Pedagogy and Transformative Approaching Education Essay (Article)

Pedagogy is an important aspect of teaching and learning in educational institutions. Essentially, pedagogy comprises of science, art, and practices that teachers perform when teaching learners and enable them acquire knowledge. In this view, pedagogy is a means that teachers use in passing their knowledge to learners. Therefore, pedagogy is more than knowledge because it entails exposition, direction of activity, invitation of imitation, motivation, and criticism of knowledge during the process of teaching and learning.

Firstly, exposition entails the ability of teacher to articulate a subject in the classroom for students to understand easily. Kalantzis and Cope (2010) argue that exposition is a mode of communication, which allows teachers to describe and instil knowledge on leaners. In this view, the aspect of exposition is very critical because it determines how a teacher conveys information to students in an effective manner.

Secondly, pedagogy involves direction of activities, which are central in learning. According to Kalantzis and Cope (2010), learners effectively acquire knowledge by undertaking experiential activities. Hence, the role of teachers is to direct activities that learners perform to ensure that they are in tandem with certain tenets of knowledge.

Thirdly, invitation of imitation is an integral aspect of pedagogy that teachers strive to achieve for it form basis of learning. Since knowledge is complex, teachers try to invite imitation among students during the process of exposition and learning. Parker-Rees (2007) state that students learn by imitating what their teachers are performing because they perceive them as role models. Thus, how teachers perform certain tasks during learning enables learners to acquire knowledge.

Fourthly, in pedagogy, motivation of students is essential in learning because it inspires them to reflect about their abilities and enhances impetus of learning. Kalantzis and Cope (2010) recognise motivation as a central aspect of pedagogy because it makes learners and teachers to interact effectively. Therefore, motivation shifts teaching and learning processes from teacher-centered to students-centered.

Fifthly, pedagogy entails criticism of knowledge during teaching and learning. Criticism is a pedagogical way of evaluating and correcting learners so that they gain accurate knowledge (Price, Handley, Millar, & Donovan, 2010). Hence, teachers should guide learners by evaluating and correcting them as they learn and acquire knowledge.

Transformative education holds to the premise that teaching and learning processes are subject to experiences and meaning obtained from these experiences, which learners acquire in the course of their lives. According to Malkki (2010), transformative education empowers learners to reflect their experiences, derive meaning, and apply them in their lives as knowledge. Essentially, transformation education aims at changing the perspectives of learners.

Mayo (2003) asserts that transformative education causes shift in perceptions of learners in a given education system in response to globalisation forces that bring new meaning to human life. Therefore, transformative education uses holistic approaches to cause perceptions of learners to shift from one paradigm to another.

Transformative education relies on holistic approaches, which influence cognitive, beliefs, and behaviour of learners. Malkki (2010) states that the theory of transformative learning holds that, cognitive, belief, and behaviour, are three dimensions of psychosocial forces that bring about perspective transformation. The cognitive dimension enables learners to synthesise and attain meaning and understanding of their experiences. Comparatively, the dimension of belief is effective as it enables learners to gain meaning and understanding of knowledge based on cultural beliefs that are common in a given society. Since social factors play a significant role in learning, the dimension of behaviour is critical in enabling learners to derive or attach meaning to certain behaviours.

References

Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2010). The teacher as designer: Pedagogy in the new media age. E-Learning and Digital Media, 7(3), 200-222.

Malkki, K. (2010). Building on Merizow’s theory of transformative learning: Theorising the challenge to reflection. Journal of Transformative Education, 8(42), 43-62.

Mayo, P. (2003). A rationale for a transformative approaching education. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(38), 38-57.

Parker-Rees, R. (2007). Liking to be liked: Imitation, familiarity, and pedagogy in the first years of life. Early Years, 27(1), 3-17.

Price, M., Handley, K., Millar, J., & Donovan, B. (2010). Feedback: All that effort, but what is the effect. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(3), 277-289.