Yesterday morning was the first time I actually accompanied trainee teachers to a secondary school in Oman to observe lessons being taught. What I saw in the school explained so much of what has been puzzling me in my work and studies.
The teachers we observed professional and polished, the classes ran smoothly and the students were astoundingly enthusiastic. What struck me most in the second class, was that despite the sharp receptiveness, ability and enthusiasm of the students, all that was required of them was one-word answers. “What do you eat for breakfast?” “Banana!” “Milk!” “Bread!” “Dates!”. The students obviously know their stuff and what to know more- why is this golden opportunity to develop and deepen language habits at a formative age missed?
Later asked a colleague about this, and she showed me that this is not, in fact, the procedure prescribed by the books. Although creative teaching is encouraged, certain procedures are required, to ensure that all Omani students reach a standard level when finishing school. Provided this goal is met, there is flexibility. However, many teachers do not successfully identify the objectives of the lessons, and hence do not meet them.
The legacy of this one-word-will-do teaching method is very clear in the language use of Omani tertiary students- and beyond. Even when these language learners are armed with abundant vocabulary, very basic grammar errors continue to crop up in speech and writing. When students self-edit their writing, I repeatedly see that they truly do not see these errors, even though they know the grammar rules governing them. Seeing that students’ language learning capabilities are so frightfully underutilised at an age where they have so much potential explains this phenomenon, and points out how unnecessary it is. What concerns me even more is that so many students develop the habit of not being stretched in their thinking, and it was terrifying to see this process in action.
National education does lay foundations for a nation, and this is one of the great reasons why it has played such an important part in Oman. The quality of those foundations play an inestimable part in the future. How do we ensure quality? This question is at the core of all the debate in education, and has no simple answer.
What I am sure of, though, is that it is not a one-word answer.
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2 comments:
Not sure if it's a culture of a teacher-education issue. The arabic teachers in our kid's school will let the kids write the same test over and over until they pass it - they will even let them bring the written answers with them. And only so that the education dept sees them as successful.
Looks like getting the answers right is the important thing, then. How are the results?
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