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Introduction to educational psychology
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Factors That Influence LearningIntroduction
The learning – teaching process is a highly complex one. The complexity arises due to the fact
that many variables interact with each other to enhance or hinder learning. This lesson examines
these factors as they operate inside and outside the classrooms and their effect on learning.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson the learner will be able to
Discuss how each of the following factors operates to either promote or hinder learning
The teacher
The learning environment
The learner
The subject matter
The factors that influence learning
When we think about learning, the concern is about delivery of content assumably from the
teacher to the learner. The teacher is seen as the source of knowledge and his role is to deliver
the content for learners to imbibe. This lesson intends to bring out the fact that delivery of
content by the teacher or even the imbibing of the same by the learner is not a simple matter. It is
,complicated and involves dynamic interactions of multi-faceted variables. This lesson discusses
the following variables and the operation of each one of them in influencing or hindering
learning.
The teacher
The learning environment
The learner
The subject matter
The teacher
When we look at teacher‟s role in influencing learning, there is need to take into account several
factors. Crucially we should recognize the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning. As a
facilitator of learning the teacher has the enormous responsibility of ensuring that everything he
does goes a long way in facilitating or hindering learning. Even before we consider the deliveryof
content it is imperative to look at other issues pertinent to the teachers role. Some of the issues
may look minor or irrelevant but their impact is not to be ignored. For example
i)The teachers grooming
This refers to the teacher‟s management of self in terms of dressing and general appearance. The
teacher should be consciously aware of his role as a model. While the teacher may not afford
designer clothes, he is required to take good care of what he wears. It should be clear to the
students that the teachers takes time every morning to make himself presentable in every possible
way. Any teacher whose personal presentation is shoddy does himself and the student a
disservice. The teacher should dress in a manner that is compliant with expectations of required
decency. Both male and females can be indecent or indecent is relative and therefore leave it to
individual teachers to use their good discretion in order to observe acceptable modes of dress. In
any case the manner of dress and grooming tell about a person. When people first see you as a
teacher, they judge you by you appearance before they know where you can teach or not.
i) Teachers Competence
,The teacher‟s competence is considered in several issues. First among them, is his ability to
handle the subject matter and secondly his classroom management skills. Thirdly but not the
least in importance is his communication ability. The teacher‟s competence in these areas is
paramount because it can determine the amount of learning that takes place.
We need to be emphatic that the teacher should be well informed regarding the subject matter,
conversant and comfortable with its scholarship and methods of delivery.
ii) Classroom Management
A good teacher is a good classroom manager. He knows what to do when confronted with the
specific challenges that present themselves in any classroom manager is a good organizer. He is
organized in his daily operations and in the classroom.
, Good organization helps to save time and other resources.
iii) The teachers Communication Ability
Good communication is an art. It does not necessarily require the teacher to use huge bombastic
words so that pupils know that he went to school. It does not require him to be walking
dictionary either. It calls upon the teacher to gauge the weight of his words depending on the
recipients‟ level. He should be fluent clear and simple. Of course we do realize that each subject
has its own technical jargon. The teacher should ensure that these technical words are well
understood by the learners. A good teacher is a good businessman. He has something to sell and
the buyers are the learners.
A good teacher is a good businessman. He has something to sell and the buyers are the
learners. For this reason he should maintain a pleasant atmosphere and not show hostility.
Some teachers behave as if the classroom is a war zone and sometimes they have a good reason
to do so. If the teacher knows that he is unprepared for the lesson or lacks the necessary mastery
of content he may result to the use of defense mechanisms like fault finding, being excessively
punitive among other negative practices. One important aspect of teacher behaviour is his
attitude towards the profession, the school, the pupils, or even himself. If the teacher ‟s general
attitude is positive he will most likely maintain conditions favorable for learning.
2. The Learning Environment
The learning environment refers to the facilities available for use by the learners. These are: the
classrooms, the field, the laboratories, the dining room and dormitories. The issues of concern
here are appropriateness or inappropriateness, over crowdedness, ventilation and the
psychosocial environment.
Over crowdedness
Speaking to teachers reveals that many classrooms in Kenyan schools are overcrowded.
In some classrooms the teacher does not have space to stand or even move around. This means
ha cannot monitor learner‟s behaviour effectively. A classroom that is overcrowded is
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