Self theory and self in teaching and learning

Explain self theory and self in teaching and learning in your own words. Describe how your educational experiences do and do not align with the views presented this week. Identify and compose a list of goals you have for using this week’s concepts to personalize learning in your online context. Make sure to include outside references to support your post. 

Response should be 300 words with 2 references.

LESSON 2

SELF THEORY AND SELF IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Self Theory

As noted in the previous lesson, personalized learning pertains to a vision for educational equity and student success. One-size-fits-all learning simply does not work for today’s learners. Thus, programs and approaches must be tailored to students’ individual needs. What aspects of students must be considered for effective personalized learning? Brzycki (2011) explains that in order “to make teaching and learning possible, the ‘self’ of the student needs to be engaged” (p. 2). Brzycki elaborates:

As teachers, we may refer to our “self” and the “self” of each of our students frequently, but we do not always know what we mean or have an effective set of teaching tools to nurture the “self” in the classroom. The educational approach of engaging the “self” of the student as a prerequisite for learning is described directly and concretely through a research based theory known as The Self Theory in Schooling: Pathways to Adolescent Well-being (Brzycki, 2009). The thesis of the theory is that if teachers focus upon empowering the “self” of students, this will result in enhanced academic and well-being outcomes (p. 2).

It is imperative that students in face-to-face and virtual classrooms have an opportunity for enriched academic and well-being results.Brzycki (2011) points out that our educational system is intended to provide students with “the tools to succeed in life, a larger percentage are not taking advantage of this system” (p. 2). Rather, they are “literally dropping out and leaving this system, or they have disengaged emotionally and psychologically from their schooling experiences” (p. 2). He adds that even students who stay in the system are not necessarily utilizing their school experiences to “enhance their prospects for a positive life-course trajectory” (p. 3) and that they “do not know to use school to empower their full and unique potential in life” (p. 3).

An influential view of self was provided by philosopher and psychologist William James in the 1890s: “a man’s self is the sum of all that he can call his” (Brzycki, 2010, p. 683). James’ view included both inner and outer dimensions of self, where the inner dimensions include “feelings, thoughts, and spiritual understandings , while the outer dimensions were represented as physical and social” (p. 683).

In the 1900s, John Dewey expounded on “key distinctions about the self in psychology their application to education to include moral development, interests, conscious purpose, desire, and reflection” (p. 683). The subsequent movement on child-centered pedagogy included Dewey’s notions that educators should never view the self as complete and that the self is always becoming, changing, growing, and developing (Brzycki, 2010). Jerome Bruner’s work in the 1960s focused on the study of the mind “with its various levels of consciousness” (p. 684). Brzycki (2010) states the mind “includes cultural influences, and is shaped by both internal and external forces” (p. 684). This is important as Bruner viewed the role of schools in self construction “as very much a part of education (Bruner, 1996, p. 13)” (p. 684). Thus, education might be the most influential cultural institution and is an “essential pathway for developing the self” (p. 684). This perspective is echoed by Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) as they assert “research and experience in increasingly global classrooms are revealing the complex interplay of factors that influence a student’s learning (p. 22). Clearly, the” interplay between the individual, the self, and society is a complex one” (Brzycki, 2010, p. 684). Albert Bandera’s work shed light on understanding “the importance of self-efficacy as one component part of the self” (p. 684). More recent research and theory continues to develop in the areas of self-efficacy and self. As you complete this week’s readings, note the timeline of theory and research over the decades.

Self Theory in Schooling

Brzycki (2011) explains that The Self Theory in Schooling “aligns teacher beliefs with classroom practices that focus upon the integrated self that leads to academic and developmental outcomes” (p. 4). The Self Theory “situates the integrated self at the heart of teaching and learning” (Brzycki, 2010, p. 685). Brzycki (2011) explains:

This alignment will lead to both adolescent developmental outcomes and academic outcomes, and at new levels of each. Academic success, well-being and positive life course trajectories result when adolescents learn that they have control over their own destinies in life. Having the self understanding that they have control over their futures is a basic motivation, or self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 1995), of all human beings that can be learned in everyday classroom lessons. The development of this sense of control over one’s destiny begins in childhood during the elementary school years, is particularly important during the social awakening of the middle school grade levels, and continues throughout the self-defining years of high school and college (p. 4).

Brzycki draws from Susan Harter’s integrated construct of the self, which she refers to as the “self system” (p. 4), which is in alignment with Dewey’s and James’ views. He builds upon this notion and defines the self system attributes as: “self concept, self esteem, self efficacy, self understanding, identity, locus of control, self affects, and self schemas” (p. 4). This holistic view of students is parallel to Powell and Kusuma-Powell’s (2011) concept of developing student learning profiles that capture five dimensions of learning identity:

· Biological traits

· Cultural and societal factors

· Emotional and social influences

· Academic performance

· Learning preferences

It is evident that educators must gather a wide range of pre, ongoing, and post data about their students in order to best serve, inspire, engage, and motivate them. Brzycki (2010) warns that teachers and teacher educators can view the outcomes-academic and well-being-as “separate, neither integrated deeply with, nor deeply connected to, the components of the larger self” (p. 686) as current pedagogical tools and methods teachers use focus upon more narrow results. The new imperative includes the consideration of integrating the self through every day lessons by connecting “academic learning to the total development of students” (p. 687).

As you read Brzycki’s paper and chapter, spend additional time reflecting upon his Integrated Self: Model of Component Parts That Include Self System and Positive Psychology Attributes Connecting Academic Subjects to the Self Figure, lesson plan examples, and descriptions of positive psychology as a framework for these ideas. We will investigate positive psychology next week.

Knowing our Students as Learners

Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) offer a useful perspective on the importance of knowing students:

Every student presents us with a different learning puzzle that we must solve in order to give them the best opportunity. This is the goal of personalized learning-to use what we find out about our students as a key to unlock their learning potential (p. 24).

They go on to explain that acquiring a more in-depth understanding of each learner provides benefits that permit teachers to:

· Create a psychologically safe environment for each learner

· Determine each student’s readiness for learning

· Identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase engagement and success

· Develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in the classroom (p. 24).

Arguably, these are substantial benefits. But how do teachers acquire such in-depth and holistic understanding of his or her students? Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) recommend collecting data over time and develop student learning profiles that attend to the following five dimensions of learning identity:

Biological Traits

· Child’s gender, age, physical development, physical disabilities, health, motor skills, coordination, and diagnosed learning disabilities

Cultural and Societal Factors

· Child’s sense of stability, both now and in the past, economic status, ethnic and racial background, cultural identity, language, religion, norms and values, and gender expectations

Emotional and Social Influences

· Family structure, family history, recent changes or loss in the family, attitude, disposition, peer status, and self-esteem

Academic Performance

· Evidence of child’s concrete or abstract thinking skills, reading skills, attentional focus, past success, oral language development, written language, proficiency with sequencing, proficiency with categorization, and proficiency in identifying logical arguments

Learning Preferences

· Interests, intelligence preferences, learning styles, production styles, and environmental influences (p. 28).

As you read through this list of dimensions you may wonder where the aspects of self and life dreams and such exist. When you read the Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) textbook this week, you will find these aspects under the dimension of learning preferences, where they identified two areas of student interests that correlate to motivation. Pre-existing student interests includes subjects, topics, and pursuits that are a current curiosity or passion. Potential interests are topics, activities, or pursuits a student may not have been exposed to or discovered yet. Teachers can help students make connections to the curriculum so as to create enthusiastic lifelong learners.

Strategies for Gathering Learning-Profile Data

Powell and Kusuma-Powell (2011) provide questions related to each learning dimension that can assist teachers with creating student learning profiles. Beyond researching and gathering information on individual learners in order to respond to the questions, there are also practical approaches including examining records, conducting parent/student interviews and surveys, completing structured observations and reflections, gather student self-reported information, and use assignments and activities that yield data and help with student-student and student-teacher relationship building.