You are on page 1of 2

passiveness is the cultural features of the Confucian heritage culture which is

claimed to shape students learning style (Tuyet, 2013).


Students are passive in part because instruction continues to be so didactic. A
survey of 172,000 faculty in the US (nearly one out of every three) found that 76
percent list the lecture as their primary instructional method (Finkelstein, Seal,
and Schuster 1998)
Good (1981, In Good etc 1987) suggests that cenain teacher behaviors induce
passivity in low-achieving students. For example, many teachers call on students
perceived to be low achievers less often, wait less time for them to respond, give
them answers rather than try to help them improve their responses when they
answer incorrectly, are less likely to praise their successes, and are more likely to
criticize their failures. Because low achievers are less likely to answer correctly
and because their mistakes occur in public, they have to deal with high levels of
ambiguity and risk when they respond. Under the circumstances, a good strategy
for them is to remain passivenot to volunteer and not to respond when called on
and possibly to ask fewer questions and approach the teacher less often.
Other researchers have also concluded that many students leam to be passive in
school. Research on teacher expectations (Brophy 1983; Dusek 1985; Rosenthal
1985 in Good 1987) and student expectations (Eccles and Wigfield 1985;
Weinstein 1983, 1985 in Good 1987) shows that low-achieving students in some
classrooms perceive differential teacher behavior toward high and low achievers.
Good (1987) said that A second factor that might create passivity is the tendency
for low achievers to elicit more varied teacher expectations than other students.
Teachers may treat low achievers inconsistently over the course of the school year,
trying one approach after another in an attempt to find something that works. Low
achievers may have more teachers (if they are in remedial or special education),
and these teachers may use different strategies for working with them. Some
teachers minimize interactions with low achievers and are critical of them, but
other teachers seek them out frequently and provide a great deal of encouragement
and suppon. Some teachers call on low achievers frequently in an attempt to get
them to panicipate more often, but other teachers mostly avoid them. Some
teachers rarely praise their successes, but others praise almost everything they do,
even responses that are incorrect.
Good (1987) said that Student passivity is a likely outcome of such diverse
treatment and expectations. Not knowing what to do, low achievers may leam to
avoid initiations and wait for the teacher to stmcture their behavior. We examine
how frequently low achievers in various grade levels asked questions.

One way to improve student learning is to ask students to respond to questions


rather than just passively absorbing lecture material. Dietz-Uhler and Lanter
(2009) found that quiz grades significantly improved when students were given
questions prior to the quiz. This process, according to the authors, allowed
students time to reflect on the questions, thereby increasing comprehension.
Narloch, Garbin, and Turnage (2006) found that prelecture quizzes significantly
improved students exam grades on multiple-choice and essay questions.

Gier. V,S., Kreiner. D, S. (2009). Incorporating active learning with PowerpointBased lectures using content-based questions. Journal of Teaching of Psychology.
Vol. 36(2). Pg 134-139.
Good, T. L., Slavings, R. L., Harel, K.H., Emerson, H. (1987). Student passivity:
A Study of Question Asking ESf K-12 Classrooms. Journal of Sociology and
Education. Vol. 60 (July). pg 181-199
Tuyet,T.T. (2013). The Cause of Passiveness in learning of Vietnamese Student.
Journal of Education Research. Vol. 29 (2). Pg 72-84.
Finkelstein, M.J., R.K. Seal, and J. Schuster. 1998. The New Academic
Generation: A Profession in Transformation. Baltimore: The John Hopkins
University Press.

You might also like