The approaches and philosophies that an educator values and embeds in practice are heavily influenced by the views they hold of children and childhood (McCartney & Harris, 2014; Rinaldi, 2012). There have been many different theories proposed about learning which involve the educators taking on a variety of different roles.
As a teacher, it is part of the profession to plan, assess, observe, support, nurture, discipline, guide, evaluate, analyse and lead. Dewey (1906) had a major influence in early childhood education with his ideas of learning as social activity and that children learn best as part of a community (Mooney, 2013). Dewey’s theory has had an influence in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia and the unique approach to education involves teachers as learners, working alongside the children, hypothesising their learning direction and being flexible in the learning process (Lindsay, 2015; Rinaldi, 2012). In Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, the educator’s role is to support children in their learning, stretching their knowledge and capabilities through scaffolding (Reusser & Pauli, 2015; Follari, 2011; Holzman & Newman, 2008). Similarly, Project Based Learning approaches involve the teacher to plan engaging challenging tasks that are based on the children’s interests and then prompt children’s thinking and problem solving skills as the project develops (Bell, 2010).
There are developmental based theories of education, for instance, Piaget considered a more ‘hands off’ approach where the teacher’s job was to observe and provide prompts to engage children as their innate abilities developed (Follari, 2011; Muthivhi, 2015). Furthermore, specific approaches such as Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) have been produced in order to ensure children’s learning is appropriate for the age and stage they are observed at (Bredekamp & Copple, 2008). The teacher’s role becomes more complex in a multifaceted approach such as DAP, however, the focus is still on the teacher’s decision-making ability including curriculum choices, methods of teaching and their ability to apply their understanding of child development theory (NAEYC, 2009). An explicit way of teaching that involves the teacher making the learning process and expectations visible to the children through set learning intentions is based on research by John Hattie (2012). Hattie (2012) believes that the teacher has the most significant impact in an educational setting on the children’s learning.
In contemporary educational practice, teachers are expected to draw on a range of these theories, philosophies and ideas from history and apply a variety of pedagogies in their daily experiences. This notion is supported by research that has determined teachers as central to learning and their roles have become ever more complex. The challenge for teacher’s in today’s world is to understand all educational theories and be flexible in their approach, meaning one day they may be focusing on following Piaget’s theories of child development and the next they are expected to be open and flexible in their teaching applying an open-ended project based approach. Contemporary education relies on competent teachers and their adaptability in order to make appropriate pedagogical decisions that is contextually and culturally considerate (Leggett & Ford, 2013).
In this ever-changing role of the teacher, how would you describe your role as an educator? Which theories or philosophies have influenced the way you perceive your role? What pedagogical approaches do you implement in your classroom?
Mrs W
References
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Follari, L. M. (2011). Historical overview: people and beliefs that shaped the field. In Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education: History, Theories, and Approaches to Learning. 23-48. Prentice Hall: Boston. Retrieved 9/8/19 from https://ap01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/delivery/61MACQUARIE_INST/12216069520002171
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