Quantitative: Quantitative data is data which is more precisely defined in terms of quantity in which numbers or values are used. This kind of data has got numeric information including quantities, percentages and statistics. It is more about group and also measurable. It involves lots of scientific research.

Methods of Qualitative data:

1. Personal Interviews: Talking to someone on one-on-one basis is personal interviewing. This method helps to get more detailed knowledge about any required information. This method allows the researcher to cover more grounds compared to any other method like survey. This method helps the researcher to dig into the details about a topic which was expected at the initial responses but was not possible to obtain. The researcher can get into the details and can procure all the necessary details or information required. But at the same time, this method is not useful when the interviewed is not convinced by the interviewer or feels unprotected about the details so he/she may hide or lie about the questions asked. At the same time this method is very expensive.
2. Focus Groups: To overcome the drawbacks of personal interviews, focus groups can be helpful where a small group of members are guided through a discussion by a moderator. Through the interaction of the participants the members of the group are motivated to respond to the comments an in this way necessary information can be obtained. But, it is again very costly to conduct the focus groups to collect the data but also at times more detailed information can be obtained through focus groups than personal interviews.  To overcome the cost factor, online focus groups are also created.
3. Observational Research: Watching the people while performing an activity in the natural settings is a method of observational research where the participants are observed in the manner they perform and necessary data can be collected. This research helps to see how the people make decisions and proceed further.

Methods of Quantitative data:

1. Surveys: This method collects the data from the responses obtained by the respondents answering to the questions may be in a form of a questionnaire. The data can be filled by the researcher himself or by the respondents. Surveys can be conducted via post, website or in person.  In this method few questions are made on which the information is needed by the researcher and then this set of questions is being sent to the respondents and their responses give the required data. It is not necessary that the people will always respond to the questions.
2. Tracking: In tracking the researcher monitors the actions of the people from whom the information is needed while they engage themselves in different activities. The best example of tracking is the websites tracking the number of visitors. Since more and more resources are available to use the tracking method due to technology, tracking has been more practiced. Some take it as an intrusive but other people criticise it by commenting that it can offend the people when the tracking devices are hidden and used.
3. Experiments: Experiments has applications in almost any area from where the information is required. In this method an experiment is carried out to undertake the research. For eg. To study the effects on sale a product is moved in the store is a method of experiment. Conducting an experiment is highly expensive so some researchers have started using computer simulations for the same.

Quantitative V/S Qualitative data:

• Qualitative data is more descriptive hence it describes and at the same time quantitative data deals with numbers hence it defines.
• Qualitative data can be observed but not measured while quantitative data can be measured.
• The aim to collect qualitative data is to get complete and detailed descriptions while that of quantitative data is to collect, count, classify and make statistical models.
• The researcher knows roughly in advance what he/she is looking for while dealing with qualitative data whereas, the researcher knows completely in advance what information is required while collecting quantitative data.
• Data is in form of words, pictures or objects in qualitative while the data is in form of numbers and statistics in quantitative.
• The design is created as and when the study unfolds with qualitative data while the design is studied and created before collecting the quantitative data.
• Qualitative data is more ‘rich’, time consuming, and less able to be generalized. Quantitative data is more efficient, able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail.
• Qualitative data is subjective where as quantitative data is objective.
• Qualitative data may involve the researcher’s bias whereas due to variables the bias is removed while gathering quantitative data.
• Qualitative data involves initial assumptions while no such question arises in quantitative data as the data that will be obtained is completely unknown.
• Qualitative data is more complex and quantitative data is more verifiable.
• Qualitative data is more about observation while quantitative data is more scientific base.

References:

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/qualitative-data.html

http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/data-collection-primary-research-methods/quantitative-data-surveys/

http://regentsprep.org/REgents/math/ALGEBRA/AD1/qualquant.htm

http://wilderdom.com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch.html

Dodge Y. (2003) The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, OUP. ISBN 019920613-9

“Action research…aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of social science simultaneously.  Thus, there is a dual commitment in action research to study a system and concurrently to collaborate with members of the system in changing it in what is together regarded as a desirable direction.  Accomplishing this twin goal requires the active collaboration of researcher and client, and thus it stresses the importance of co-learning as a primary aspect of the research process.” -Thomas Gilmore, Jim Krantz and Rafael Ramirez, “Action Based Modes of Inquiry and the Host-Researcher Relationship,” Consultation 5.3 (Fall 1986): 161.

According to Stephen Kemmis there is a simple cycle of action research model which follows in a cyclical manner which has four steps : plan, act, observe,reflect. Action research requires that the teacher reframes a problem by looking at in different contexts, from different perspectives as a part of larger system by making comparisions, by applying the problem to different groups.

Models of Action Research:

Chris Argyris and Schon: Chris Argyris’s and Schon’s single loop learning. Argyris and Schon (1974) believes that people have mental maps with regards to how to deal with different situations which involves their planning, implementing and reviewing their actions. Single loop learning theroy of Argyris and Schon (1978) suggests that learning involves detection and correction of error. When the error detected and corrected permits the organization to carry on its present policies or achieve its presents objectives, then that error-and-correction process is single-loop learning. This thoery can be used when the goals, values, framework, strategies are taken for granted. The emphasis is on techniques/strategies and making them more efficient and effective. The changes are made only to the existing framework of the institute and made them more effective.

Their double-loop theory of learning is contradictory of the former one.  Contradicts only regarding the frameworks because single-looping works with the same framework which is formed initially whereas double looping makes changes in the framework itself to bring changes in the areas of improvement.This thoery makes alterations to the framework of the institution itself rather than altering the use of the framework. Double-loop learning ‘involves questioning the role of the framing and learning systems which underlie actual goals and strategies. Chris Argyris’ intervention research puts more emphasis on the increase in use of double loop learning in the organizations in order to make the decisions and changes rapidly.

Participatory Action Research: “Participatory action research can be defined as “collective, self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order improve the rationality and justice of their own social…practices” (Kemmis and McTaggart 1988: 5).”  Participatory action research involves both, the researcher and the people upon whom the research has been undertaken. It is a method of research for creating positive social change.

From the above figure the process of participatory action research is very easy to understand. First a plan is made after identifying the problem or the area of improvement. The once the plan has been put into practice then it is observed. Here, the teacher who has conducted the plan puts it into practice and also keeps an eye that how it is followed. The learners, upon whom the plan has been put into practice are undergoing the process of change or improvement. Now, since the teacher has been observing the act; makes observation and reflects on the same. If the necessary changes or improvements are not made then the plan is being revised and then is again put into action. Then again its been observed and reflected upon. This process continues till the required level of improvement is not achieved and improvements are also made at the same time in the plan to remove any defect or error prevailing in the plan to rectify the same and make the plan work properly and accordingly. In this type of action research model the teacher as well as the learners are involved and hence it becomes easy to bring the desired changes in action.

http://www.web.net/~robrien/papers/arfinal.html#_edn1

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/argyris.htm

http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/arer/004.htm

Referencing deals with the practice of acknowledging the source of your idea. When a person quotes thoughts or some lines written by some famous or infamous writers and using such ideas in personal writings needs referencing, i.e. to quote down the exact place from where that idea has been taken from or quoted from. So, it becomes easy for the person who is reading to identify from where you have taken the thought and also that person can have more information on the same in detail if needed. If after reading Roland Barthes’ famous essay ‘The Death of the Author’, you were to paraphrase his claim that the author-figure is not the source of meaning, you would need to give a full reference to Bathes’ essay (Walder: 2004 259-263.)

If an idea or argument one is presenting is directly informed by the idea or argument of another writer, one needs to say so. If a person quotes someone’s idea directly/indirectly or uses it as a basis of argument or paraphrase his/her argument then one needs to give proper referencing. Though someone would say that he/she has just taken the idea as a basis to write or put his/her own idea but still one needs to specify from where the basis of argument has been taken from. There can be common idea of two or more people but if someone’s idea has been referred to before putting your own idea then referencing is essential. Once the thought or idea has been put into public and has been accepted socially then before writing anything about that topic referencing is necessary because that topic has got sort of public ownership. In the documentation one must provide the author’s full name and year of publication and also the page number if necessary. When any quote has been taken then it should be copied exactly with all the punctuation marks and spellings.

Importance:

Any idea, words or information of others, referencing MUST be provided to show the sources. Referencing shows from where you have taken the idea and the exact quotation or meaning to your idea. It gives knowledge to the reader about the topic and also involves the reader into the discussion. Through referencing the reader gets in-depth knowledge about the topic and can also reach to the core of it if proper referencing has been provided. Referencing should be common and unambiguous so that it becomes easy for the reader. If a thought or idea has been taken but no referencing has been provided then the reader might get disappointed or uninvolved if he wants further information about the topic. So, it becomes necessary to provide proper referencing. Also, it extends the writing not only by putting more texts but by showing the efforts taken to find about the topic and the research undergone. It is also necessary to avoid plagiarism, to demonstrate the evidence of research, to show an understanding and knowledge to support one’s work.

Harvard System:

Harvard system is a method of referencing in your assignment or works the sources of information that have been used by you. It is a formal way of acknowledging other people’s published work that has been quoted within own work. By Harvard system of referencing it becomes clear that you have evidence for your work published, plagiarism is also avoided means you have not taken the opinions and claimed them to be yours either intentionally or unintentionally and also it becomes easy to search for your source. If the habit of referencing has been practiced then it becomes easy to handle referencing and to keep track of all the resources while completion of the work.  Harvard system provides methods to give references about a particular thing:

1. Books: They are listed by author, date, title, place of publication, publisher. For e.g. Lave, J. (1988) Cognition in Practice, Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press. The title of the book should be highlighted in whichever format that suits the writer, the author should be listed and if the book has more than 3 authors then et. al. (and other) can be used and if the author has published more than one book then a, b, c, etc.can be used after the year: for e.g. (1988a).
2. Journals: They are listed by author, date, title of article, title of journal, part number, page numbers (beginning and end). For e.g. Somekh, B. and Davies, R. (1991) ‘Towards a pedagogy for information technology’, The Curriculum Journal, 2, 2 153-70.
3. Chapters in edited books: To quote from a chapter in edited book you need to quote the author of the chapter and the date of the book. In the reference list quote the author and date of the chapter first and follow it with a reference to the book. For e.g. Schlegoff, E. (1972) Notes on a conversational practice: Formulating place. In D. Sudnow (Ed.) Studies in Social Interaction (pp 75-119). New York: Free Press.
4. Electronic Information: Referencing a CD-ROM or website is similar to referencing a book or a journal where you need to mention the author, title and date which can be generally copied from the address bar. For e.g. Pearson, M. (1999) Online study skills guide, http:\\www.hd.ac.uk\schools\skills\referen.htm, Date accessed 16/9/99.

The Harvard system of referencing can be briefed as follows:

IN TEXT REFERENCING USING THE HARVARD SYSTEM

v  Author’s name cited in the text

v  Author’s name not cited directly in the text

v  More than one author cited in the text

v  More than one author not cited directly in the text

v  Two authors for the same work

v  More than two authors for a work

v  No date

v  Page numbers

v  Several works by one author in different years

v  Several works by one author in the same year

v  Quoting portions of published text

v  Chapter authors in edited works

v  Corporate authors

v  No author

v  Secondary sources (second-hand references)

v  Tables and diagrams
CITATIONS FOR A REFERENCE LIST AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

v  Books

v  Books with two, three or four authors

v  Books with more than four authors

v  Books which are edited

v  Chapters of edited books

v  Multiple works by the same author

v  Books which have been translated

v  E-books

v  Journal articles

v  Journal articles from an electronic source

v  Journal abstract from a database

v  Newspaper articles

v  Online newspaper articles
OTHER TYPES OF DOCUMENTS

v  Acts of Parliament

v  Statutory Instruments

v  Command Papers and other official publications

v  Law report

v  Annual report

v  British Standard and International Standards

v  Conference report

v  Conference paper

v  Dissertation

v  DVD, video, film and broadcasts

v  Map

v  Pictures, Images and Photographs
ELECTRONIC SOURCES

v  Websites

v  Publications available from websites

v  E-mail correspondence/discussion lists

UNPUBLISHED WORKS

v  Unpublished works

v  Informal or in-house publications

v  Personal communication
REFERENCES WITH MISSING DETAILS

v  References with missing details

*References:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/english/writingwebsite/writing/article6_p1.htm

http://www.burton-college.ac.uk/elibrary/harvard/cg/page_03.htm

http://efn.hud.ac.uk/studyskills/referen.html

http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm?harvard_id=47#47

The main problem faced by the learners is while speaking in English just because they do no have a habit or practicing the language. Changes are required to deal with this situation of the learners. According to me there are 3 possible intervention strategies to be worked upon to improve the learning : a) Classroom settings, b) Resources and c) Initial assessment.

a)Classroom settings:  Just to see that the students do not speak in any other language other than English I can make classroom settings accordingly.

b)Resources: More resources such as books, audio tapes, suggesting different websites and also giving more knowledge on ICT can help the learners.

c)Initial assessment: By doing initial assessment of the learners it becomes easy to classify them according to their learning needs and abilities.

Among these intervention strategies I would opt for the classroom settings which according to me plays a major role in the learning process.  I would like to change or rather make the classroom settings in a manner that the learners are bound to speak in English rather then warning them all the time to speak in a language which can annoy the learners or can also demotivate them. Since there are learners from different fields and background and culture they try to communicate in their mother tongue when they interact even during the class. So, I can make them sit in a way that no two learners from the same background sits together which will make them to even communicate in English which is the expected language from them to learn fast. Only writing does not help as until the thing is not put into practice it becomes difficult to learn and specially a language.  If the majority of the learners are from the same cultural background and there is no way that all of them sit separately then I can give them an activity to discuss among themselves which they have to communicate with the teacher in English as no other language is accepted or can give individual activity which each learner can present in front of the class so that their speaking abilities are improved and even the fear of not knowing the language is removed. Can also conduct a debate or a quiz on any topic of their learning to make them more involved in the language and also motivate them to learn the language.  So, according to me classroom settings is very important when it comes to learning. Since some of the students are not really interested in the subject and tend to use other languages this strategy can prove to be very helpful.

Since the problem is identified and investigated as well I have made the design accordingly for the intervention which needs reflection on that plan. Now I will intervent and monitor the plan and see whether it works or not. I will evaluate the intervention and reframe the problem to check the desired level of learning has been achieved or not.

For this action research I will use Participatory Action Research. It is a method of research to bring about a positive change which embraces principles of participation and reflection, empowerment and emancipation of groups seeking to improve.

“Participatory action research can be defined as “collective, self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order improve the rationality and justice of their own social…practices” (Kemmis and McTaggart 1988: 5).”

PAR will be useful in my action research as after I have identified a problem which is to be solved I can put into practice the plan made and then see to it that all the learners are involved and then get the reflection on the plan. After evaluating the plan made for the problem I need to check whether the desired level of learning has been achieved or not and that can be checked by using PAR and I can go on further with more strategies if the previous one wasn’t satisfactory or if it was then can continue with that. PAR helps me to achieve my desired goal which is enabling learners be efficient in speaking as it involves all the participants i.e. my learners and reflect upon my plans.

Moreover there are various political as well as ethical issues to be borne in mind while dealing with the learners. For example,  if a learner approaches me with a personal problem and confides on me seeking a solution to it thinking I will not disclose it in front of any one then I should maintain that confidentiality as far as the learner’s matter is concerned. I cannot talk about the personal issues of the learners to a third party. That might offend the learners or they might even feel embarrassed when it comes to their knowledge that their personal issues are been spoken out in public. Also, being a teacher I should maintain all the codes of practice and maintain confidentiality as far as the records and personal information of the learners are concerned. If that is not maintained then it can be termed as breach of ethical rules. Being a teacher I am supposed to be honest towards my work and should not disclose any confidential information of the learners unless required. I will also maintain equality and diversity in the class so that none of the learners feel neglected and/or unmotivated and all the learners should be given equal opportunities in the class.

behaviorism: behaviorism is a world-view that assumes a learner is essentially passive, responding to environmental stimuli. This shows that the learner learns according to his behaviour. He reacts to the external environment and then will reflect to a situation accordingly. A learner is likely to give positive antecedent behaviour or negative antecedent behaviour depending upon the situation. A negative behaviour will not respond to the situation as expected while a positive one will. behaviorism depends more on the individual and his learning capacity.

Cognitivism: A learner is expected to open up his mind and react to the process of learning. A learner is compared with a computer where he processes the subject and then reacts to his learning. This factor reflects more on the mental capabilities of a learner than the physical environment around. Cognitivism states that a learner is more towards learning with the process of thinking, his memory, thoughts, knowing, problem solving. Such things needs to be explored in a learner.

Constructivism: This states that learning is a process of constructing the knowledge rather than acquiring it. Construction of knowledge is based on the past experiences and social surroundings. A learners uses his knowledge and constructs. There is a different interpretation of everything for every different learner. They interpret the knowledge based on their thinking and experiences. The learner is not in a blank state of mind but he brings is past experiences and cultural factors to a situation.

Humanism: Humanism focuses more on human freedom, dignity and potential. Humanism reflects on a thinking that it is necessary to study an individual as a whole and based on the individual and his needs the learning is moved. It includes the study of the self, his goals and motivation.

Piaget’s Theory of Learning:

Jean Piaget was a biologist who moved into study of development of children’s understanding. Piaget was of the view that the learning capacity of a child is based on the maturity level he posses. A child is unable to understand certain things in certain ways until he is not psychologically developed to that level. Piaget thinks that the learning process of a child depends upon his age and maturity level and hence he has divided the levels into age groups of 18 months, 7 years and 11 to 12 years. Piaget says that a child is not capable of understanding certain things; no matter how bright a child is during this certain age group. Piaget’s theory has been used to plan the curriculum of the schools.

Piaget’s theory is based on cognitivism saying that a child’s learning process is based on his thinking and that thinking is based on the level of maturity of a child. Thus, Piaget has developed four stages of cognitive development to understand a child’s development in learning.

Stage 1: Sensorimotor [Birth to 2 years]:- In this stage a child starts to differentiate the things from his own self. He thinks that he is the agent who is performing the action and thus performs the action accordingly. He thinks that a thing exists even if it does not once it is seen by him.

Stage 2: Pre-operational [2 to 7 years]:- This is a stage in which a child learns a language and its use. A child will use language with the help of images or words to present his views. But, still in this stage it becomes a little difficult for the child to take view points of others. Here the child gets knowledge to classify the objects on the basis of a single feature.

Stage 3: Concrete Operational [7 to 11 years]:- In this age group a child starts thinking logically about various events and things. A child achieves conservation of numbers, mass and weight. Upon that a child can rearrange the things and can classify them on the basis of various features and can order them in series in a single dimension.

Stage 4: Formal Operational [11 years and up]:- Here a child can think logically about abstract propositions and test hypotheses systematically. Since a child is at advanced maturity level starts thinking upon future and ideological problems as well.

Though Piaget put his views in a chronology there was always criticism about his views because it may happen that a child adopts the next stage before the specified age group and sometimes a child cannot attain that level even after attaining that maturity level. But still, the cognitive approach of Piaget is used in schools to study the child’s behaviour.

Maslow’s Hierarchy Theory.

Maslow was more of a view of Humanism. Maslow believed more in human nature and an individual’s needs than anything else. According to him motivation is the basic requirement to make an individual work. He studied human behaviour and created his theory which is called as hierarchy of needs. His theory is described in below diagram:

Maslow believed that an individual is motivated based on various needs. Such needs are required to be fulfilled on the basis of their requirement. The most obvious needs for the survival are to be fulfilled first and then the later. Maslow is of the view that these needs are inborn in humans. So they are motivated towards them. The basic needs such as food and hunger are to be satisfied first and then the rest.

His hierarchy is divided into stages which are classified as follows:

Biological and Psychological needs: The basic needs such as air, shelter, food, water, sleep, etc.. are to be satisfied first and should be given the priority.

Safety needs: Protection of law, order, security, limits, stability, etc. are such safety needs which a human needs to be fulfilled once after the basic needs are fulfilled.

Belongingness and Love needs: Once an individual has his basic needs and is also secured he needs some love and affection from his loved and dear ones. He seeks attention from his family, work-group, relatives etc. and will look for love and care from them.

Esteem needs: After the love and care an individual will look forward for his self-esteem needs and will look for independence, achievement, mastery, prestige etc in the society.

Self-Actualization needs: In the end comes the self actualization needs such as realising personal potential, self-fulfilment, seeking personal growth, etc.

Thus, Maslow is of the view that a human concentrates first on the basic needs and necessities of life and then will move towards other needs. In the same way a student is basically concerned of fulfilling his basic needs as a student and then will be motivated towards other prime needs.

References:

http://www.learning-theories.com

http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/senecavalleyhs/childdev/maslow.htm

DONALDSON M (1984) Children’s Minds London Fontana (readable and critical)

D (1987) “Piaget and Education” in R L Gregory (ed.) The Oxford Companion to the MindOxford, Oxford University Press

WOOD D (1998) How Children Think and Learn (2nd edition) Oxford; Blackwell Publishing.

There is a cycle which needs to be followed while doing action research. That cycle can be identified in a precise form as selecting an area on focus:identifying an area of interest; focus on students; look at both immediate and cumulative effects.

Stage 1: Identifying improvement area. The area which needs improvement needs to be identified before performing the action research cycle. Unless and until the area of improvement is not recognized it becomes difficult to plan a cycle for the same. That particular area which needs improvement or changes needs to be recognized first and then the cycle is planned accordingly.

Stage 2: Collect data.

Collecting data: Collect existing archival data immediately, then move to conventional and inventive data sources; use multiple data sources; collect data regularly; seek technical assistance; if needed [or if things slow down]; promote collective ownership of data; monitor data collection until it becomes normative.

Stage 3: Organizing data. Count instances, events and artifacts; display data in simple tables and charts; arrange data by classroom, grade level and school; organize for staff analysis immediately; seek technical assistance, if needed.

*Initial data->collect->organize->to interprete->to identify a problem->to prove that it is a problem.

Stage 4: Analysing and interpreting data. Squeeze the data for maximum information; analyse and question the data as a professional collective; determine priority area(s) for action, decide what can be celebrated.

Stage 5: Taking action. a) Combine information from data analysis with information from professional literature. b) Select “best” options for action. c) Craft short and long-term action plans. d) Implement some actions immediately. d) Assess implementation of selected actions. e) 1-5 again and again.

Action research is usually designed by the teachers to improve their own practice. Action research has the potential to generate genuine and sustained improvements in schools. It gives educators new opportunities to reflect on and assess their teaching; to explore and test new ideas, methods, and materials; to assess how effective the new approaches were; to share feedback with fellow team members; and to make decisions about which new approaches to include in the team’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment plans.

“An action research can have many aims or purposes, which can be collected under the umbrella of improvement (self organisational among others.)”

>Purpose of action research:

1. School-based curriculum development
2. Professional development
3. Systems planning
4. School restructuring and as
5. An evaluative tool

>Key features & principles of action research:

1) Cyclic: Similar steps tend to recur, in a similar sequence;                                                                                                                                                         *Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) mentioned earlier – plan, act, observe, reflect; then, in the light of this, plan for the next cycle.

2) Participative: The clients and informants are involved as partners, or at least active participants, in the research process;                      *But how participative is it? – distinction between researchers and participants.

3) Qualitative: It deals more often with language than with numbers                                                                                                                                        *Some is a mix of qualitative and quantitative. All else being equal, numbers do offer advantages.                                                                          *Developing a suitable quantitative measure is often difficult & time-consuming.                                                                                                              *It may be more time-efficient to use qualitative data.                                                                                                                                                                   *It is also easier to be flexible and responsive to the situation if you are using qualitative methods. In fact, in most instances the use of qualitative information increases responsiveness.

4) Reflective: Critical reflection upon the process an outcomes are important parts of each cycle.                                                                            * In fact, the reflection leads on to the next stage of planning.

5) Responsive: To achieve action, action research is responsive, respond to the emerging needs of the situation.

6) Action research is , also, emergent. The process takes place gradually. Its cyclic nature helps responsiveness. It also aids rigour. The early cycles are used to help decide how to conduct the later cycles. In the later cycles, the interpretations developed in the early cycles can be tested and challenged and refined.

References:

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/drugfree/sa3act.htm

There are several such factors that affect learning which depends upon certain common factors of the students’ needs.

Such factors that affect learning can be:

Motivation: A student if not motivated enough to carry out a task or to learn and do the outcomes will not do at his best. Motivation is very necessary to be given by the teachers to encourage student in one way and also to make the student reach his goal. Being a teacher it is my first duty to see that the learner is motivated or not. I should pay attention to motivate a learner to make  sure that he reaches his goal. An unmotivated learner no matter how intelligent he is will not drive his energy towards achieving his goal. I will try to find out various methods by which I can motivate my learners so that it becomes easy for them to understand the learning outcome and also becomes easy for me to make them reach towards the ultimate goal of learning.

Quality of delivery: A teacher’s quality of delivering lectures or sessions plays a very important role and also affects learning. If the quality of delivering the session is not up to the mark then it is very well expected the students suffer in learning. Students learn in different way and no two students’ learning styles are same, so to deal with all of them it is necessary for the teacher to keep intact his delivery of the sessions so that their learning is not affected. I should keep in mind that my quality of delivering a session meets the needs of the learners. For that I will try to analyse my own self and then will try to improve in the areas where I lack and give the learners a quality teaching so that they do no get diverged from the session and also get the maximum output from my teaching.

Classroom arrangement and management: It becomes obligatory for the teachers to make a proper arrangement of the classroom so that he can communicate with all the students properly and none of the student is neglected during the session. A proper eye-contact is also essential to be maintained so a teacher can look upon all the students and their activities during the session and also the students feel that they are attained and not avoided. Upon that the management of the classroom is also required as this can also affect learning. A proper managed class provides more effective learning than a class conducted without management and arrangement. Managing a classroom is a difficult job but if handled with proper care it becomes easy as well. I will try to see that my learners are arranged properly in the class, i.e. I should have a proper interaction with all of them and follow a proper eye-contact. All the learners should be comfortable as well in the class while learning and there should not be a chaos in the class otherwise the learners will find it difficult to learn if not properly seated. I will take care for this thing as well and try to arrange and maintain the comfortable classroom for the learners.

Learning resources: In this era of technology it becomes essential for the teachers to offer various and enough learning resources to the students. If the learning resources are not adequate then that can also affect learning as it becomes difficult for the students to learn properly without the resources. Since the technology has developed a lot I can use as many resources as I want for my teaching practise. I can try to give them learning with the help of different audio-videos to make the session more interesting. Besides chalk and talk session the learners can put in their creative ideas as well by using various resources they want to; to make them more participative in the session.

Individual’s needs and abilities: Learning is also affected if the individual’s needs and abilities are not justified. There are various social, emotional, financial and other needs of the students. It becomes mandatory for the teacher to keep in mind all such requirements of the students and try to fulfil as much as he is capable of and allowed to. Also a teacher should plan the sessions or the course curriculum keeping in mind the student’s abilities to learn. There can be different level of students in the same class so it becomes difficult for the teacher to cope up with the same. There can be students with special needs, multiple intelligence, average students in the same class and their learning abilities are also different. If a teacher works with the same learning process then it can affect the learning of the students who do not follow such method of learning. Being a teacher I should bear in mind the difficulties a learner possess while learning. Since there are so many factors which can hinder their learning I need to consult them if required for any sort of help needed. The learners usually do not try to communicate easily with the teacher so I will have to make a comfortable relation with my learners so that they can approach me easily when they want and then try to solve their queries and problems.

Prior knowledge: If a teacher is aware about the prior knowledge about the subject of the student then he can build up his sessions based on that but if a teacher does not know about their prior knowledge and assumes on his own then this can also put  bad affect on the learning. Based on the prior knowledge of my learners I can plan my sessions. If the learners possess some knowledge then I can work accordingly during the teaching activity and if the learners are completely new to the subject then I have to go in deep and explain them from scratch. I cannot assume what I feel about the learners so I have to take in account every learner.

Student-teacher relation: Learning does not only get affected by the physical factors but emotional factors are necessary to bear in mind as well. There should be a professional relationship between the students and the teacher. A teacher should stay in his limits while dealing with the students at the same time the students should be comfortable to share their problems or views with teachers. Students should feel easy to go and talk with their teacher when they want to. If the student-teacher relation is not well-maintained then it can put an adverse affect on learning process. A student-teacher relation is very formal but still has got the potential to carry out the relation smoothly so being a teacher I will manage a proper relationship with my learners not going beyond my limits to make them comfortable as well as remain a  professional.

Continuous Professional Development: It is mandatory for the teacher to keep himself updated in his field. To make the learning process more soothing and effective a continuous professional development from a teacher’s side is very necessary. A teacher should keep himself up to date about the knowledge in his field and also to improve in every aspect. It is required for the teacher to have CPD to optimize the career opportunities and give good learning. One time knowledge is never enough for any subject. There always lies lots of discoveries and developments in each area. So, I will try to keep on updating myself in my subject area of teaching to impart the thorough knowledge of a subject to my learners. I will develop my specific area at regular intervals in see that there isn’t any gap in that.

There are several other factors that affect learning but these are combined and put into four major factors namely:

1. Class Size
2. Class level
3. Gender
4. Teaching Quality

1) Class size: The size of the class matters a lot in learning. If a teacher is given a class of 60 students then it becomes difficult to teach and tackle every student. The learning process is hindered and also all the learning outcomes of the session is not necessarily obtained by all the student. It becomes necessary to keep up the class strength where the students have a comfortable study environment as well as the teacher is also relaxed to teacher in a proper way.

2) Class Level: The level of the class is also important to be taken care of. There are students with different levels in the class and an effective learning can only take place if their levels are considered and managed accordingly. The time allotted to every class for every session is also required to be watched different sessions will need different amount of time also it becomes difficult for the students as well as teachers to attend very lengthy sessions and also deliver the same.

3) Gender: A teacher should not be biased about the gender of the student and all the students should be treated equally. A student who is not treated like others may feel inferior complex and may also hinder his learning process. Gender bias may also create wrong impressions on the minds of the students. A teacher should bear in mind that he should not speak anything against the gender of the student nor should make any racist comments. Learning process is affected many a times by doing such activities.

4) Teacher Quality: A teacher’s quality is important for providing good learning to the students. A teacher should maintain CPD and also should be capable enough to handle the class allotted. A teacher should be a qualified one to teach a class and should also have a good delivery of the sessions. If the students feel bored or if they do no get what the teacher is trying to teach then the learning is highly affected.

Hence, it becomes essential for the teacher to keep in mind various factors that can affect learning and also to find out methods to improve them to save the learning process from being hindered.