Highlighting Barriers of Learning for Students- Making Visible Student Learning

In my experience as a teacher I have used a number of different approaches to beginning the semester with my high school science classes. There is the dissemination of information approach; students arrive, I hand out a number of informational pieces, we review them, students get their textbooks, we talk about classroom expectations and then move into the first lesson. There is the” let’s get hands on” approach: students are given a task to get started with, a lab exploration exercise, completing a hands-on activity, we review the experience and then use the dissemination of information approach above. This year I tried something a little different. The conversation centered on learning and where the students were in regards to their own learning.

At the heart of this approach is a little seven question survey that a colleague of mine, Brett Dibble, created based on reading from John Hattie’s (2012) book “Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning”. According to Hattie (2012), from his extensive meta-analysis of educational research, there are ten self attributes that students bring to the classroom which impact their ability to learn. These include: self-efficacy (the confidence or strength of belief that we have in ourselves that we can make our learning happen); self-handicapping (when students choose impediments or obstacles to performance that allow them to deflect the cause of failure away from themselves); self-motivation (is the learning itself the source of satisfaction or are extrinsic rewards the source of motivation); self-goals (students view “ability” to be something that can be developed by increasing effort); self-dependence (students have the ability to self-regulate, keeping themselves on task); self-discounting and distortion (students do not accept feedback as valuable, accurate and worthwhile); self-perfectionism (setting standards for yourself that are so demanding that we cannot meet them and thus are not worthwhile to try); hopelessness (a student’s view of themselves as a helpless individual unable to change their situation); and social comparison (comparing your work and abilities to others). Each one of these attributes are worthy of bringing to the attention of all learners. In doing so, we offer an opportunity to set goals for improvement. Enter a little survey with great insights for students and teachers alike.

Brett  took this list of self attributes and turned it in a 7 question survey. The survey responses are use a six point Likert scale, one being strongly disagree and six being strongly agree. The survey reads as follows:

Answer questions 1-7 based on (1) being strongly disagree and (6) being strongly agree:

1.       I compare my marks and success based on other classmates

2.       I am a perfectionist when I do schoolwork

3.       I feel like I cannot improve

4.       I find feedback that I get from my teacher to be useful

5.       I can monitor my own learning (example: making sure you are handing in assignments, studying for tests ahead of time, not having to be told to do your work)

6.       I am able to focus on my work and not procrastinate

7.       I find I am appropriately challenged in class

 As well all do, when as a teacher we see something we know would be great for students, we borrow it. This semester students completed the survey as the first task that they had in my class for the semester. To me, in this act, I have shown to my students that learning is going to take priority in this class. It is my full intention to ensure that students improve, not only in their understanding of science but in their learning overall.

Upon completion of the survey we had a discussion about the different items on the list. I conveyed to them that each one of these pointed to a barrier that could exist to their success in learning.  For example, in comparing your work to others you take the focus off yourself. Success, as defined by John Wooden (one of the great coaches and mentors in modern history), is “peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” His definition is one which turns the focus on self- improvement as opposed to an external measurement for growth. To those students that tend to compare their work to others and use it as a justification for what they do I hope to open their eyes to a new possibility. There-in lies the possibility to reaching a greater happiness, the great satisfaction of self-improvement. This is only one of the seven items that I speak to. Each one addressed and displayed as an idea for consideration.

After our discussion I asked students to set goals for themselves in their own learning for the rest of the semester. The students were asked to focus on one of the areas on the survey that they felt that they could improve upon. My hope is that in an effort to bring their attention to the different barriers that exist for learners that they might grow in their own understanding of themselves as a learner making it more visible for themselves.

References

Hattie, J.  (2012).  Visible Learning for Teachers- Maximizing impact on learning.  New York, N.Y.: Routledge.

Wooden, J.  (n.d.).  The Official Site of Coach John Wooden. Retrieved from http://www.coachwooden.com/index2.html