Teaching as a

Complex Activity

Dr. Pooja Walia

Assistant Professor
Department of Education
Mizoram University

Outlines of the Topic

Teaching in Diverse Classroom
• Diverse in Physical Abilities
• Diverse in Cognitive Abilities
• Diverse in Learning Style
• Diverse in Gender Differences
• Diverse in Socio Cultural Differences
Teaching as a Complex Activity
Teaching is a complex activity as the behavior modification of students is not a simple process.
In a classroom there are learners with diversity. Diversity means differences among the learner
in terms of physical, mental, emotional, social etc. To handle all these diversified learners and
make them able to learn particular tasks and achieve the predetermined goal is a very complex
task. To complete this task, there is a need to understand the learner with reference to the
diversity.

Meaning of Diverse Classroom

• Diversity is the antonym of Similarity
• Diversity means heterogeneity
• Diversity means inclusion of different individual at the same place
• Diverse Classroom means learner with diversified abilities such as physical, cognitive, social,
emotional gender differences etc.

Individual Differences
• Dissimilarity between people that distinguish them from one another.
Osbourne
• Individual differences are found in all psychological characteristics, physical, mental abilities,
knowledge, habit, personality and character traits.
R.S Woodworth and D.G Marquis

Diverse in physical abilities

• Physical Appearance • Physical Stamina
• Physical Strength • Physical Health

Physical Appearance
Dimensions of Physical Ability
*Physical Appearance
• Height
• Weight
• Features
• Color of Skin

*Physical Strength and Stamina

• Strong Body Built up
• Weak Body Built Up

*Physical Health
• Physically fit
• Physical Disable (Visual,
Hearing, Locomotor Disability,
etc.)

Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive abilities are aspects of mental functioning, such as memorizing and remembering;
inhibiting and focusing attention; speed of information processing; and spatial and causal
reasoning. Individual differences between people are measured by comparing scores on tests of
these mental abilities. Tests of general intelligence are based on a broad sample of these
mental ability tests.
“No student is weak or bright by birth; it's the way we feed the knowledge and how they
imbibe it which makes them so.”

Intelligence Quotient
People differ with reference to their cognitive abilities. Cognitive abilities are associated with
IQ. I.Q. is the abbreviation of Intelligence Quotient. It is a measure of cognitive ability of an
individual which is calculated based on mental age and chronological age.
IQ = (MA/CA x 100)
MA – Mental Age
CA – Chronological Age
On the basis of the IQ, one can be classified as idiots/normal/superior/genius, etc.
For example, if a person has a mental age of 12 but is 10 years old, then you'd divide 12 by 10,
and multiply that number by 100, which would result in an IQ of 120.

IQ Classifications
Terman's Stanford–Binet original (1916) classification [56][57]
IQ Range ("ratio IQ") IQ Classification
Above 140 "Near" genius or genius
120 – 140 Very superior intelligence
110 – 120 Superior intelligence
90 – 110 Normal, or average, intelligence
Dullness, rarely classifiable as feeble-
80 – 90
mindedness
Border-line deficiency, sometimes
70 – 80 classifiable as dullness, often as feeble
mindedness
Below 70 Definite feeble-mindedness
Classification of Learner in Relation to Cognitive Ability
• Slow Learner
• Average/ Normal Learner
• Gifted Learner
• Learner with Special Need

 Physical Disability (Visual, Hearing, Locomotor Disability, etc.)

 Intellectual Disability
 Learning Disability (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia)

Slow Learner
• The term ‘Slow Learner’ is used to describe a student with the ability to acquire all academic
skills at a rate below than that of the average student.
• According to Kirk (1949) The term slow learners should be referred to the children of
relatively low intelligence having an IQ of approximately 70 to 90.
• A slow learner needs more time, more repetition and more resources from teachers to be
successful. These students do not have intellectual disability, but it takes them longer to
understand and grasp concepts.

Slow Learner
• As a result of their inability to match the learning pace of their peers, they might consider
themselves lesser than others. This will affect their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• They find it difficult to bond with children of their age group and are often excluded from
extracurricular activities, sports, and other activities.
• This aggravates the problem as they become prone to anxiety and negative self-image.

Way to help a slow learner

There are numerous ways to help a child who is a slow learner.

Here are a few methods that are known to help slow learners:
1. Praise and reward: Motivation works wonders for slow learners. To help them continue
learning, it is important to acknowledge even the smallest victory and offer rewards for each
milestone.
2. Set realistic expectations and smaller targets: As a parent and an educator, it is essential to
understand what is achievable for the child and set targets accordingly.
3. Be supportive: Slow learners should be taught to learn from their failures. They should be
encouraged to explore and learn at their own pace until they succeed.
Parents and educators should be vocally supportive and teach them via oral assignments that
are in tune with their competency.
4. Encourage peer tutoring: This is one of the most effective strategies for slow learners.
Parents and teachers should encourage slow learners to study in groups. The more a child
interacts with others of his/her age, the more confident he/she will feel.
5. Encourage multiple intelligence: If the child shows interest in any co-curricular activity, it is
essential to support them. This boosts their confidence, and they start feeling socially accepted.
6. Encourage interaction and oral communication: Slow learners should be encouraged to voice
their thoughts.
Parents should ask their children about their day at school, and have discussions on TV shows,
sports and music.

Gifted Learner
• Behind every invention and discovery in the field of literature, art or sciences there has always
been a genius or gifted learner.
• Those learners whose IQ level is above 140 are considered gifted learners.

Characteristics of Gifted Learner

• They learn rapidly and easily.
• They remain alert and keenly observant in teaching learning process.
• They put thought provoking questions demanding to know more about the topic.
• They respond quickly and correctly.
• They show originality, novelty and creativity.
• They show a great deal of common sense and practical knowledge.
• They give evidence of his fine imagination, remarkable memory and developed reasoning and
thinking powers.

Way to deal with Gifted Learner

There may be two ways to deal with gifted learner
• Provision of Different Curriculum
• Enrichment within the existing Curriculum

Enrichment within the existing Curriculum

• Additional learning opportunities must be provided to them.
• Challenging exercises and problems should be given.
• Encourage them to ask questions and satisfied their curiosity at greater extent
• Encourage them for the novelty and originality in their approach
• Encourage them to become independent enquires and discoverers of phenomenon’s.
• Encourage them to work upon independent projects
• Encourage them to give their reflections on the concepts and ask them to write essays, open
ended answers.
• Encourage them to participate and organize the activities independently.

Learners fall between Slow and Gifted Learners

Average Learner: Those learners whose IQ level lies between 90-110 are known as average
learners.
Superior intelligence: Those learners whose IQ level lies between 110–120.
Very superior intelligence: Those learners whose IQ level lies between 120–140.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Special Educational Needs (SEN) refers to learners with learning, physical, and developmental
disabilities; behavioural, emotional, and communication disorders; and learning deficiencies.
What we now call SEN has a long history and has undergone many transformations which over
the years have been manifested, among other ways, by the different names it has been given.
These days, SEN refers to teaching learners who for intellectual or medical reasons fall behind
with their education when compared to most of their peers.

Students with Learning Disabilities

• Learning disabled students are those who demonstrate a significant discrepancy, which is not
the result of some other handicap, between academic achievement and intellectual abilities in
one or more of the areas of oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic
reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, mathematics reasoning, or
spelling.
• Following is a list of some of the common indicators of learning-disabled students. These
traits are usually not isolated ones; rather, they appear in varying degrees and amounts in most
learning-disabled students. A learning-disabled student

Characteristics of learning-disabled students

• Has poor auditory memory—both short term and long term.
• Has a low tolerance level and a high frustration level.
• Has a weak or poor self-esteem.
• Is easily distractible.
• Finds it difficult, if not impossible, to stay on task for extended periods of time.
• Is spontaneous in expression; often cannot control emotions.
• Is easily confused.
• Is verbally demanding.
• Has some difficulty in working with others in small or large group settings.
• Has difficulty in following complicated directions or remembering directions for extended
periods of time.
• Has coordination problems with both large and small muscle groups.
• Has inflexibility of thought; is difficult to persuade otherwise.
• Has poor handwriting skills.
• Has a poor concept of time.

Ways to deal with learning disabled students

• Provide oral instruction for students with reading disabilities. Present tests and reading
materials in an oral format so the assessment is not unduly influenced by lack of reading ability.
• Provide learning disabled students with frequent progress checks. Let them know how well
they are progressing toward an individual or class goal.
• Give immediate feedback to learning disabled students. They need to see quickly the
relationship between what was taught and what was learned.
• Make activities concise and short, whenever possible. Long, drawn-out projects are
particularly frustrating for a learning-disabled child.
• Learning disabled youngsters have difficulty learning abstract terms and concepts. Whenever
possible, provide them with concrete objects and events—items they can touch, hear, smell,
etc.
• Learning disabled students need and should get lots of specific praise. Instead of just saying,
“You did well,” or “I like your work,” be sure you provide specific praising comments that link
the activity directly with the recognition; for example, “I was particularly pleased by the way in
which you organized the rock collection for Karin and Miranda.”
• When necessary, plan to repeat instructions or offer information in both written and verbal
formats. Again, it is vitally necessary that learning disabled children utilize as many of their
sensory modalities as possible.
• Encourage cooperative learning activities (see Teaching with Cooperative Learning) when
possible. Invite students of varying abilities to work together on a specific project or toward a
common goal. Create an atmosphere in which a true “community of learners” is facilitated and
enhanced.

Diverse in Learning style

Learning Styles
The term ‘learning styles’ corresponds to the understanding that every individual learns
differently. Learning styles define the way how people learn and how they approach
information. It is a pattern of behavior that human beings use for new learning. You may recall
that sometimes you feel like you cannot learn something important even if you use the same
method which has been suggested by your parents, colleagues or teachers. But then you tried
to learn that in your own way and succeeded. It indicates that you may have a different learning
style.
An individual’s learning style refers to the preferential way in which the learner absorbs
processes, comprehends and retains information. Different learners learn in a variety of ways,
by seeing and hearing, working alone and in groups, reasoning logically and intuitively and
sometimes by memorizing or visualizing. Thus, since everyone is different, it is important for
teachers to understand the differences in learners’ learning styles, so that they can implement
best practice strategies into their daily activities, curriculum and assessments.

Learning Styles
Fleming’s VARK model of learning is a very commonly accepted model.
• Visual
• Auditory
• Reading/ Writing Learners
• Kinesthetic Learner

Visual Learners
Those learners who prefer to see and observe things, including pictures, diagrams, written
directions and more. This is also referred to as the “spatial” learning style. Students who learn
through sight understand information better when it’s presented in a visual way.

Auditory learners
Auditory learners tend to learn better when the subject matter is reinforced by sound. These
students would much rather listen to a lecture than read written notes, and they often use their
own voices to reinforce new concepts and ideas. These types of learners prefer reading out
loud to themselves. They aren’t afraid to speak up in class and are great at verbally explaining
things. Additionally, they may be slower at reading and may often repeat things a teacher tells
them.

Kinesthetics learners
Kinesthetics learners, sometimes called tactile learners, learn through experiencing or doing
things. They like to get involved by acting out events or using their hands to touch and handle in
order to understand concepts. These types of learners might struggle to sit still and often excel
at sports or like to dance. They may need to take more frequent breaks when studying.

Reading Writing Learner

According to the VARK Modalities theory developed by Fleming and Mills in 1992,
reading/writing learners prefer to learn through written words. While there is some overlap
with visual learning, these types of learners are drawn to expression through writing, reading
articles or books, writing in diaries, looking up words in the dictionary and searching the
internet for just about everything.

Diversity in gender Differences

• Gender differences are defined as biological differences between sexes; i.e., boy and Girl

Diverse in Socio cultural differences