NAME: WAN AIZAT BIN WAN HASHMI

MATRIC NO: P90522

SKBI6014 ACADEMIC WRITING IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES

TASK: Article Review

SOURCE: Flavian, H. (2016). Towards teaching and beyond: Strengthening education by understanding
students’ self-awareness development. Power and Education, 8(1), 88-100.

This review will elaborate and summarize the essential components of the research article such as its
purpose, the methodology and findings that can answer its research questions. The purpose of this study is
to enable educators to gain a better understanding of the development of self-awareness among fourth –
grade students by describing the varied ways they express that self-awareness, and to demonstrate the role
of teachers during this process. In this research article, there are three research questions that need to be
answered and it is as the following:

1. RQ1: How do fourth-grade students express their self-awareness?

2. RQ2: How do fourth-grade students’ expressions of self-awareness change throughout 30 sessions of

MLE?

3. RQ3: What are teachers’ roles in the development of self-awareness among their students?

By answering the above research questions, it would help to find out on what can be done to strengthen
the process of teaching through raising students’ self-awareness. Furthermore, the cited research paper is
using Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) approach to gauge students’ expressions through a structured
process. In Mediated Learning Experience, the focus is on utilizing human mediator to stimulate the
cerebral cortex that can lead to self-awareness. Thus, the focus of a certain pedagogy will be not on
teacher himself or herself but on how students become self-aware of their learning.

The setting for this study was in a public elementary school situated in the Midwest of United States
of America (USA). The participants of this study consist of sixteen fourth-grade students, four teachers
and one school principal from one school and it lasted for one school year. In order to answer the research
questions, focus group was created and its members consist of all fourth-grade school teachers, teachers’
supervisor at the same school and one principal. In focus group, participants were asked to produce their
views with regard to the proof that they can find in school that has some relationship with self-awareness
of fourth graders. Furthermore, they managed to identify some specific traits that can be labeled as self-
awareness.

As the study was conducted for one school year, student were exposed to the MLE approach
(Feuerstein R et al. 2006) for twice a week. Researcher mediated the students based on MLE methods
program, which was integrated as part of language curriculum in school. All MLE sessions mediated by
the researcher were integrated with mandatory content as what it is in the planned curriculum with
thinking strategies so it can allow students to better develop their thinking process and become
independent learners and thinkers. With regard to class teachers, they were put under observation in order
to find a better strategy for the great implementation of MLE procedure in other lessons. Each session was
followed by a written reflection from the mediator. All students who participated in this research were
measured in two instruments, individual interviews and class observations. For participation from
teachers, they were measured in group and individual interviews.

One of the components in the research methodology is observation. It is conducted by using MLE as
its criteria of evaluation where students’ behavior and answer were being observed. Its main criteria is to
has an in-depth observational examination on the process of interactions between teacher and students,
students and students interaction and different ways in which students express themselves. All of the data
were analyzed after the observational process. All of the observational processes were conducted by both
the researcher and class teacher. The observation starts with the researcher mediating a 30-minute lesson
while the teacher observed the process. After the session, the researcher and teacher met to discuss on
how to transfer the mediation process into a practical teaching situations that can be applied in other
lessons. Furthermore, the researcher also made some observation on how the teacher taught in class for
once a week, in order to track the mediation criteria that have been applied by teacher and students in
class.

The second instrument being used is individual interviews. It was based upon open-ended questions
that were phrased from information taken from the literature and focus groups. The participant for this
instrument came from all teachers and students. It lasted only for 20 minutes and most of the questions
put great emphasis on knowing the comprehension of interviewees on their self.

In order to answer the research questions, the findings of this research were divided into three parts:
1) the teachers’ role in their students’ self-awareness development; 2) fourth-grade students’ expressions
of self-awareness; and 3) the integration of the MLE and fourth-grade students’ expressions of self-
awareness. The data did answer all of the questions but the results were discussed in a qualitative form by
the researcher.

1) The teachers’ role in their students’ self-awareness development

The result found out that those students looked up to their teachers and tried to adjust their behaviors and
learning in accordance with their expectations. Students also asked for feedback from teachers with
regard to their behaviors and answer. Example of their question is as the following: ‘Are you pleased with
my work?’ In response to that question, the teachers replied with question ‘Are you pleased?’ In asking
for further feedback, students changed their questions and as the following: ‘I think I am doing pretty well
here but I am not sure how to continue with my assignment, can you help me?’ As the process of
interaction between teacher and students go smoothly without any interruption, its final outcome can lead
to great information about what is a great teaching and learning session. The condition is further proved
with an individual interview with one of class teachers. According to the interviewee, the awareness of
her role as self-awareness developer can lead to an effective teaching-learning interaction.

2) Fourth-grade students’ expressions of self-awareness

The data did show that fourth-grade students understand the meaning of self-awareness, and express their
awareness in a variety ways such as through emotional awareness; awareness of age and growth;
behavioral awareness; academic awareness; awareness of societal roles; and awareness through MLE
processes.

3) The integration of the MLE and fourth-grade students’ expressions of self-awareness

MLE approach was used commonly in the research and being used for semi-structured observations. It
also served the purpose of understanding students’ self-awareness expressions and how it can be related
to the expression in school activities. From the beginning of the study, students barely expressed
themselves clearly to the researcher or teacher. MLE provided some assistance to students to understand
the process involved in developing one’s self. MLE also received positive feedback from school teachers
about its usefulness in classroom teaching. One of their comments as the following: ‘After so many years
of teaching, I began planning my lesson differently. Thinking MLE made me think of how my students
think, what they may be aware of and how they will think when I am not with them.’

Summary

Based on the study, it can be deduced that there is a positive relationship between self-awareness
development and MLE. Moreover, it also can be specified in two angles: 1) Self-awareness can be raised
through MLE; 2) the educators’ willingness to try new cognitive process with their students.

The strength or usefulness of this study relies on its ability to measure students’ self-awareness
through MLE teaching criteria. From there, the researcher can gauged some informational data from the
students about how they aware about their learning and how they express themselves in all of the
activities that have been conducted. Moreover, the individual interviews data from school teachers
provide some realistic information with regard to the successfulness of MLE in raising self-awareness and
students’ ability to think in a constructive manner. Based on findings, this study is highly beneficial to
teachers, stakeholders and research students who want to improve the teaching system in a psychological
manner such as MLE.

Even though the study is something that can be proud of, it also has its own limitation. The study
only focuses on one school and it cannot be generalized to all schools. Furthermore, the research
methodology is only in two aspects, observation and individual interviews that can be questioned more
with regard to its reliability and validity.

Based on the study, it can be understood that students’ mind can be changed if there is a will from the
educators to change it in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, the changes can be happened if it’s
accompanied with a strategy that can provoke students’ self-awareness in being an independent learner.
Thus, further research on this topic should be done but in a different and larger context. As this study can
provide some motivational improvement to people in the classroom, it is hopeful that future research will
be conducted in a multiracial setting because of its significance in exploring students’ cognitive ability
that can be specified to all sociocultural level.

References

Feuerstein R, RS, F., L, F. & et al. 2006. Creating and Enhancing Cognitive Modifiability: The
Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Program. Jerusalem: International Center for the Enhancement
of Learning Potential.