not work with these learners at all, although that is how they are dealt with at school the majority of the time. The work of Dreikurs (1968) suggests that all disturbing behaviour in class is really an expression of inferiority.

During the initial assessment (see Appendix 1) for the Youth East programme we ask several questions directly related to the individuals social circumstances. This may not necessarily tease out whether they are eating properly but will identify some basic social issues that will act as a warning for tutors. We also have a report from the school prior to the course highlighting any safeguarding issues or social issues that we need to be aware of. This is examined further by tutors by using 1-2-1 time with learners in their initial reviews (Appendix 2) to probe and find out more information about their personal issues and motivations.

All along the scale of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs there is a resulting behaviour if the needs are met or not. So for example if one has a requirement for love the negative behaviour demonstrated can range from hostility and disengagement to loneliness and rootlessness. The resulting positive behaviour displays itself in the individual being happier in themselves, trusting friends and loved ones, and then giving way to higher needs taking their place.

Maslow’s theories are at the heart of what I do and how I interact with my learners, they are woven into my strategies, assessments, and future contact with the learners. We make a commitment to all learners that our door is forever open and as a result we will be helping learners maybe 3 years after we last saw them on a course with us. I believe the reason that we remain in contact for so long with our learners is that the week long course that we run, for them is unforgettable. We will take them power-boating in the North Sea, throw them in a Sea Survival Tank, ride motorbikes, microlite flying, abseiling, etc..

These experiential learning based courses give many of the learners the opportunity to do and see things outside of their home town. Some have a very narrow experience of life and the universe for example in a cohort of 12 from Southend on Sea 5 of the cohort had not been to the beach before and 7 of the 12 could not swim.

The activities that we offer are specifically designed to take the learner out of their comfort zone and challenge the learner and their own horizons. Obviously just by having an “experience” does not guarantee learning, we learn when we reflect upon what we have done. However in order to learn we need to take risks in exposing oneself to new things and this experiential lesson is used as an example for the more traditional classroom learning with the learners. All activities throughout the week are embedded with numeracy and literacy. We will then encourage learners to re-engage with school to focus on their Numeracy and Literacy.

(page 319 Geoff Petty Teaching Today 3rd Edition)

Above is the experiential learning theory devised by David Kolb. This is a never-ending cycle which also mirrors Carl Rogers previous quote, that embarking on this learning journey is a life choice that does not stop. As experiential learning is at the heart of what I do Kolb’s cycle is an important tool for me. The post – experience phase is vital for the learner to gain anything from the activity. This is done through reflection, evaluation, feedback and follow-up.

For example I recently had a year 10 boy in a group who was very withdrawn and low in self-esteem. When faced with a very high abseil he did not want to do it at all, however he did complete it easily in the end. It was the moment of reflection and evaluation though that made the difference to him. The realisation that one can achieve what one did not think possible is an enormous self confidence boost.

These are the moments that it is important for me to the learner in reflecting upon their academic studies and achieving at school what they did not think possible. To underline their achievements but also as with Kolb’s cycle to keep moving the bar. So achievement and attainment keep on moving forever upwards.

As with all theories of learning and education they are constantly evolving and changing. Maslow’s hierarchy though has remained a constant, even though in today’s world we might be thinking of one another more than Maslow perhaps initially perceived. His theory is still at the heart of everything I do with my learners, and his subsequent advocates of his work such as Dreikurs, Kolb, and Gardener allow me to adapt further teaching strategies and methodologies for interacting with perceived difficult learners.

References

Gardener J W ; Self-Renewal: The Individual & the Innovative Society : Harper Collins 1964
Kenrick T Douglas : Sex Murder and the Meaning of Life:2011 Basic Books

Mcnamara, Sylvia, Moreton, Gill, Changing Behaviour Second Edition: 2001 David Fulton
Petty, Geoff(2004) Teaching Today: a Practical Guide Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes
accessed 22/5/12
Priest, Simon, Gass, Michael Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming: 1997 Human Kinetics
Race, Phil, Smith ,Brenda and Brown, Sally(2005) 500 Tips on assessment(500 Tips)Abingdon: Routledge Falmer
Rogers, C. R. (1961). A therapist’s view of the good life: The fully functioning person. In On becoming a person (pp. 183–196). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Ward.L.F.(1883). Dynamic Sociaology. Reprint Services Corp.ISBN-10