Blog: Adult Education

During my time at the university, we learned about various teaching and learning styles, along with theoretical concepts and practices. As a teacher, I have been regularly evaluated and attended workshops but I have never written a journal related to my teaching practice until this course, ONLED08. I have now mixed feelings as I am confronted with numerous questions about my teaching method. One of the features in critically reflective  practice is seeing our individual thoughts and others (Bassot, 2016) and to become a reflective teacher, we have to look in all angles (Brookfield, 2017). My hope at the end of this reflection is determine my action plan improving my teaching practice through Brookfield’s four lenses model of reflection.

Learning from personal experience

Reflecting on my own experience, my passion for learning languages may be the reason why I am now teaching a second language to adults. Two years ago, we moved to Germany, and I passed my B1 German test after a year by attending language classes and answering textbooks. However, my enthusiasm to continue learning has diminished which has resulted in little progress. Perhaps I should consider resources that provide meaningful tasks, prompting active learning (Spooner, 2015). For example, I enjoy history and cooking Asian food. Should I watch history and read recipes in German? I have experience teaching children and have learned several strategies that can pique their interest. Teaching adults is different, and encouraging their participation can sometimes be challenging (Rogers & Horrocks, 2010). For instance, I assign weekly tasks to my students because our class time is limited. However, there are students who have not completed additional work outside of class but I do relate with them. Just like in my language learning, I should opt for a different strategy that could be more engaging for students, rather than assigning tasks in the same format (Chapman & King, 2013).  

Learning from students’ lens

Shifting to student’s perception, the same student who was not submitting his homework is very active when we talk about football,  as this is the most popular sport in Germany. One student was able to express his opinion about travelling as he enjoys adventures, while another was happy to offer advice about beer in Cologne. The mood shifts when we discuss these topics, and despite their difficulty in forming correct sentences, students are eager to participate. As a teacher in a different country, I should learn how to effectively build bridges that connect students to the instruction (Brookfield, 2017). Our course is primarily focused on a subject-matter and activities are always related to business. Perhaps I should incorporate topics which are culturally-related to improve my adaptive teaching style (Gheyssens et al., 2023). Building relationship with students by asking feedback and questions that are meaningful to them is crucial to support their learning (Scruton & Ferguson, 2014). I should then include activities such as using small talk and showing variety of topics that will prompt them to share their experience.

Learning from colleagues’ experiences

In 2016, I worked as a senior high school teacher in the Philippines. I remember my friend and colleague whose consistent enthusiasm in class fostered active participation in activities. Students looked happy when he entered the class as he also portrayed a different level of energy. We often discussed our work, and he enjoyed incorporating music and role-play into lessons. His motivation stemmed from his strong rapport with students, especially since high school students particularly enjoy these activities, especially music. My first day teaching at my present job, a colleague attended my training session and her feedback really motivated me to get excited working in a new company. Yet I lack support in my teaching practices as I am the only facilitator in the company under training and development. I should definitely reach out to my friends who have been in the teaching field to start a conversation or join a network to connect to other teachers with similar activity (Howell & Ding, 2016).

Learning from theory

Although I am aware of adaptive teaching, my knowledge and practice in this area are still insufficient. An adaptive teacher anticipates different learning paths in learning and can change strategies to support learning (Brühwiler & Blatchford, 2011). Dillenbourg (2013) noted that adaptive instruction is similar with orchestration as the teacher monitors the situation, decide which adaptations are required, and finally performs this adaptation. It is also worth noting Dewey’s pragmatism approach as it is closely associated with adult education, in which learners draw on life experiences (VanWynsberghe & Herman, 2016). VanWynsberghe and Herman (2016) further emphasised that adults who have more life experiences than children can form meanings that creates positive learning. I should also consider students’ interests as attending to them linked to favorable learning outcomes (Tomlinson et al., 2003). Adaptive instruction promotes engagement among learners especially when teachers are flexible (Zhao et al., 2023). 

Action Plan

My reflections have led me to embrace a more adaptive teaching style, particularly as I find myself teaching within a different context. This would take time to master but should be worth it and help improve my teaching philosophy as well. I should develop activities that align their interests. This way, I can incorporate variety of topics that hold significance for them. Utilising adaptive instruction that would prompt students engagement such as small talks, and interesting texts could also help enhance my teaching style and learning environment. I should start taking notes of topics they are interested in but making sure that we still take business-related topics seriously.

References

Bassot, B. (2016), The Reflective Practice Guide: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Critical Reflection. Abingdon: Routledge. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [19 March 2024].

Brühwiler, C., & Blatchford, P. (2011). ‘Effects of class size and adaptive teaching competency on classroom process and academic outcome’. Learning and Instruction, 21, 95-108. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2009.11.004

Brookfield, S. (2017). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (2nd ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Chapman, C. M., & King, R. S. (2013). Planning and Organizing Standards-Based Differentiated Instruction. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [20 March 2024].

Dillenbourg, P. (2013). ‘Design for classroom orchestration’. Computers & Education, 69, 485-492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.04.013

Gheyssens, E., Griful-Freixenet, J., & Struyven, K. (2023). Differentiated Instruction as an Approach to Establish Effective Teaching in Inclusive Classroom. Effective Teaching Around the World: Theoretical, Empirical, Methodological and Practical Insights. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, pp. 677-689. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [21 March 2024].

Howell, C., & Ding, A.-C. (2016). Connectivism and Professional Development Across Large Groups. In F. Pawan, K. Wiechart, A. Warren, & J. Park (Eds.), Pedagogy & Practice for Online English Language Teacher Education. Chicago: TESOL Press, pp. 45-61.

Rogers, A., & Horrocks, N. (2010). Teaching Adults. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [20 March 2024].

Scruton, J., & Ferguson, B. (2014). Teaching and Supporting Adult Learners. Northwich: Critical Publishing. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [20 March 2024].

Spooner, E. (2015). Interactive Student-Centered Learning: A Cooperative Approach to Learning. Blue Ridge Summit: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [20 March 2024].

Tomlinson, C. A., et al. (2003). ‘Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A literature review’. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27(2), 119-145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/016235320302700203

VanWynsberghe, R., & Herman, A. C. (2016). Adaptive Education: An Inquiry-Based Institution. Toronto: Toronto Press. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [21 March 2024].

Zhao, Y., Kleinknecht, M., & Ko, J. (2023). Dialogic Interactions in Higher Vocational Learning Environments in Mainland China: Evidence Relating to the Effectiveness of Varied Teaching Strategies and Students’ Learning Engagement. Effective Teaching Around the World: Theoretical, Empirical, Methodological and Practical Insights. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, pp. 207-223.