Towards active processes for teaching and learning

TL;DR

This paper explores how fostering teacher autonomy and collaboration can lead to effective pedagogical reform, emphasizing the importance of personal ownership for both students and teachers in the learning process.

Contribution

It introduces a perspective that emphasizes the role of teacher freedom and collaboration as key drivers for sustainable pedagogical reform.

Findings

Teacher autonomy encourages innovative reform.

Collaboration enhances the effectiveness of pedagogical change.

Tools are secondary to the ongoing reform process.

Abstract

We discuss parallels between students and teachers in the process of pedagogical reform. Reform aims for students to develop their own process for becoming independent learners, and to gain personal ownership. Likewise teachers can develop their own personally owned reform process if they have the encouragement and freedom to take individual initiative. We argue that tools, such as text materials, technology, etc., are merely objects that should be kept in perspective as secondary within an overarching ever ongoing process. And we discuss how melding teacher freedom with collaboration can foster far-reaching change.