Redefining the teacher’s role in independent learning

All of the above statements have been ones that I have heard from colleagues, parents and pupils alike in my career. This may have been the experiences of these individuals but it is not the reality of what independent learning in the modern classroom can and should look like.

It is important to define what is meant by ‘Independent learning’ in the context of the classroom, a simple definition is, ‘an approach where students take charge of their own education’. This appears to mean that the teacher’s place is now obsolete if we move towards an independent learning model, but this could not be further from the truth. The teacher role modifies, they open the door (providing clarity, structure and support) and then step back (allowing autonomy, agency and choice).

So what is my role when I am no longer the teacher but the facilitator?

The Non-negotiables: What stays the same?

Independent learning does not come with a free for all, there are some things within the classroom environment that remain the same, and so even when facilitating teachers should expect to provide:

Clarity of instructions, so that learners know what they are aiming for. High quality explanations, as facilitation will require moments of direct instruction. Positive pupil relationships and classroom culture are essential, as these allow trust and safety in the process to be felt by participants and this underpins autonomy of pupils. Teachers align the learning with the curriculum, the learning is not random it is planned with the progression of the course in mind. Lastly, teachers are employing assessment for learning techniques, helping diagnose problems and misconceptions and guiding next steps.

This proves that independent learning and facilitation is not indeed ‘hands off’ but really ‘hands differently’.

From Teacher to Facilitator

The pedagogical shift from teacher to facilitator can be a daunting one for many of us, but it is incredibly rewarding and essential in the educational environment of today.

So, how do we enable this shift?

Firstly, the most difficult of all, is that control passes from teacher to the learners. Learners are given the control to choose their methods, pace, resources and approach to the learning. The teacher now also becomes the designer of the experiences but not the experience themselves. The teacher uses their expertise to craft tasks that require thinking, collaboration and decision making, which will be essential in the independent learning environment. The teacher no longer ‘tells’ learners what to do but instead is actively replacing monologue with dialogue. Facilitation requires to actively probe, question and nudge learners along but not to dictate. The teacher is also responsible in this situation to demonstrate how to think, develop learners' metacognition and not just give answers. It is also the teachers responsibility to provide valuable feedback but this should be co-constructed with learners, they are able to evaluate their work, their team work and the process itself. By doing all of these things the teacher is not bereft of function but has metamorphosed into a different role within the classroom and is just as active as before.

How can independent learning be facilitated? - the practical aspects.

Facilitation is not as previously considered a passive endeavour and requires thought and action to make it possible. There are practical and observable behaviours that facilitators need to do to create and accomplish successful independent learning:

• Scaffolding - provide structure to learners which gradually fades away.
• Choice - being able to design meaningful options without creating overwhelming conditions.
• Structures - the teacher provides roles for groups, protocols, routines and methods for progression.
• Guided Inquiry - learners are asked to explore but are given boundaries (specific websites for example to use).
• Prompts and apprenticeship - teachers pose prompts which allow learners to feedback on their choices and give explanations. Teachers can also model and coach learners but only to fade into the background.

Facilitation for independent learning is a craft and cannot be considered to be unimportant but it does change your role, so who do you become?

A New Professional Identity

Facilitation is intentional, skilled and rooted in pedagogy and as a teacher your role could be one of the following:

The Challenges: Stepping Back without Stepping Away

Successful independent learning is not an easy thing to accomplish and it would be remiss to not acknowledge that it comes with its own set of challenges. These challenges can come from different directions; institutional resistance, pupil disengagement and professional reluctance. We have a lot of the time in the classroom engaged pupils in teacher led learning and it can be a struggle to get learners to engage in independent learning. Teachers themselves feel a lack of control by allowing independent learning to be the major focus of learners, and because of time pressures in the creation of facilitation we don’t do it. Facilitation is work, and it requires a lot of time to scaffold and get it right before the actual independent learning can take place and not all subject matter and areas of curriculum are suited to it. Moreover, to have an equitable experience of independent learning there may be some learners that require increased levels of scaffolding and this can deter professionals from this. These are all reasonable concerns and real difficulties that can face independent learning in the classroom. But, these are obstacles, hurdles and barriers…all things that can be overcome.

Conclusion

Teachers regularly open doors - not just the classroom - we engage in ideas and delve into curriculum opening up imagination, curiosity and a desire to learn. Opening the door to independent learning is done by designing learning with clarity, purpose and structure at its root. Teachers can only step back by putting trust in the learners to walk through what they have created and facilitated. Facilitation is not less teaching - it is better teaching.

Overall, it is important to get one really clear message across: Independent learning is not the absence of a teacher; it is the presence of a different kind of teaching.

Author: Ross McLean, Teacher of Geography and Lead Eco Teacher, St Aloysius' College, Glasgow, Scotland.