Teaching as Guidance of Learning

Abstract

THERE are many definitions of teaching, some of them complex, but a very simple one is that it is any activity designed to influence learning toward a pre-determined goal. The learning may be cognitive, affective or psychomotor. Teaching has a distinctive connotation of rational explanation and critical dialogue, the goal of which is to Israel Sheffler. Conditions of Knowledg develop learning in which the student will be capable of backing his beliefs by appropriate and sufficient means" 1). Teaching is a complex form of interaction between teacher and students or between students and is concerned with subject matter of some kind. It is the sort of interaction which exposes the teacher's underlying judgement to the critical evaluation of students and invites the student to form and submit his own judgement to critical appraisal (2). In this view the teacher is seen as a facilitator of learning rather than a transmitter of knowledge alone, and learners become active participants in the process of their own learning. Teaching is an essentially human and humane interaction. Kaoru Yamamoto. Humanizing College Teaching" "To teach is to touch someone's life in progress and in so doing, one hardly remains untouched oneself." (3)