Assumptions and social context

Every teaching event takes place in a social setting that involves the subjectivities of others, usually our learners.  Remember that each of them must also be using their beliefs, values and assumptions to interpret the teaching events and settings.

It will be important to find out how other people view aspects of teaching and learning and to compare these views with your own.

The different views of teachers and learners about learning ‘reinforce the importance of clarifying to learners the assumptions underlying teachers’ classroom practices, or accommodating classroom practices to match them more closely to students’ expectations'  (Richards and Lockhart 1994:35)

The consequences of not doing this are likely to be misunderstanding and mistrust on the part of both teachers and learners.

Richards, J C and Lockhart C (1994) Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms CUP, Cambridge