University of Algiers 2 \ faculty of Foreign Languages \ Department of English\ Academic year 2021-2022

Groups: 1& 3 Teacher: Ms. Salhi

Course: ESP

THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS: a Review

Introduction

Language education has developed along with the development of linguistic theories which build the
foundation of language teaching in general and English language teaching in particular. The latter have
known more or less various prolonged transitional periods depending on whether or not the old ways of
learning & teaching were found to be too rigid and too out-dated, understanding the teaching-learning
process is key to understand the necessity for these shifts.

THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS is the heart of education, and on it depends the fulfillment of
the aims & objectives of education. It is the most powerful instrument of education to bring about desired
changes in the students. Teaching and learning are related terms. In the teaching - learning process, the
teacher, the learner, the curriculum & other variables are organized in a systematic way to attain some pre-
determined goal.

LEARNING

Learning can be defined as the relatively permanent change in an individual's behavior or behavior
potential (or capability) as a result of experience or practice (i.e., an internal change inferred from overt
behavior). This can be compared with the other primary process producing relatively permanent change--
maturation--that results from biological growth and development. Therefore, when we see a relatively
permanent change in others, or ourselves we know that the primary cause was either maturation (biology) or
learning (experience). As educators, there is nothing we can do to alter an individual’s biology; the only
influence open to use is to provide an opportunity for students to engage in experiences that will lead to
relatively permanent change.

Teaching then, can be thought of as the purposeful direction and management of the learning process. Note
that teaching is not giving knowledge or skills to students; teaching is the process of providing opportunities
for students to produce relatively permanent change through the engagement in experiences provided by the
teacher.

Definition of learning given by various psychologists:

 Daniel Bell - Learning is modification due to energies of organism and environment impinging on
the organism itself.
 Gates - Learning is modification of behaviour through experience.
  Crow – Crow - Learning involves the acquisition of habits, knowledge and attitude.
 Ruch - Learning is a process, which bring about changes in the individual way of responding as a
result of contact with aspects of environment.
 Skinner – Learning as acquisition and retention.
 Encyclopedia of Education Research - Learning refers to growth of interest, knowledge and skills
and to transfer these to new situation.

Definition of teaching given by various psychologists:

 H.C. Morrison – Teaching is an intimate contact between a more mature personality and a less mature
one which is designed to further the education of the latter.

 J. Brubacher – Teaching is an arrangement and manipulation of a situation in which there are gaps and
obstructions, which an individual will seek to overcome and from in which he will learn in the course of
doing so.

 B.O. Smith – Teaching is a system of actions involving an agent, an end in view, and a situation
including two sets of factors – those over which the agent has no control (class size, size of classroom,
physical characteristics of pupil etc.) and those that he can modify (way of asking questions or ideas
gleaned.)

 Edmund Amidon – Teaching is defined as an interactive process, primarily involving classroom talk,
which takes place between teacher and pupil and occurs during certain definable activities.

 T.F. Greens – Teaching is a task of a teacher, which is performed for the development of a child.

Essential aspects of the teaching-learning process

It is informative to examine the ideal teaching-learning process, as proposed by Diana Laurillard (Laurillard,
1993; Laurillard, 1994). She argues that there are four aspects of the teaching-learning process:
(a) Discussion - between the teacher and learner.
(b) Interaction - between the learner and some aspect of the world defined by the teacher.
(c) Adaptation - of the world by the teacher and action by the learner.
(d) Reflection - on the learner's performance by both teacher and learner.
She then considers how different educational media and styles can be described in these terms. For example,
a text book represents a one-way flow of knowledge from the teacher's conceptual knowledge to the
student's conceptual knowledge. A lecture or tutorial may be seen the same way, but there is a possibility of
meaningful discussion between teacher and learner.
Discussion
Teacher’s Conceptual Student’s Conceptual
Knowledge Knowledge

Reflection on Adaptation of Adaptation of Reflection on

Student World Action Interaction

Teacher’s Constructed Student Experimental

World Interaction Knowledge

Figure 1 : Essential aspects of the ideal teaching-learning process

TEACHING PROCESS
Approaches, Attitudes,
Behaviour, Materials, Modes of
Learning
COURSE DESIGN
INPUT FACTORS Content, Organization, Aims &
Student characteristics Expectation, Teaching and
Teacher characteristics Learning Methods
Institutional characteristics
And Culture TEACHING LEARNING

LEARNING
OUTCOMES

ENVIRONMENT
LEARNING CLIMATE STUDENT APPROACH TO
Psychosocial Environment LEARNING
Physical Environment

ASSESSMENT &
EVALUATION
Approaches, Practices, Purposes
And Foci

Figure 2: Teaching - Learning Environment

According to Burton in the figure above

1) Teaching can become effective only by relating it to process of learning.

2) Teaching objective cannot be realized without being related to learning situation.

3) We may create and use teaching aids to create some appropriate learning situation.

4) The strategies and devices of teaching may be selected in such a manner that the optimal objectives

of learning are achieved

5) To understand principles, goals, objectives of education in right perspective.

6) Appropriate learning situation condition may be created for congenial and effective teaching.