Introduction
Supported Teaching in Schools (STS) or Developing Teaching is the practical experience in observing, teaching and technical school-based approach that empowers student-teachers to have first hand experience in observing, teaching, planning lesson notes and lesson plans, understanding scheme of works and any teaching and learning relatable activities at the same time work in team with their peers.
This Supported Teaching in School Program enable student-teachers to work and collaborate with staff members of the assigned schools for effective mentorship. This program sought to give the student-teacher hands on teaching experience right from the beginning of the four year program
This report sought to address the following and the possible recommendations
- Learner Learning Needs (Paraphrase Definition)
- Identifying Learners with Learning Needs
- Data Collections On The Learners
- Summary And Interpretation
- Recommendations
UNDERSTANDING CHILD STUDY
With this Supported Teaching in School Experience, the student-teacher is able to understand the teaching and learning of learners from diverse socio-economic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Indeed Supported Teaching in School is one of the four pillars of the New Curriculum for the Four Year Bachelor Degree in Education.
To understand better how learners’ learn for effective teaching, each student-teacher is task to undergo a study of at least a learner (CHILD STUDY) and to observe these learner(s) in class and how lessons are taught to them. The student-teacher is tasked to develop keen interest in these learners. The student-teacher has become a mentor to the learner and by so assists the learners in overcoming any academic challenges.
The key content and concepts student-teachers are mandated to develop during these Supported Teaching in School Program for The Child Study are: Showing support for learner’s learning and progress and to understand diversity and inclusivity of the learners, understanding learners’ progress by assessing the learners, teaching and mentoring all learners regardless of their background, aptitude, age, religion and supporting learners to be promoted to the next grade or stage.
LEARNER LEARNING NEEDS (PARAPHRASE DEFINITION)
Learner learning needs may be referred to as a deficit in current knowledge of the learner and the requisite skills the learner needs to perform a task especially for academic success. Learner learning needs may also be looked at as the attributes and attitude the learner is required to have so as to be able to use the information that is availed to the learner to develop and acquire the requisite skills and the knowledge needed to study effectively to improve upon his or her lives in the community.
IDENTIFYING LEARNERS’ WITH LEARNING NEEDS
A learner in a classroom may be in joyous mood or moody, forgetful and distractive in class or very attentive, sad, long-sighted or short-sighted or sometimes, learner living with a disability or any impairment, etc. All these learners have their own challenges each and every other day to tackle, opportunities to grasp, privileges to enjoy and wallow in.
As a matter of initial observation of learners’ participation in class I had identified some of the learners that I need to observe keenly and after having a general interaction with these learners, I have come to conclusion that every learner has their own story to tell each day they walk into the classroom. In the course of the first week of the observation, I realized that some of the students were unsettled in class. One particular student was unable to just repeat a sentence after the class teacher when the teacher asked the learner to do so. There were several instances when some of the students repeatedly came to school late. Upon interaction with most of the learners, they concluded that, they need to work to support their parents who are farmers and traders after and before class. By the end of the first week I had decided to just focus on four learners’ to observe.
DATA COLLECTION ON THE LEARNERS
The following are the data on the four learners’ in JHS 3 I had identified and observed
| L | Name of Learner | Occupation of Parents | Language Spoken | Where Parent Live |
| L1 | Learner 1 | Driver (Father), Trader (Mother-) | Vernacular | Local Residence |
| L2 | Learner 2 | Farmer (Father), Trader (Mother) | 3 Local Languages, English | Local Residence |
| L3 | Learner 3 | K Weaver(Father) ,Trader (Mother) | Vernacular and English | Local Residence |
| L4 | Learner 4 | Officer(Father), Trader(Mother) | Vernacular and English | Local Residence |
Child Study Interview
The interview was conducted generally among the JHS students, but for the purpose of the instruction given my focus is on these four learners in JHS 3 preparing as at the time of the interview to write their Basic Examination Certificate (BECE). They are : Learner 1, Learner 2, Learner 3 and Learner 4 their names are replaced as Learners (L1), (L2), (L3) and (L4) respectively.
These students are naturally outspoken, confident and very expressive when communicating in their vernacular. These learners were usually interactive and contributed much in classroom whenever the Ghanaian language teacher is teaching.
On the day of this particular interview the JHS 3 had finished writing their mock examinations. I sat down with each learner for about 10 minutes.
I began the interview by asking the learners if it will be alright with them to interview them for “Child Study”. The learners were happy to collaborate.
SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION
The interview with the Learner 1 was supposed to last for 10 minutes but lasted for about 20 minutes. From all indication this Learner 1 is a good student and very vocal and expressive student. Based on the answers she provided, she seems to fits into all the Visual Auditory and Reading , Kinesthetic learning style, but show more interest in touching and doing whatever she sees, read. The learner is well informed about her cultural settings and very fluent in her local dialects, though the English is not flowing like the local language she has a very good potential in mastering the English language. Her confident is good, she even laughed at herself whenever she feels like her expression in English is funny and incorrect.
The community is a farming and trading community. Most learners’ parents are petty traders and farmers, learners’ are obliged to offer assistance to their parents. Often times these learners are even the traders or farmers. Despite the free education they need to assist their parents in whatever venture they are into. These act of assistance also help the learners to know and learn the trade by which their parents are into by so doing cultural and traditional training and occupations are passed on the children.
But sometimes these acts of extra curriculum activities often have a toll on their academic performance. It should be balanced in a way that the learners can willy nelly help their parents at home and still get involved academically.
And sometimes too the learners who have phone confirmed that whenever they are free they spend more time on phone. So technically they see phone as a distraction when it’s time for them to learn. This is just a matter of priority and discipline, but [proactive approach] can be adopted to use the phone productively whenever they are at home.
Though the interview with the other three learners with different socio-economic, cultural and linguistic background and upbringings seems to be varied, their story seems to align to the Learner 1 story.
RECOMMENDATION
With the academic knowledge and instructional information I have been equipped with about learning styles and learning needs of learners, we can all agreed that learners need to succeed academically and non-academically. Just as we breath and have right to basic needs as humans, I believe these learners need to be equipped with basic learning needs.
Some of these Basic Learner Needs Are:
- Every learner needs to know how to learn : Every learner needs to know all the strategies available to learning effectively and know which one works best for him or her.
- Every learner needs self-aware, self identity and self-knowledge : Who am I? and what am I to my community? Friends and family? How can I be beneficiary to my community? As part of sense of self identity the learner can find his place and thrive and pursue his desirable ambition
- Every Learner needs constructive feedback not judgement : Constructive feedback is corrective and warming, it helps as a guide Judgement can be demoralized a passionate learner
- Every learner needs to play. Learners need to collaborate with their peers and play and practice with variety of models, educational tools.
- Every learner have to be able to read and right : The foundation of education is actually literacy and numeracy. And all learners need to be able to read, write and do basic arithmetic.
This Child Study experience gave me the exposure to understand learners, how they are taught and how to effectively teach and guide them to be successful in their academic journey and out of classroom.
Shout Out to www.google.com, T-TeL, EPBJHS, AkatsiCo STS Units, etc for easy access to resources
