Lecturer proposes new approach to teaching, learning - at pre-tertiary level

A lecturer at the Department of Educational Foundations of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Y. Kafui Etsey, is proposing a new approach to teaching, learning and assessment at the pre-tertiary level.

Under the new approach known as the metacognitive approach, students are actively engaged in the process of monitoring their own learning, and are allowed to reflect on their work on a regular basis, usually through self and peer assessment.

Purpose
Introducing the new approach to staff of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other stakeholders at the monthly seminar of WAEC, Professor Etsey explained, “The purpose of this approach is to increase learner autonomy, advance understanding of the subject, involve students in critical reflection and demonstrate to students the concepts of subjectivity and judgement.”

He said he had not yet approached the Ghana Education Service (GES) with the new proposal but was of the conviction that such an approach would produce critical thinkers badly needed for development.

He indicated that the new approach was being implemented in some countries, citing the United States of America as an example, explaining that the new approach would enable students to learn about themselves as learners and become aware of how they learn, “that is become metacognitive”.

What is learning?
Presenting a paper titled, “Assessment as learning: A metacognitive approach to teaching, learning and assessment”, Professor Etsey explained that assessment as learning emerged from the idea that learning was not just a matter of transferring ideas from someone who was knowledgeable to someone who was not, but rather “an active process of cognitive restructuring that occurs when individuals interact with new ideas. Within this view of learning, students are the critical connectors between assessment and learning”.

He was of the view that for students to be actively engaged in creating their own understanding, they must learn to be critical assessors who made sense of information, relate it to prior knowledge and use it for new learning.

Types of assessments
Professor Etsey said there were three assessments models and mentioned them as assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning.

He said the time had come for Ghana to move away from the assessment of learning to assessment as learning, which focused on the process of developing and supporting the student’s metacognition.

Describing it as a life-long learning process, Professor Etsey said with instructor guidance and through focused activities, learners were encouraged to think about and assess their learning, adding that “teachers only assess students’ ability to assess themselves”.

He explained that under the new approach, the status of the student was to be elevated from a passive learner to assessor and that students would not always depend on the teacher as the overall assessor.

Targeting training institutions
During open forum, participants were of the view that for such an approach to be effective, the colleges of education should be the starting point, where the teachers would be educated on how it works.

For those who are already on the field, participants called for in-service training for them, stressing that the success of the new approach depended on the acceptability of the teacher.

The Head of National Office (HNO) of WAEC, Very Rev Samuel N.N. Ollennu, who chaired the function, thanked Professor Etsey for ably handling such an important issue, breaking it down to the understanding of the participants.