Module in Facilitating

Learner-Centered Teaching
 Chapter 2

Dimensions of Learner-Centered Learning

Lesson 4 Developmental and Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Learning

Learning is thought to have occurred because of what the individual shows in his external behavior.
Another school of thought also posits that learning happens because of internal cognitive processes. In
addition, there is another thinking which tries to explain that learning occurs because of the ability of the
individual to construct his own learning using as his base, the socio-cultural context upon which he exists
or operates. This school of thought argues that learning is socially constructed. It keeps to the idea that
learning is influenced by social interactions, interpersonal relations, and communication with others. This
is because human beings are social creatures and that much of learning involves interacting with people, as
well as acquiring knowledge and skills from them.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

Select effective strategies and methodologies related to the dimensions of learning;
Relate social interactions, interpersonal relations and communication in the learning process

ENGAGE ENGAGE
LEARNING POINT: THE SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVIST VIEW OF LEARNING

Lev Semeonovich Vygotsky was a Russian Jew and psychologist who was born in 1896, the same
year as Piaget. Since Piaget was primarily concerned to explain the development of intelligence and
reasoning in humans its biological roots, Vygotsky stressed that people's culture has something to do with
their development. For several years, Vygotsky's works were forbidden for political reasons in the Soviet
Union. He died of tuberculosis at age 38 before he could fully develop his theory. However, his argument
has received much attention and interest.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 1

 For Vygotsky, cognitive development is a social process. He
maintained the idea that cognitive development is shaped by the socio
cultural contexts in which it occurs. Also, he argued that cognitive
development grows from our own interactions with the other
members of our culture. Each culture enables us to acquire tools of
thought such as language, Culture is transmitted from one generation
to the next with the use of language both oral written. Moreover, he
believed that complex forms of thinking have their roots social
interactions (Duncan 1995 as cited try Bee & Boyd 2007)

Constructivism hinges on the belief that individuals cannot

simply be given knowledge. (Armstrong Henson, Savage 2007). It means people must construct their
knowledge as they interact with the things around them. When they construct knowledge, they use their
prior knowledge. Their knowledge grows by comparing new information with what they already know.
Constructivism holds the idea that the human mind constantly looks for various forms or designs
that match and attempts to resolve gaps or differences. Furthermore, Vygotsky proposed that acquiring
novel information is facilitated by an adult-an older sibling, more skilled trainer, or more knowledgeable
individual who is able to model a new behavior.

Such new leaning, as Vygotsky viewed, can be best facilitated in the zone of proximal development
(ZPD). Vygotsky was so interested in the social factors in children's development. Thus, he developed the
concept of ZPD-the area where a child cannot solve a problem alone, but may be able to successfully solve
it with appropriate assistance from an adult or skilled peer. ZPD refers to a variety of tasks that are slightly
too complex for a child to do alone but can be accomplished successfully with guidance from an adult or
more experienced child (Bee & Boyd 2007). The concept of ZPD eventually leads to the concept of
scaffolding, which is the support or guidance offered by the adult and upon which the students build-
scaffold-their own functional skills and competencies, eventually to be incorporated into their individual
repertoire (Bentzen 2005).

Interaction with adults will help the child make sense of the world through discussion of a phenomenon
or event. This type of learning is mediated learning experience. For example, a teacher and his class visit
the museum, and they discuss the implements used by farmers 500 years ago.
Scaffolding is a supportive strategy used by professionals or competent
people to assist students of all ages in performing and completing difficult
activities, even if they cannot do so independently at the time - or, in
Vygotsky's terms, even if the tasks are within their zone of proximal
development. Scaffolding comes in a variety of shapes and sizes (Ormrod,
2015).
a. Demonstrating the proper technique to complete a task
b. Breaking down a large or complex activity into smaller, more
manageable tasks
c. Creating a set of criteria for completing a task
d. Providing technology aids to make the task easier
e. Keeping students' attention focused on critical aspects of the task
f. Asking questions that get the students focus on the task g. Giving frequent feedback about how student
is progressing
g. Giving frequent feedback about how student is progressing

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 2

Participation and gradual entry into adult activities increase the probability that children will engage in
behaviors and thinking skills within their zone of proximal development. In such a situation, the children's
involvement should be mediated. supervised, and scaffolded by more competent adults.

Apprenticeship is a guided participation where a novice works with an expert mentor for a certain period
to learn how to perform complex tasks. Mentor provides structure and guidance throughout the whole
process, gradually weaning off the learner from the help and support (scaffolding).

a. Modeling. The mentor performs the task at the same time thinking aloud or talking about the process
while the learner listens.
b. Coaching. The mentor frequently gives suggestions, hints and feedback as learner performs the task.
c. Scaffolding. The mentor provides different forms of support for
the learner, like simplifying the task, breaking a task into smaller
and more manageable units, or providing less complicated
equipment.
d. Articulation. The learner explains what he is doing and why,
allowing the mentor to examine or analyze the learner's knowledge,
reasoning and problem-solving strategies.
e. Reflection. The mentor asks the learner to compare his
performance with that of experts, or with a model of how the task
should be done. f. Increasing Complexity and Diversity of Tasks.
With increasing learner's proficiency, the mentor presents more
complex, challenging and varied tasks to accomplish. & Exploration. The mentor encourages the learner to
frame questions and problems on his own and in doing so refine and expand his acquired skills.

Acquisition of teaching skills is also one benefit gained from the use of socio constructivist approach to
learning. As children acquire and gain new and first-hand information and skills from experienced members
of the community, they can, in turn, teach their new knowledge to others.
Dynamic assessment often reveal more objective evaluation of children's cognitive capabilities, than
general assessments do. Dynamic assessment requires first the identification of tasks that children cannot
do independently, then provide in-depth instruction, and practice in developing cognitive behaviors along
these tasks; and finally determine the extent to which the learner benefited from the intervention.

There are certain teaching methodologies, approaches, and techniques that the teacher can use - methods
that are in keeping Vygotsky's socio-constructivist view of learning.

a. Peer Tutoring. This involves allowing students to act as

tutors and tutees. Time should be spent on training tutors.

b. Cooperative Learning. This is giving opportunity for

students to work in small groups and help each other learn.
Groups may vary in size, as in a dyad or groups of four.

c. Group Discussion. A problem-solving task may be assigned

to a group, and the group can develop its own structure on how
to go about solving the problem.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 3

 The situated learning theory is one theory which exemplifies the view that learning is
a product of the cultural context where one lives or exists. Situated cognition or situated learning is a theory
that suggests learning is "naturally tied to authentic activity, context and culture (Brown, Collins & Duguid,
1989). It means that most learning occurs naturally through social activities, contexts, and the culture which
learners are exposed to. This theory suggests that it is more difficult to learn from unnatural activities. For
example, in a science class, changes in the earth's surface could be learned and understood better if students
are allowed to go out of the classroom, say, go to the mountains, and make lengthy observations, rather
than by reading books or looking at pictures, to study these changes.

Situated learning is deriving and creating meaning from the real activities of daily living where
learning occurs in a pro-social but informal setting. It suggests that learning takes place through social
relationships, within a cultural milieu. The concept of communities of practice assumes that learning should
not be viewed as a mere transmission of knowledge but as a
distinctly embedded and active social process. Such type of
learning is stimulated by specific contexts (where learning is
socially-situated) and within authentic. social and physical
environments. This is saying that the learning experiences in
school, should not "insinuate" learning materials. Instead, these
materials should be meaningful and within the experiential reach
of the students.

A sociologist-anthropologist and learning theorist Jean Lave, is one of the notable proponents of
situated learning theory. Following are the highlights or the main ideas of the situated learning theory that
she advanced (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989, Vol 89, pp.

a. Knowledge is socially-constructed. Knowledge is acquired and developed thru social experiences. It

means that the learner constructs and develops knowledge on the basis of his experiences as a member of a
social group.
b. Knowledge evolves naturally as a result of individuals participating in and negotiating their way through
new situations. New knowledge is built as the learner experiences and deals with new situations.
c. Knowing learning and cognition are socially-constructed, that are seen or expressed in actions of people
and people interacting
d. Construction of meaning is tied to specific contexts and purposes.
e. Learning is fundamentally social and inseparable from the practice it is supposed to develop. Learning is
viewed as dependent on and inseparable from its context.

.LEARNING POINT: THE SITUATED LEARNING THEORY

The situated learning theory is one theory which exemplifies the view that learning is a product of
the cultural context where one lives or exists. Situated cognition or situated. learning is a theory that
suggests learning is "naturally tied to authentic activity, context and culture (Brown, Collins & Duguid,
1989). It means that most learning occurs naturally through social activities, contexts, and the culture which
learners are exposed to. This theory suggests that it is more difficult to learn from unnatural activities. For
example, in a science class, changes in the earth's surface could be learned and understood better if students
are allowed to go out of the classroom, say, go to the mountains, and make lengthy observations, rather
than by reading books or looking at pictures, to study these changes.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 4

 Situated learning is deriving and creating meaning from the real
activities of daily living where learning occurs in a pro-social but informal
setting. It suggests that learning takes place through social relationships,
within a cultural milieu. The concept of communities of practice assumes
that learning should not be viewed as a mere transmission of knowledge
but as a distinctly embedded and active social process. Such type of
learning is stimulated by specific contexts (where learning is socially-
situated) and within authentic. social and physical environments. This is
saying that the learning experiences in school, should not "unsinuate"
learning materials. Instead, these materials should be meaningful and
within the experiential reach of the students.

A sociologist-anthropologist and learning theorist Jean Lave, is one

of the notable proponents of situated learning theory. Following are
the highlights or the main ideas of the situated learning theory that
she advanced (Brown, Collins & Duguid, 1989, Vol 89, pp.

a. Knowledge is socially-constructed. Knowledge is acquired and

developed thru social experiences. It means that the learner
constructs and develops knowledge on the basis of his experiences as
a member of a social group.
b. Knowledge evolves naturally as a result of individuals
participating in and negotiating their way through new situations.
New knowledge is built as the learner
experiences and deals with new situations.
c. Knowing learning and cognition are socially-constructed, that are seen or expressed in actions of people
and people interacting
d. Construction of meaning is tied to specific contexts and purposes.
e. Learning is fundamentally social and inseparable from the practice it is supposed to develop. Learning is
viewed as dependent on and inseparable from its context.

Social Interaction

Social interaction is an exchange between two or more individuals. By interacting with one another people
design rules, systems, and institutions. It is a dynamic changing sequence of social actions between
individuals or groups Social interactions provide the foundation or bases for social cultures and structures.
Social interactions refer to how people act, and how they react to people around them. It includes those acts
which people perform and the ways other people react or respond to these Ervin Goffman, a sociologist,
identified five types of social interaction namely exchange, competition, cooperation, conflict, and
coercion ("Social Interactions, n. d.).

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 5

Exchange is the most basic social interaction. It is a social process whereby social behavior is exchanged
for some type of reward of equal or greater value.
Competition is a social process by which two or more people attempt to attain a goal, which only one can.
Cooperation is a process by which people work together to attain a common
goal.
Conflict happens when there is disagreement or dissent on certain points
among group members. Coercion is the process of persuading someone to
do something or to cooperate, using force, threat, or intimidation.

Positive or negative consequences of these types of social interaction could

either be positive or negative depending on how these interactions are
managed or handled. For example, the use of teaching techniques that harness
cooperation among students to work on problem-solving tasks, where they work together and contribute to
the solution of problems may create in them a feeling of success and satisfaction. On the other hand, the
use of force or intimidation on students for them to finish and complete assigned tasks can leave negative
feelings of dislike, anxiety, or indifference.

Interpersonal Relation

Interpersonal relation has something to do with close, deep or

strong association or acquaintance between two or more people
that may range in duration from brief to enduring: a bond or close
association that exists between two or more people who may share
common interests or goals (Juneja, n. d.) The types of
interpersonal relationships, are friendship, love, platonic
relationship, family relationship, and work relationship,
Friendship is an unconditional interpersonal relationship which
individuals enter into by their own choice and will; love is a
relationship characterized by love, intimacy, trust and respect
between individuals and might end up in marriage: platonic is a
relationship between individuals but without feelings of desire for each other; family refers to relationship
of individuals related to each other by blood or marriage; and work relationship refers to the kind of
relationship, of individuals who work for the same organization (Juneja, n. d.).

Communication

Communication refers to the exchange in meanings between individuals through a common system
of symbols, signs, behavior. It is a two-way process of reaching understanding in which participants not
only exchange information, news, ideas or feelings but also create and share meaning Communication is a
means to connect people and places.

As deduced from the above definitions, there are elements common among these three key terms. The
commonalities have to do with the concepts of "exchange." "Relationship and "bond." Going further, there
is a socio-emotional component involved when these interactions happen. This socio-emotional component
has implications for the kind of climate there is in the classroom, which consequently, will bear on students
learning.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 6

 The school is a social entity comprising many individuals and
groups, mainly, students and teachers. In the classroom, teaching-
learning activities, as well as those outside of it, are all social events
because many exchanges happen in these activities. The direction of
the exchanges can either be between student and teacher, or between
student and other students. The classroom or the school is an important
institution from which the child learns his first lessons in socialization.

The socio-emotional climate in the classroom brought about

by the kind of social interactions and relationships existing therein,
should be one where students experience social acceptance. The
students should be made to feel that they are accepted by their peers
and teachers. Social approval inside the classroom should also be felt by all students. The absence of
approval and acceptance may result in serious negative implications on the socio-emotional climate of the
school. A social climate in the classroom that is negative can bring about fear, anxiety, and restlessness. It
can also result in disinterest in the lessons, or decrease in motivation levels.

Children's relationship with their parents, peers, and friends have a tremendous impact in their lives.
Their interactions with teachers, mentors and others also can profoundly affect their achievement and social
motivation (Santrock, 2011).

Children's social concerns influence their lives in school (Anderman & Anderman, 2010, in
Santrock, 2011). Teachers play an important role in students' achievement. It was found that effective,
engaging teachers not only provide support for students to make good progress, but also encourages
students to become self-regulated learners (Pressly, in Santrock, 2011). Wentzel (2009, in Santrock, 2011)
found that students' motivation is optimized when teachers provide them with challenging tasks in a
mastery-oriented environment that includes good emotional and cognitive support, meaningful and
interesting material to learn and master, and sufficient support for autonomy and initiative.

Moreover, researchers have also found that students

who feel that they have supportive and caring teachers are
better motivated to do school work than those who feel their
teachers are uncaring and unsupportive. Higher levels of
motivation are related to higher performance or achievement.
It was also found that children who do not do well in school
have negative interactions with teachers. Negative interactions
may be due to the kind of communication taking place between
teachers and students. Inappropriate language or that which
conveys negative feelings can in turn bring about negative
feelings among students during interaction.

The kind of interaction with peers (they can either be classmates or friends) is also a factor to
students' motivation, which is important for learning to happen. Higher motivation levels is associated with
better learning or performance. It is thus important that the social climate of the classroom or the school be
characterized by warmth brought about by positive interactions, good communication, and good
relationships between and among students and teachers.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 7

 EXPLORE
Use this link to observe a classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFYerp776C4 and look for five
indicators of social interaction behaviors between teacher and students, or even among students themselves.
Classify each of the behaviors according to the type of social interaction behavior of Goffman.
Indicators of Social Interaction

Exchange Competitive Cooperative Conflict Coercion

Teachers and
Students

Among
Students

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 8

 APPLY

Below are critical incidents that would most likely occur inside the classroom. As a future teacher, indicate
what you are going to do, if the situations below in your classroom.
1. The teacher asked a student to stand and answer a question, but the student cannot answer the
question.

2. The teacher noticed that Paul was shy and would not want to answer the teacher’s questions nor
participate in class activities.

3. The teacher noticed that three of his students were “isolates” and would not want to participate in
problem-solving task.

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 9

 Connect the given situations to the concepts listed below

a. Platonic relationship e. Coercion

b. Negative socio-emotional classroom climate f. Cooperation
c. Social interaction g. Friendship
d. Communication

1. _______Two students, both girls enjoy swimming and biking during weekends.
2. _______A group of five students work together, each one having his own assigned
task to work and finish a class project.
3.________ The teacher told his students that they will receive a failing grade if they
do not submit their term papers on time.
4. ________About 90% of the students in the class, feel anxious every time they enter
the science class. The teacher is known to be a "terror"
5. ________The teacher gives real-life examples as a way to explain clearly the
concepts she is teaching
6. _________In a certain barangay, people plan together, and contribute their ideas
on how to celebrate the fiesta.
7. _________When two professionals, a man and a woman meet together, they like
to share and discuss the findings of the studies they are doing
8. ________The students volunteer to participate in the feeding program for
malnourished children. They plan and discuss how to attain the goals of the program.
.9. _________The teacher likes to teach but talks at the top of her voice. The students
feel afraid the teacher might ask them questions.
10. _________The teacher encourages students to ask questions, in case they do not
understand some things being taught. When this happens, the teacher tries her best to
clarify the students' misconceptions or mistakes

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 10

Reference: DALISAY G. BRAWNER. 2018. FACILITATING LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING.
Adriana Publishing Co. INC.

E- Sources:
istock_000017145168small.jpg (334×500) (ictesolutions.com.au)
Jean-Lave.jpg (512×512) (rgstatic.net)
Social-Interaction.png (901×900) (beaconforce.com)
interpersonal-relationship02012021.jpg (1000×791) (etbethoneintegration.com)
Screen-Shot-2013-02-20-at-2.53.34-PM-600x463.png (600×463) (mshouser.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFYerp776C4
bigstock-Teacher-Helping-Pupils-Studyin-46023202.jpg (900×600) (udemy.com)

CHAPTER 2 DIMENSIONS OF LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING 11