VALUES-BASED APPROACHES
A different approach to a theory of teaching is to develop a teaching model from the values
one holds about teachers, learners, classrooms, and the role of education in society. Certain
ways of going about teaching and learning are then seen to be educationally justifiable
and should therefore form the basis of teaching practice. In some situations, this leads to
certain approaches to teaching being viewed as politically justifiable (and therefore good)
and others seen as not morally, ethically, or politically supportable (and therefore bad).
Values-based approaches in education are not hard to identify. For example, advocates
of “literature in the language curriculum,” “school-based curriculum development,” or “the
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23 Theories of Teaching in Language Teaching
teacher as action researcher” essentially appeal to educational or social value systems in
justifying their proposals.
Other examples of values-based approaches in language teaching include “team
teaching,” “humanistic approaches,” the “learner-centered curriculum” movement, and
“reflective teaching.” Team teaching is based on a view that teachers work best when they
work in collaboration with a peer, and that the interaction with a colleague in all phases of
teaching is beneficial to both teachers and learners.
Humanistic approaches in language teaching refer to approaches which emphasize the
development of human values, growth in self-awarenes and in the understanding of others,
sensitivity to human feelings and emotions, and active student involvement in learning and
in the way human learning takes place. Community Language Learning is sometimes cited
as an example of a humanistic approach, as is the work of Stevick and Moskowitz.
The “learner-centered curriculum” is one of a number of terms used to refer to approaches
to language teaching which are based on the belief that learners are self-directed,
responsible decision makers. Learners are seen to learn in different ways and to have different
needs and interests. Language programs and the teachers who work in them should
therefore set out to provide learners with efficient learning strategies, to assist learners in
identifying their own preferred ways of learning, to develop skills needed to negotiate the
curriculum, to encourage learners to set their own objectives, to encourage learners to adopt
realistic goals and time frames, and to develop learners’ skills in self-evaluation.
Reflective teaching is an approach to teaching which is based on a belief that teachers
can improve their understanding of teaching and the quality of their own teaching by
reflecting critically on their teaching experiences. In teacher education, activities which
seek to develop a reflective approach to teaching aim to develop the skills of considering the
teaching process thoughtfully, analytically, and objectively as a way of improving classroom
practices. This is brought about through using procedures which require teachers to collect
data on their own teaching practices (e.g., through audio or video recordings), to reflect on
their own decision making (e.g., through journal writing), and to examine their own values
and assumptions about teaching (e.g., through peer or group discussion or observation of
videos).