LESSON FOUR

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LEARNING

4.0 INTRODUCTION
The learning-teaching process is a highly complex one. The complexity
arises due to the fact that many variables interact with each other to
enhance or hinder learning. This lesson examines these factors as they
operate inside and outside the classroom and their effect on learning.

4.1 OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson the student-teacher will be able to
Discuss how each of the following factors operates to either promote or
hinder learning
 The teacher
 The learning environment
 The learner
 The subject matter

4.2 THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LEARNING

 When we think about learning, the concern is about delivery of

content assumedly from the teacher to the learner. The teacher is
seen as the source of knowledge and his role is to deliver the
content for learners to imbibe.

 This lesson intends to bring out the fact that delivery of content by
the teacher or even the imbibing of the same is not a simple
matter. It is complicated and involves dynamic interactions of
multi-faceted variables.

 This lesson discusses the following variables and the operation of

each one of them in influencing or hindering learning.
- The teacher
- The learning environment
- The learner
- The subject matter

4.2.1 The Teacher

When we look at the teacher’s role in influencing learning, there is need

to take into account several factors. Crucially, we should recognize the
role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning. As a facilitator of learning
the teacher has the enormous responsibility of ensuring that everything
he does goes a long way in facilitating or hindering learning. Even before
we consider the delivery of content it is imperative to look at other issues
pertinent to the teachers role. Some of the issues may look minor or
irrelevant but their impact is not to be ignored. For example

4.2.2 The Teachers Grooming

This refers to teacher’s management of self in terms of dressing and

general appearance. The teacher should be consciously aware of his role
as a model. While he may not afford designer clothes, he is required to
take good care of what he wears.

It should be clear to the students that the teacher takes time every
morning to make himself presentable in every possible way.

Any teacher whose personal presentation is shoddy does himself and the
student a disservice. The teacher should dress in a manner that is
compliant with the expectations. Both males and females can indecent.

We realize that what is decent or indecent is relative and therefore leave

it to individual teachers to use their good discretion in order to observe
acceptable modes of dress. In any case the manner of dress and
grooming tell a lot about a person.

When people first see you as a teacher, they judge you by your
appearance before they know whether you can teach or not.

4.2.3 Teachers Competence

The teacher’s competence is considered in several issues. First among

them his ability to handle the subject matter and secondly his classroom
management skills. Thirdly not least in importance is his communication
ability.

The teacher’s competence in these areas is paramount because it can

determine the amount of learning that takes place.

We need to be emphatic that the teacher should be well informed

regarding the subject matter, conversant and comfortable with its
scholarship and methods of delivery.

4.2.4 Classroom Management

Classroom management is a lecture discussed in this module and

therefore it cannot be covered in any depth here. However it should
suffice to say that a good teacher is a good classroom manager.
He knows what to do when confronted with the specific challenges that
present themselves in any classroom situation.

He posses the necessary skills to adequately handle all manner of issues

that arise inside the classroom.
A good classroom manager is a good organizer. He is organized in his
daily operations and in the classroom.

Good organization helps to save time and other resources.

4.2.5 The Teachers Communication Ability

Good communication is an art. It does not necessary require the teacher

to use huge bombastic words so that pupils know that he went to school
it does not require him to be a walking dictionary either. It calls upon the
teacher to gauge the weight of his words depending on the recipients’
level. He should be fluent, clear and simple of course we do realize that
each subject has its own technical jargon. The teacher should ensure
that these technical words are well understood by the learners.

A good teacher is a good businessman. He should treat students like

clients. For this reason he should maintain a pleasant atmosphere and
not show hostility. Some teachers behave as if the classroom is a war
zone and sometimes they have good reason to do so. If the teacher knows
that he is unprepared for the lesson or lacks the necessary mastery of
content he may result to the use of defense mechanisms like fault
finding, being excessively punitive among other negative practices. One
important aspect of teacher behavior is hid attitude towards the
profession, the school the pupils or even himself. If the teacher’s general
attitude is positive he will most likely maintain conditions favorable for
learning.

4.3 THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The learning environment refers to the facilities available for use by the
learners. These are; the classrooms, the fields, the laboratories, the
dining room and the dormitories. The issues of concern here are
appropriateness or inappropriateness, overcrowded-ness, ventilation and
the psychological environment.

4.3.1 Over-crowdedness

Speaking to teachers reveals that many classrooms in Kenyan schools

are overcrowded. In some classrooms the teacher does not have space to
stand or even move around. This means he cannot monitor learners’
behavior effectively.

A classroom that is overcrowded is uncomfortable for both the teacher

and the learners.

Overcrowded ness is a factor causing maladjusted behavior.

If the teacher is unable to access every pupil in the classroom there are
those pupils who will engage in divergent acts like writing letters, reading
novels, dozing or even daydreaming while the lesson is in progress.

4.3.2 Appropriateness

There are learning environments which are inappropriate for use, For
example

 Lessons that are scheduled in the dining hall next to the school
kitchen. In this environment learners are exposed to the various
stages of food preparations as well as the changing smells as the
food gets ready. Hungry learners will not be motivated to be very
attentive during the last two lessons just before lunchtime break.

 Also there are schools whose locations are inappropriate, here I

have in mind those schools in middle of towns sandwiched with
bars, hotels and noisy operations that go on and on in the heart of
town. These schools have to be a big hindrance to learning.

4.3.3 Ventilation
Ventilation refers to the amount of air circulating in the classroom. Fresh
air is important because it burns food into energy. If there is enough air
circulating in the classroom the pupils are likely to keep awake, alert and
attentive. However if the classroom is poorly ventilated the learners are
likely to be dull, lethargic and inattentive.
 Poor ventilation can be caused by overcrowded-ness and
inappropriateness of a learning environment. For learning to be
influenced positively the issue of proper ventilation should be
addressed in every school facility.

4.3.4 Quality Of Buildings

The overall quality of the school buildings is an important factor in either

promoting or hindering conditions for learning. Buildings provide
security and warmth. Properly constructed buildings keep the natural
elements away i.e. the rain, the wind, the sun, the cold.
  If the school buildings are not firm the wind blows away the roofs
and sometimes children are harmed or even killed.

 During the rainy season children feel unsafe particularly in

lightning prone areas. If no lightning arrestors are installed then
children live in fear because they know they are likely to be
harmed or even killed by lightening.

 Even issues such as ensuring that the classroom has a ceiling can
affect learning.

 Without a ceiling the classroom can become uncomfortable

particularly when it is raining. Pupils can have most of the rainy
afternoon wasted because the teacher’s voice gets drowned in the
din of the raindrops on the iron roofs.

 Sometimes pupils learn in buildings that have been condemned

and therefore unsafe. They may be afraid that walls or roofs will
cave in and injure them.

4.4 The Learner Characteristics

The learner is the person for whom the learning process is intended. The
teacher should always bear in mind the fact that learners bring to class a
wide range of differences in any one-classroom situation. These
differences are bound to influence learning. In this lesson the following
learner characteristics are addressed:

 Personality dispositions.
 Intellectual giftedness.
 Motivational levels.
 Conflicts of interest.
 Social-economic backgrounds.

4.4.1 Personality dispositions

Some of the personality dispositions of learners that the teacher needs to
understand are the following emotionality, sociability, and ability to cope
with stress and even management of problem situations.
There are learners who have serious problems managing anger,
frustration and other emotions they experience. As a result learning is
affected negatively.

 Also there are those pupils who have problems making and
keeping friends due to deficiency in social skills they may be in
 constant conflict with peers and classmates a situation, which will
affect learning for them and their peers.

 Coping with stress and even managing problem situations cause

difficulties for some pupils.

 Basically the teacher should be ware that if there are problems

emanating from any of these issues learning will not be promoted.

4.4.2 Intellectual Giftedness

Learners bring to class differences in intellectual giftedness. There is the

high, the average and low intellectual giftedness. Sometimes a teacher
may conduct a lesson that favors the highly gifted learners.

 It is the intention of this lesson to remind the teacher that every

learner has the right to benefit from classroom interactions. Every
learner should be given a chance to benefit from the lesson.

 The view that the classroom is owned by a few learners while the
majority is there to warm it for the gifted ones should be discarded.

 The teacher should cater for individual differences to ensure that

every learner is attended to.

 The teacher should also make sure that each learner is helped to
realize their potential so that an A student gets the A the B student
gets the B and so on.

 Any A student who gets a B is under achieving and any B student

who gets a C is under achieving and this situation should not be
accepted nor allowed.

 If a learner is under achieving proper investigation as to why this

is happening should be carried out.

4.4.3 Motivational Levels

An examination of motivation levels shows that a learner may be highly

motivated and therefore spends a lot of time and energy pursuing a
subject. Another learner may have only average motivation while yet
another learner may lack motivation completely.
  The teacher should discover ways and means of maintaining the
high levels of motivation in highly motivated learners.

 He should also find out why learners may lack motivation to

pursue a subject.

 Motivation and achievement are related in that the highly

motivated learner is expected to show high performance in tasks
and conversely the low motivation translates itself in poor
performance.

 The teacher should discover both the teacher and learner factors
that cause low motivation.

 Lesson seven which is on motivation will help the teacher to

develop skills to use to motivate the learners. All the pertinent
issues will be handled in detail in that lesson.

4.4.4 Conflicts of interest

Sometimes learners fail to attend to the learning task even when the
teacher is doing his best to promote conditions for learning. This can
happen if the pupil has other interests that conflict with the learning
tasks.

 Sometimes the pupil has a problem that is social in nature, may be

news from home that somebody is unwell or their is disharmony.
During the lesson those home issues distract this particular
learner.

 May be the pupil has quarreled with a friend or has been wronged
by another and tends to focus his interest in this direction other
than to the ongoing lesson.

 There are many things that could distract a learner at any one-
time and the teacher should handle each issue with a lot of
sensitivity.

4.4.5 The Social Economic Backgrounds

The pupil’s social economic backgrounds is a factor that will influence

learning one way or the other. Some learners come from backgrounds
where they lack resources needed for learning. They may not have books
or writing materials or even adequate facilities to do their home work or
further study.
  When these pupils come to school with unfinished work, untidy
work or even late, the teacher should handle each situation with
sensitivity because at times the teacher’s approach to a problem
may actually aggravate it instead of easing it.

4.5 The Subject Matter

Many years ago Ausubel (1978), Brunner (1960) stated that schools exist
to foster intellectual growth by transmitting knowledge and basic skills.
They further acknowledge that learning should facilitate intellectual
growth. For this reason it is important to discover those factors that
coupled with those discussed above will facilitate learning in the
classroom situation, of course when the teacher goes to any classroom
with the purpose of holding a teaching learning session he takes with
him certain content.

 The content can be referred to as subject matter, which in turn can

be translated to mean certain facts, principles, skills or
procedures. These could be from any subject, topic or sub-topic.

 If all other factors are considered that is the learning environment,

the teacher characteristics, the learner characteristics and so on
then the teacher turns focus on what should be done to make the
content learnable.

 The teacher must ensure that the content is presented in such a

way that the learners can imbibe or assimilate it into their
cognitive structure.

 The most important factor to consider here is ensuring that the

learner finds the content meaningful. Meaningfulness of content is
a critical issue in the sense that it leads to understanding. Indeed
meaningfulness and understanding are the essence of classroom
learning.

4.5.1 Meaningfulness of Material

The importance of meaningfulness of content lies in the fact that, what is

meaningful is easy to process mentally.

 It rends itself easy for storage in memory.

 It is easier to retrieve.
  It makes the learner comfortable and ready for further learning

 This reduces frustration for both the learner and the teacher.

 This fact has been demonstrated amply in experiments where

learners are exposed meaningless content by rote. When memory
of content is tested one thing comes out crystal clear. That is,
learners will remember meaningful content better. They will have
problems remembering meaningless content. In order to illustrate
this point study the following content and give you a minute to
recall content on List B.

Activity
Try to recall the following content in memory and to recall it. Give yourself 30 seconds
to read list A. Try to recall the content in 30 seconds. Do the same for list B.

List A List B
Nkeot Class
Ikn Pupil
Enfik Teacher
Iyuor Ivory
Recealit Knife
Ssalc Token
Lipup Ink

I am sure that you have discovered that it is difficult to process and

remember content A while content B poses no problem at all whatsoever.
The same thing happens to the pupils. If they find the content
meaningless, they are unable to process it and to remember it. For this
reason the teacher should make every possible effort to ensure that the
learner finds content meaningful. In order to achieve this goal the
teacher could try the following suggestion.

Exposing the teacher to potentially meaningful material. This refers to

ensuring that the content has the potentiality of being meaningful to the
learner. This can be tricky at times. Sometimes the teacher himself may
experience difficulty processing content and finding it meaningful.
If the teacher does not find the content meaningful, then it becomes
meaningful, then it becomes difficult to help the learner to find it
meaningful. This is allegorical to the blind man who cannot lead another.
Of course a teacher will never admit that he finds content difficult. At
best he will deal with it superficially, or skip it. Some teachers will
demand that learners make notes from textbooks. I intend to assure the
teacher that he can avoid embarrassing situations while dealing with
content. He should admit it to himself that work needs to be done to
make content meaningful to himself. He should follow the suggestions
given below.

 Read several sources of particular information. Different sources

highlight different angles of a situation. After reading those sources
the teacher will be more enlightened.

 The teacher could also consult colleagues who will share their own
experiences, their approach, even sources they have found helpful.
By the forgoing the teacher is required to be resourceful and not
rely on a single textbook or some notes made many years ago.

 The teacher should keep abreast with current developments in the

content area. He should have more in his bags of tricks so that at
no time should he find himself inadequate.

 The teacher who finds content meaningful goes a step further to

ensure that the learner is helped to find meaningfulness as well.

 In this context the teacher should select the content, organize it in

a potentially meaningful way.

 To do this the teacher ensures that the content is consistent with

the learner’s developmental level. This means that before content is
presented to the leaner, the teacher has already gauged the
readiness level of the learner.

 This refers to cognitive or mental ability of the learner to imbibe

the content.

 Here, the learner’s motivation also counts. By learner motivation

we refer to the learners desire to want to know.

4.5.2 Readiness Of The Learner

It is important to look at the role of the teacher closely in this context.
 The first thing he should do is to assess the readiness of the
learner by identifying the knowledge the learner already possesses,
the learners abilities, motives and experiences and make the
starting point.
 Secondly present the material in a style that captures the student’s
interest. In doing this, the teacher ensures that the content is well
 linked with the learner’s experiences and where examples are given
they should be derived from the learners world.
 Problems are experienced in some cases when teachers make the
subject matter abstract. Abstract content has no bearing in the
lives and experiences of the learners. It is irrelevant and therefore
learning it becomes difficult.
 Bringing out usefulness of content is an important concept. This is
the idea of making the content relevant to the needs of the learner
making him perceive it as useful to him.

4.5.3 Activity

Think about a particular topic in any of your teaching subjects. Identify ways and means
of bringing out its usefulness or relevance in the lives of learners. What is it about the
content that should make learners want to learn it?
Draw from the following reasons and any others you may think about
 Every year a question is always set from the topic in the KCSE examination
 The content is useful in every day to day life of the learner and give examples
 The content helps in understanding other concepts in the same subject or in other
subjects
 A C.A.T. will be set from the topic
 The content is interesting in its own right.

4.5.4 Discovery learning

Still on the issue of encouraging meaning and understanding, the
teacher should encourage discovery learning.

 This can be done by giving learners assignments that require them

to do their individual or group projects in the library or in the field.
In this the teacher should refer to learners to specific sources of
information with enough guidance that spells out the concepts,
meanings and relationships to be discovered.

 Once learners have done their projects, they can present their
findings in class for the purposes of enriching each pupils or
groups findings by integrating all the findings.

 This way each learner acquires additional information on points

they had missed out.

 This method works on the principle that knowledge that is self-

discovered is more significant to the learner and is remembered
better.
4.5.5 Concept Learning

Concept learning too enhances both meaningfulness of content and

understanding for the benefit of enhancement of learning. The learner
should not be exposed to facts that are isolated. Instead he should be
helped to perceive relationships, classifications. In other words, he
should be exposed to the big picture and not small unrelated pictures. If
the learner can understand a concept then he can also transfer the
knowledge to future situations.

4.6 SUMMARY
In this lecture we have looked at factors that influence learning. We have identified the role
played by the following specific factors.
 Learning mainly deals with delivery of content.
 There are teacher characteristics, which could operate to enhance or hinder learning.
 There are characteristics of the learning environment, which will promote or hinder learning.
 Learner characteristics with a focus on differences that exist among learners.
 The characteristics of the subject matter dwelling on meaning an understanding.

4.7 KEY WORDS

Imbibe - to assimilate knowledge

Intellectual giftedness: - refers to the variations in intelligence that occurs in any one-
classroom situation. Some learners have a high IQ scores others are average and others
low.

Learning environment: - Any environmental factor that affects learning. It can refer to
the physical environment or the social environment.

Motivational levels: - The amount of energy a learner directs towards the learning task.

Rote: - memorization of meaningless content that the learner does not really understands.

Subject matter: -content or the skills, facts, principles that the teacher intends to deliver.

Teacher characteristics: -Any teacher factor that influences learning. The characteristics
have to do with teacher personality, mastery of content, classroom management, attitudes
etc.

4.8 REVIEW/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Discuss how the following factors are likely to have a positive effect on learning:
1.1. Grooming.
1.2. Mastery of content.
1.3. Positive attitudes towards learners.
2. Explain what schools should do to ensure the following environmental conditions
facilitate learning:
 2.1. The classrooms.
2.2. The location of the school.
3. Outline what you should do in order to ensure that learners find content meaningful.
4. In you own opinion, which factors predominate to determine what learners will learn
easily and what they will find difficult to learn?

5. Discuss how the following factors are likely to have a positive effect on learning:
5.1. Grooming.
5.2. Mastery of content.
5.3. Positive attitudes towards learners.
6. Explain what schools should do to ensure the following environmental conditions
facilitate learning:
6.1. The classrooms.
6.2. The location of the school.
7. Outline what you should do in order to ensure that learners find content meaningful.
8. In your own opinion, which factors predominate to determine what learners will learn
easily and what they will find difficult to learn?