While examining the historical perspectives of teaching and learning in American, what is most important is the interconnectedness of beliefs and intentions that help define meaning and justification of actions. Licorish et al. (2018) argue that the different perspectives reflect the educators’ commitment towards teaching and learning, which help build a new understanding of education. In some cases, educators do not understand their perspectives on teaching and learning because they often consider their understanding of education as opposed to building on the students' needs and wants. Every person has an initial perspective of teaching and learning that they consider as part of their understanding of the learning process without any questions (Licorish et al., 2018). The American context brought into sharp focus several key perspectives such as theism that highlighted the approaches used in teaching and learning to facilitate the best learning outcomes for students.
The first historical perspective to note is theism. A reform movement in the 19 th century introduced theism that gained momentum in the United States’ education system. Theism is associated with the introduction of didactic teaching. Didactic teaching is a method that follows a consistent approach or style when presenting information to students as part of the educational process (Pedersen et al., 2018). Educators involved in the development of the American education system created a structured system where students relied wholly on the teachers. The objective of this teaching perspective was to facilitate efficiency in the learning process as a way of guaranteeing improved outcomes. The American education system supported the use of didactic teaching because it focused on an effective scientific approach that would guarantee improved learning outcomes. Educators used this teaching method to create a teacher-centered learning environment where students receive lessons which are best suited for their learning expectations.
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The second historical perspective of teaching and learning in America is deism. Deism is an education perspective introduced in the mid-20 th century that focuses on the acquisition of knowledge focused on great ideas of Western civilization. The perspective played a central role in the development of the American education curriculum, which is guided by finding solutions to some of the underlying problems affecting the world today. Lawrence (2007) builds on the context of deism noting that the American curriculum reflects on attaining cultural literacy while stressing the importance of students’ growth in multiple disciplines.
The third historical perspective of teaching and learning in American is post-modernism. Post-modernism, which was introduced in 1934, builds on the common core of knowledge reflected by the need for information to be transmitted to students in a systematic manner (Lawrence, 2007). The introduction of post-modernism guided educators as they developed the American curriculum guided by the need to create a systematic approach to both teaching and learning.
Key Theories of Teaching and Learning in America
Traditionally, teaching and learning focus on a structured approach that allows educators to guide students and also provide them with the necessary resources to improve their learning outcomes. Bruner (1996), an American psychologist, developed temporary teaching and learning framework referred to as instructional scaffolding aimed at creating a structured approach to ensure that students receive the necessary guidance and resources. Instructional scaffolding is a learning model that ensures that students can learn in any setting while capitalizing on their ability to utilize necessary resources to achieve the best possible outcomes. The framework is reflective of the behavioralist theory, which focuses on some of the changes that persons experience depending on their exposure to different teaching and learning environments. The theory suggests that one's behavior determines his/her ability to teach and learn while focusing on the achievement of the best possible educational outcomes.
The behavioralist theory allows educators to understand and influence their students in learning while considering students' thinking capacities and abilities that would help foster positive learning. The theory highlights the importance of building a well-structured teaching framework that would facilitate positive learning by enriching students’ thinking. The theory’s implication in learning is that it creates an advanced framework that determine how students think depending on the information they gain as part of the learning process. That brings into sharp focus another theory of teaching and learning that has been of great value in the context of the American education system, which is constructivism. Constructivism is a learning theory that allows students to create knowledge based on their experiences in the education system. The aim is to establish a reflective educational model guided by the need to introduce different perspectives that would guide both teaching and learning.
Jean Piaget, introduced a teaching and learning model focused on the individual ability to use constructivism as part of a student’s thinking. In this model, the key area of focus was the perceived relationship between students and those that use their experiences to build their knowledge base (Bruner, 1996). Social constructivism indicated that students, who are accorded necessary guidance and resources, find themselves in a much better learning position through traditional teaching and learning approaches. The objective was to facilitate traditional learning with the view being that this would justify overall improvements in students’ thinking. Constructivism highlighted the importance of educators or teachings as part of the learning process considering that they help give students the knowledge and guidance needed to improve their learning outcomes. In other words, it creates a new approach that enhances students’ learning accompanied and helped by an educator.
Common Perspectives and Key Theories of Teaching and Learning in America
Teaching and learning are an essential part of the education process and system not only in American but also in other countries around the world. In the American context, the common perspectives of teaching and learning play a central role in defining the educational reforms that the country takes as part of pushing for an advanced outcome. The most common perspective of teaching and learning is post-modernism. Lawrence (2007) notes that postmodernism is a perspective that draws upon Enlightenment thinking as the “ultimate source of truth and knowledge can be found in science and human reason" (p.262). The perspective has had a significant impact on the American educational curriculum guided by the need to find solutions to some of the problems facing society. For example, the perspective deals with underlying problems, such as gender and racial inequality, which have had a significant impact on the American social system.
Moreover, the most common theory of teaching and learning in America is constructivism. Constructivism shifts attention towards establishing an effective teaching and learning platform guided by prior experiences. The objective of this theory is to promote independent learning as a way of pushing students towards prospective learning outcomes as a way of achieving the best possible outcomes. It also facilitates independent thinking among students with the view being that this would provide them with a much better perspective of what they ought to consider as part of the learning process. When taking as a single entity, the perspective and theory suggest that teaching and learning are processes that can occur in different environments to facilitate positive educational outcomes. They highlight the importance of understanding students' needs and wants as a way of determining the most effective learning approaches that would ensure students achieve these needs.
References
Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Lawrence, T. A. (2007). Philosophy, religion and education American style: A literature review. Journal of Research on Christian Education , 16 (2), 243-267.
Licorish, S. A., Owen, H. E., Daniel, B., & George, J. L. (2018). Students’ perception of Kahoot!’s influence on teaching and learning. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning , 13 (1), 9.
Pedersen, K., Moeller, M. H., Paltved, C., Mors, O., Ringsted, C., & Morcke, A. M. (2018). Students’ learning experiences from didactic teaching sessions including patient case examples as either text or video: a qualitative study. Academic Psychiatry , 42 (5), 622-629.
