Teaching and learning regimes as an educational challenge and opportunity

Summary, in Swedish

Implicit assumptions, approaches, rules and practices in teaching i.e. teaching and learning regimes (TLRs) are produced and reproduced (cf. Trowler & Cooper 2002) in the closest teaching environment, traditionally within a discipline. However, multidisciplinary programs implies that teachers from different disciplines and with different taken for granted assumptions, approaches and rules are involved. It may contribute to reflection and educational development. However, different TLRs can cause friction, conflict and competition. The aim of this paper is to increase the understanding of the implications of TLRs in education. The paper identifies different TLRs at the Faculty of Social Science, presents the different assumptions and practices between the TLRs, and discusses the challenges and opportunities the different TLRs implies for education.

The paper is based on text analysis of 28 pedagogical portfolios written by Excellent Teaching Practitioners representing the majority of the departments and disciplines at the Faculty of Social Science. Although most excellent teachers can be said to share a kind of constructionist view, there are considerable differences between the teachers. Identified differences includes the understanding of the aim and role of the teacher, the relation teacher-student as well as actual practice. Three ideal types representing different TLRs are formed and we call them the Facilitator, the Therapist and the Scientist.

The Facilitator is focused on facilitating learning by providing order, structure and a favorable environment. The goal is to foster the student to citizens in a democracy. The Therapist emphasizes that the role of the teacher is to contribute to the students' personal development while the Scientist’s goal is to teach knowledge (what) and how knowledge is produced (why). The different understanding of the goal and role of the teacher results in different ways of understanding the learning process, the teacher-student relation and results in quite different preferences and ways of organizing and performing the teaching and learning activities.

Based on the portfolio texts, it is clear that teachers at some departments have similar approach to learning, so-called communities of practice (Wenger 2000). In this paper we discuss potential conflicts between TLRs from a teacher as well as the student perspective. However, from the analysis it is obvious that the different TLRs can enrich each other as all of them hosts tensions and contradictions. The potential is discussed and a set of questions intended to use to create awareness about TLRs and its consequences among teaching staff is presented.


References

Trowler, Paul R. & Ali Cooper, 2002. Teaching and learning regimes: implicit theories and recurrent practices in the enhancement of teaching and learning through educational development programmes, Higher Education Research and Development, vol. 21, no 3, pp. 221-240.

Wenger, Etienne (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization 7(2): 225-246.