Helping Students Think Independently in HSIE - Assignment Example

Helping Students Think Independently in HSIE Part A Teachers of Society and Culture can best go about teaching students to think independently by taking into account the central concern of the curriculum, which according to is facilitating interaction of persons, societies, and environments and time. In particular, teachers should promote awareness of societies and culture, different aspects of power and authority, gender relations, technology, and help students understand another culture. These can be achieved through individual study and group where students thing independently by managing their own learning and work in areas relevant to their lives . Teachers of Society and Culture therefore should promote critical thinking and independence of mind and avoid providing students with false security such as reliance on experts’ views or authorities who can resolve issues for them . Moreover, teachers according to and should abandon their authority as experts in the classroom, remain neutral on controversial issues, and let students understand the implications and assume responsibility of their personal views. Independent thinking is a sophisticated form of reasoning and it can be achieved if students are allowed to adopt their own position, argue and build a case around the issue . For this reason, teachers of Society and Culture must avoid practices that result to indoctrination, suppression of other perspectives, and communication of own personal bias . Teachers of Society and Culture can also adopt problem-centred classroom approach where students are asked to find solutions to problems, generate hypothesis, gather and examine data, and evaluate the results. This approach according help students acquire effective planning skills and ability to figure out solutions by themselves. Providing students with sufficient information and knowledge is risky as research according to suggest that teaching strategy that dwells entirely on providing knowledge often deprive students with the opportunity to think . Instead, teachers should stimulate student thinking through classroom discussions designed to extend students understanding and thinking of a particular topic and questioning patterns that help students process the content they are learning . For instance, initiating discourse by asking open questions or start a dialogue by posing authentic questions (a question where the person inquiring genuinely has no idea of the answer) and incorporating previous answers into the subsequent questions . Along with supportive classroom practices such as providing adequate time, instruction, and response, giving students the opportunity to tackle controversial issues is an effective way of teaching independently thinking . This is because dealing with controversial issues in the classroom help students develop decision-making ability and well-informed judgement . For instance, findings from social education research according to suggest that the exploration of controversial issue often lead to positive citizenship, lower levels of cynicism, increased levels of political efficacy and sense of citizen duty. The teaching approach therefore should foster autonomy and critical awareness, one that engage students with facts that has meaning in their lives, exploratory of student views and provides better understanding of bias and partiality of evidence including sensitivity to other people’s opinion . Students on the other hand must be willing to formulate their own opinions from the knowledge and understanding gained from their teacher, share their views to their peers, and express their decisions whenever necessary . They should take the initiative to engage in independent thinking in both school and beyond, support their views with evidence, and let their ideas change and grow . Moreover, aside from accepting the reality that there are differing views and interpretations, students should learn to question their own interpretations and weigh them against evidence . Critical thinking and application of skills and strategies learned in class can help students to become independent learners . This is because critical thinking promotes independent thinking, self-sufficiency, self-direction, and reasoned judgement in both thinking and action . Since group working according to encourages communication and exchange of ideas, students should learn to work with others, accept individual differences, and deal with stress and criticism appropriately. Team or group working encourage independent thinking as it involves diverse ideas, constructive controversies, allows exploration of team members views, and deter tendencies to conform with majority view . In order to become independent thinkers, students according to should learn to ask important questions, able to critically assess statements and arguments, curious and often involved in finding solutions, investigate assumptions and beliefs, listen to others, and weigh things against facts. In summary, teachers should use teaching strategies that encourages students to assume responsibility for his learning and development, develop the habit of self-questioning, provide reasons and identify purposes, evaluate outcomes and make judgement . They must pass the locus of control to students and teach students to regulate and monitor their thinking . Teachers should provide students with supportive or more permissive atmosphere so they can develop sense of responsibility, decide their own course of action, and freely express their divergent and original thinking . Teachers should create a community of learners where active learning, interaction and peer feedback are valued . They should always connect learning experiences to students’ life experiences and interest, focus on development of critical-thinking skills, reasoning, reflection of purpose and ideas, and provide adequate time and instruction as students make decisions . Students on the other hand should cooperate and willing to assume responsibility over their learning, accept individual differences, examine assumptions and belief, listen to other views, think critically and independently . Part B (500 words) “Culture” is a suitable topic for students undertaking the Personal Interest Project as this topic according to can help them gain knowledge about beliefs, customs, values, laws, and solve present and future problems on their own. The methodologies appropriate for topic include those from quantitative and qualitative research such as interviews and observations, case study, questionnaire, and others. Interview and observation for instance, can provide students with the opportunity to ask participants to express and explain their beliefs and values . The Case Study methodology on the other hand can help students examine culture in real-life setting and develop theories by studying examining a single or multiple cases such as cultural issues, settings, events, and phenomena . Students applying the Case Study method of research are exploring issues in depth and in context, thus gathering detailed evidence is important. For this reason, they must plan and take practical steps such as those recommended by below. a. Choosing the most appropriate case study Students must develop criteria about the kind of organisation or group of people to be included in the case study. Determine the necessity and resources required in undertaking more than one case and how it these cases can be contrasted with each other . b. Gain and maintain access to case study subject and information Students must pay close attention to the need for repeated access to the organisation or group of people selected. They must therefore, establish relationship with important people in the organisation, stakeholders, and others . c. Structure and organise the research Structure the case study in a manner that they will not be overwhelmed by data. Students must organised the research around small and manageable number of simple but generally focused research questions . d. Systematically Collect and Manage Data Identify individual or groups and research methods to use. Set up a research protocol so that theories can be explicitly tested, propositions can be explored, and important data can be collected. Collect data through interviews and observation and manage data accordingly. Note and record impression, insights, theoretical thoughts, and observations that may be drawn out from the group or individual members . e. Analyse Data Students must organise collected data around the topics, key themes or questions. Determine patterns or grouping of similar topics, refine certain types of data whenever necessary, and consider alternative explanations of features and facts. Carefully check construct and theory against different sources of evidence to avoid bias and increase internal validity of the research. Check and review findings by referencing existing literature. Examine consistency and difference from existing research, and develop theory out these similarities and differences . f. Pay careful attention to anonymity and confidentiality of data In order to conduct an ethical research, students undertaking the project according to must gain consent from participants, maintain confidentiality of information, and protect anonymity of research participants. References Andrew, D. P. S., Pedersen, P. M., & McEvoy, C. D. (2011). Research Methods and Design in Sport Management: Human Kinetics. Arends, D., & Kilcher, A. (2010). Teaching for Student Learning: Becoming an Accomplished Teacher: Taylor & Francis. Arthur, J., & Cremin, H. (2013). Debates in Citizenship Education: Taylor & Francis. Blake, N., Smeyers, P., Smith, R. D., & Standish, P. (2008). The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education: Wiley. Board of Studies NSW. (2000). Society and Culture: Stage 6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW. Casey, M. B., & Tucker, E. C. (1994). 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