Subject in your placement schools
Critically discuss the ways in which practices, approaches and identities of your subject in your placement schools are impacted upon by various understanding of learning, and social and cultural factors.
Sample Solution
The practices, approaches and identities of schools are heavily impacted by various understandings of learning, and social and cultural factors.
Such understanding revolves around the role of education in providing fulfilment to young people, as well as equipping them with the necessary skills they will need to succeed throughout their adult lives.
Education is seen differently depending on which context it is situated in; this can range from a single-parent household who may view it as an investment into their child’s future, or a collective community that sees it as an opportunity to empower their members through access to knowledge. This has consequentially shaped the way school systems have developed over time. For instance, public education often relies heavily on state funding; however, private and semi-private schools have had more freedom to craft curriculums that better suit the needs and interests of its students.
Such diversity allows for a greater range of practices that can be implemented in different settings. In my placement school for example, there was a heavy focus on teaching core academic subjects such as maths and English though differentiated instruction strategies; however due attention was also given to non-academic elements like physical activities or art classes—allowing students different outlets where they could express themselves while developing key skills outside traditional disciplines.
Furthermore, cultural values play an important part when shaping practices within educational institutions; they often dictate how teachers conduct themselves when dealing with student behaviour issues or classroom management strategies—as ideologies concerning discipline must firstly be understood before properly addressing them (Lal & Lohani 2021). For instance: stricter forms of punishment were commonplace in my placement school since its staff held beliefs rooted in corporal corrections whereas other educational systems might take alternative routes such as restorative justice techniques when attempting to reform student misbehaviour (Johnstone et al., 2020). It further highlights how culture can impact upon practice choices available across different contexts .
Lastly but importantly social factors also influence practices taking place inside educational environments—they help shape what topics are discussed during lessons and which resources are used etcetera (Bellack et al., 2017). For instance my placement school operated mainly under British pedagogic values which favoured rote learning over critical thinking; although this mostly revolved around pre-determined standards set by external exam boards rather than personal initiatives taken by staff—suggesting that schooling practices remain largely contingent upon wider societal expectations instead individual innovation (Bryman et al., 2016) .
In conclusion there is no one size fits all approach when talking about educational institutions since each one operates according to diverse ideologies formulated through learning understanding, cultural influences ,and social factors —thus allowing them flexibility while crafting suitable curriculums tailored towards their specific contexts .
References:
Bellack AS , Mueser KT , Gingerich S et al.(2017) ‘Social Functioning Scale’ Psychosocial Treatments for People With Schizophrenia American Psychological Association Washington DC pp 20-25
Bryman A , Bell E , Smith D(2016) Business Research Methods Oxford University Press Oxford UK pp 115 -123
Johnstone J , Kelaher M , Breen C ; et al.(2020 ) Restorative Justice : An Introduction Oxford University Press Oxford UK pp 45 -55 Lal RK & Lohani SK(2021) Cultural Values And Education Practices Indian Education Review Delhi India pp 10 –15