Delivering lessons in a fun way
OVER the decades, education and its related delivery methods have been continuously evolving from those that focus on rote learning to methodologies that are aimed at making the classroom more fun in hopes of boosting students’ interest and performance.
Change is necessary to meet modern demands. There is a need to refine lesson plans and the degree of teacher involvement in learning, as these factors can greatly impact students’ study outcomes.
GEMS International School Tropicana Metropark principal Craig Lewis explains, “When it comes to traditional learning, it is hard to determine if students are actually learning because the teacher is the only person talking at the front of the class.
“You cannot gauge each student’s level of understanding because everyone is doing the same thing. Every child learns at a different pace, so we need to individualise the learning approach a lot more.”
elc International School service director Rajan Kaloo believes that fun, engaging activities in the classroom can capture students’ interest and improve their absorption of information, but there is a need for regulation as too much fun can sometimes deviate the class from the lesson.
He says, “A happy and engaged child absorbs information more readily. However, there are limits to the amount of time students have in school and with their teachers.
“The learning material that needs to be covered is fixed, so there will be moments where it is impossible to make learning fun. In those times, students will need to study and learn without theatrics.
“There must be a balance between the factual and the application of what is being learned as this is required to develop wellrounded individuals who are equipped to face the challenges of modern life.”
Getting children excited about learning
There is ongoing debate on how effective the learning process becomes when fun activities are implemented in the classroom.
Because every student is different in terms of factors such as interests and learning pace, there is no straightforward answer to what the best form of education or teaching methodology is.
It is for this reason that many researches on learning have drawn inconclusive results. Positive signs of student engagement in one sample may not translate into another.
However, it is apparent that greater
engagement in the classroom can improve students’ attention and focus, motivate them to practise higher-level critical thinking skills and promote meaningful learning experiences.
“If children do not enjoy what they are learning, they are not as engaged in the classroom. It is part of the whole education process to make learning fun and engaging. You have to make sure it has practical elements to keep children on task and is relevant to what they are doing in context to the lesson,” says Lewis.
The onus thus lies on teachers to better understand students and bring out the best in them.
A holistic education is not possible without passionate teachers. Sheela Raghu, principal of elc International School Sungai Buloh Campus, believes that a good teacher is: l Passionate about her job
l One who cares about driving improvement and teamwork among her students
l Friendly but not a friend (has relationship boundaries)
l Alert and proactive
l Able to communicate effectively with students and parents
l Knowledgeable of the pastoral and academic requirements of her role
“When a student is aware that a teacher cares, even the most laid-back student will come around and be interested in learning,” says Sheela.
Being a good teacher also involves carrying out classes with the appropriate amount of fun while still meeting the goal of imparting knowledge to students.
As education trends continue to shift, it is crucial to ensure that teachers are skilled enough to adapt.
Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas, an academician who specialises in geopolitics with special interest in sociopolitical issues, opines that there is need to bring back teacher education into the topic of improving education if Malaysia aims to produce graduates of calibre and character.
In an opinion piece titled Teacher education, the missing link published on a local news portal last month, she wrote, “We have to start emphasising teacher training. Up till now, too much attention has been on revamping the curriculum, employable graduates, English proficiency, and science and mathematics.
“Don’t get me wrong, these are extremely crucial for a first-class education. What I notice, though, is that the most important aspect of our education system – the educators – has been omitted from our ongoing dialogue. The system is useless without this link.”
Regardless of how much fun is weaved into study plans, teachers must be able to foresee the needs of each student and do so with interest.