Engaging Learning Styles Paper

As a teacher, understanding the ways in which a student learns and accommodating for different learning styles is essential in crafting a successful teaching environment. More importantly, ensuring that students are engaged behaviourally, emotionally and cognitively is necessary in creating meaningful learning experiences. Students learn in a variety of ways, ranging from kinaesthetic; learning by doing, visual; learning by seeing, and auditory; learning by listening (Pritchard, 2014). Within the classroom, teachers need to be able to provide a multitude of teaching strategies that cater for students differing aptitudes of cognitive processes, learning styles, skills and abilities. To examine the processes involved in learning, theoretical

The principles of the theoretical frameworks can be used as guidelines for teachers to select techniques and strategies that engage students in the learning process, whilst also accommodating for all kinds of learners. Engaging learning experiences stem from teacher expectations, classroom climate, student motivation and high quality teaching (O’Donnell, 2016). This essay will outline the three-key teaching and learning approaches that will build and inform my teaching practice with the support of theoretical frameworks, and explore how I can establish an engaging and motivating learning environment for all my

Cooperative learning is a pedagogical tool that sees students working in small groups together to maximise their own and their peer’s learning (ASHE, 1991; Seel, 2012). It provides students with the opportunity to direct their own learning through interacting, sharing and comparing their thoughts and ideas with their peers during the learning process (Van, 2013). Cooperative learning embodies five fundamental features: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face promotive interaction, social skills, and group processing (Seel, 2012). These features allow students to address both intellectual and social learning goals (Coates & Mayfield, 2009). Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, guided by cognitivism, sees learning as an active and social process through participation (O’Donnell, 2016). Cooperative learning allows students to socially construct their knowledge and abilities to learn, understand and solve problems together (O’Donnell, 2016; Seel, 2012; Van, 2013). In association with Vygotsky, is Bandura’s theory of social learning. Bandura posits that learners can improve their knowledge and retention by observing and modelling the desired behaviours, attitudes and reactions of others (O’Donnell, 2016; Van, 2013). When students hear different strategies when approaching a task, it provides them with the opportunity to re-examine their own