Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
University of Diyala
College of Education For Humanities
Department of English
Learning and Teaching
This report was presented as a requirement for modalities and
supervised by: Muhammad Qais
Prepared By:
Department of English Language, evening Second Stage,
Section A
What’s the Difference between Learning and Teaching?
Differentiating learning and teaching is very easy. In direct definition,
teaching is giving lessons about a particular subject to a group of learners.
While learning is gaining knowledge by studying, being taught and
experiencing. Many will assume that teaching is more important than
learning, the truth is, learning is more important because it’s the end goal
of teaching. Students can learn without teachers, but teachers can’t teach
without learners.
Teaching and learning are vital processes in survival as they comprise the
very foundations of growth.
Both of these methods are necessary in achieving development by
seeking to actualize significant changes in behaviors.
Equally, they have various styles and theories that guide the education
system. They are also essentially interconnected in a way that you have to
learn something before you can actually teach it and that the act of
teaching can make you learn something.
Ergo, teaching and learning are highly crucial and related progressions.
What is Teaching?
Teaching came from the Old English word “tǣcan” which means “to
show” or “point out”. Perceptibly, when you hear the word “teach”, you
often think of classrooms, lessons, and of course, teachers who point out
various information.
Hence, it is the act of communicating ideas, emotions, and/or skills to
learners or students. Teachers focus on students or pupils’ experiences
and facilitate situations to ensure learning.
Commonly, there are two forms of teaching:
Formal
Classroom-based instruction which is facilitated by licensed professionals
falls under formal teaching. It is governed by educational systems that
have to follow certain curricula, class hours, and related standards.
Informal
Teaching that occurs outside the regulations of the classroom and does
not require licensing is categorized as informal. Examples of these are
home-based or outside-school tutorials.
What is Learning?
The term learning originated from the Old English word “leornian” which
is translated as “to get knowledge” or “to think about”. Indeed, people
learn by getting new knowledge and when they gain insights from
thinking about something.
Specifically, learning is the acquisition of new information or the
modification of existing knowledge, preferences, expertise, and other
aspects of behavior. The following are the criteria of learning:
Differences between Teaching and Learning
1. Goal of Teaching and Learning
The primary goal of teaching is to impart knowledge and to monitor
change in behavior while learning aims to understand and apply
knowledge. A teacher seeks to share what he knows whereas a learner
intends to receive new information.
2. Authority in Teaching and Learning
As compared to learners, the teachers possess higher authority.
3. Dependence in Teaching and Learning
For the teaching process to be actualized, teachers need to have students
as recipients of novel knowledge. On the other hand, learners do not
always need teachers to learn something as mere solitary experiences can
bring about realizations; hence, learning.
4. Expertise in Teaching and Learning
Teaching is characterized by a higher level of expertise as compared to
learning.
5. Curiosity in Teaching and Learning
The learning process is improved by piquing students’
curiosity. Alternatively, the teaching process is improved by looking for
a way to arouse learners’ curiosity.
6. Feedback in Teaching and Learning
Generally, teaching helps others by observing and aptly pointing out
which behaviors should be retained and altered while the learning
undertaking is marked by being able to understand the feedback as well
as apply it to future behavior.
7. Extent (with respect to existence) of Teaching and
Learning
Largely, learning is possible until our last breath. As for teaching, people
can still learn from the teachings of someone who has already passed
away.
8. Directive in Teaching and Learning
Essentially, learning cannot be mandated. Students are directed to study
but the act of learning is more of an internal process. On the contrary,
teaching can be assigned and verified through syllabi, lesson plans,
curricula, and the like.
9. Population in Teaching and Learning
As compared to learners, the population of teachers is often less. There
are usually fewer individuals involved in the teaching process than those
at the learning end.
10. Autonomy in Teaching and Learning
The teaching course is more imbued with autonomy as compared to the
learning exercises. For instance, students usually have to ask the
permission of the teacher before engaging in a certain class-related
behavior.
11. Performer of Teaching and Learning
In a typical classroom setting, the act of facilitating the lessons is
performed by the teacher while the learners are responsible for acquiring
knowledge.
12. Consciousness in Teaching and Learning
Most often, the teaching process is a conscious task while learning can be
conscious as well as unconscious. For example, we usually learn
to fear something from a negative experience from the past specially
during childhood. An acrophobic, someone who is irrationally scared of
heights, may not be aware that he has the condition because he fell from a
ladder when he was a toddler.
Teaching vs Learning: Comparison Chart
Teaching Learning
Generally concerned with imparting
Basically assumes a recipient role
knowledge
Higher authority Lower authority
Credited with better skills Viewed with lesser know-how
More dependent on the presence of learners Less dependent on the presence of teachers
Arouses learners’ curiosity and motivation Improved by being cognitively piqued
Gives feedback Understands and applies feedback
Not possible after death but can be done
Possible even after death
throughout life
Can be mandated Cannot be essentially mandated
Less teachers as compared to learners More learners as compared to teachers
More autonomy Less autonomy
Summary of Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning are interconnected key players in achieving
significant change regarding individuals’ holistic improvement.
Teaching is the process of imparting information.
Learning is the process of receiving knowledge as evidenced by a
positive or negative change which lasts for a fairly long time.
Teaching is attributed with more authority, autonomy, and expertise.
Teaching as a process needs learners while learning can happen even
without teachers.
Teaching is concerned with giving feedback while learning progresses by
understanding feedback.
A teacher who already passed away can still influence others while
learning stops when life ends.
Unlike studying, learning cannot be mandated while the act of teaching
can be covered by a directive.
There are more learners as compared to teachers
