BY: GAUTAM RAJGARHIA
Teaching plays a central role in education. We still have a teacher as the centre of focus in most schools in India. However, this model is rapidly changing, and there is little doubt that the focus has shifted from teaching to learning in contemporary education.
A teacher-led class is where the teacher is the centre of the classroom whether to deliver a lecture or even present ideas. Here, the students take direction/information from the teacher and follow a set syllabus that all students must conform to pass. Even the structure of the seating arrangement is such that the students usually face the teacher for their lesson as he/she will use a smartboard or presentation to deliver to the class. However, the interaction level of the students and teacher in this scenario is very minimal compared to the student-led approach classroom, both in the methodology, atmosphere, and classroom layout.
A Student-led class has a different focus that allows for more learner autonomy and voice. In this model, students are not left entirely to their own devices. Instead, they are guided in being independent thinkers who track their development and achieve their own goals. The approach is very student centred and focuses more on learning. The seating arrangement in the classroom also differs dramatically from the one in the teacher-led classroom. Instead of the theatrical seating, students have desks organised into circular pods around the classroom. If you walk into a student-led class, you might find it noisier and more chaotic than a regular teacher-led class. Reason? The aim for every teacher in this model is that the students are motivated enough to engage with the teaching material and simultaneously enjoy themselves. This involves the students leading discussions and research areas that are relevant for their development.
Adopting an educational approach that places students at the centre of the process has gained popularity because it offers students the voice and choice of what and how they learn and because of its independent approach that equips them with vital life skills. Educators and policymakers want the students to have more autonomy, from the content to how the classroom operates. Educators are well aware of the importance of transitioning students from school to the outside world, and thus argue that ‘student agency’ must become the norm, rather than the exception.
This is achieved by providing students with greater responsibility for their learning, encouraging more collaboration within the classroom while ensuring that the session is active and meaningful.
As per the report published by Google for education 2020, 75% of educators in the USA feel that student-led learning is extremely valuable in developing 21st-century skills. SL classrooms encourage greater autonomy and help ease student transition from the classroom to life after school by imparting important 21st-century skills. What’s more, it steps away from the outdated one-size-fits-all model and embraces the personalised learning approach by helping students discover their potential, encourage learning through trial and error, and reduce the negative connotations associated with ‘mistakes/failure’. It also helps develop independent and critical thinking and problem-solving skills and increase engagement in the classroom.
Prioritizing student agency breaks the mould of traditional education. Still, it is crucial to provide pupils with a greater voice and empower them to take a more active role in their education.
About the Author: Gautam has a total of 14 years of experience in the Education Management industry. He started his career with IBM as a technology specialist and soon started his first Edu-venture with IIFP (Indian Institute of Financial planning) in New Delhi in 2008.
In the year 2011, Gautam took charge of the Delhi Public School at Varanasi, a K-12 school in the Eastern part of the Hindi heartland. Here he helped introduced technology in education and improved the quality of lesson delivery through audio-visual aids. This saw a significant improvement in subject understanding and results.
In 2013 and 2017 with the help of the knowledge acquired in DPS Varanasi, Gautam went on to start two more K-12 schools at Nashik and Nagpur. All three schools are under the CBSE umbrella and have a total student strength of around 6000 plus students with more than 350 teachers. Creativity is paramount in all actions in the three schools. Children are free to explore their passions yet are academically sound. His motto is “making learning fun again”.
His interests are in New Technology, Mobile applications, Cricket and Running. He has run three international half marathons.
