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“Only the ability to learn consciously can lead to the joy of learning,” said Mikk Granström, a junior researcher at Tallinn University. Although Estonian students rank among the top in the PISA test, according to previous studies, Estonian children’s satisfaction with school life is still not satisfactory. In his doctoral thesis, which he will defend soon, Granström pointed out that one possible reason for the declining learning joy of Estonian children in the classroom is that students do not know how to consciously choose learning strategies, that is, to independently acquire learning materials through difficulties. .
Consciously choosing study strategies can help students plan their own learning and learn better, and teachers play an important role in developing these skills. “For example, if you have a test in three weeks and you know how to consciously break up the material you’re studying into sections, you’ll be much less stressed and the results will most likely be better,” the junior researcher explained.
More broadly, Granstrom was interested in how well Estonian teachers and students knew about different learning strategies. He also observed classes in Estonian schools to see how teachers taught students different strategies. “We saw that teachers were using great strategies. But there was something missing because there was no explanation to students about what they were doing and why, and no discussion of learning strategies,” he noted.
What the teacher didn’t tell you
A learning strategy is a specific activity a person performs in order to learn. “For example, I read, draw, look at pictures, solve example problems or test myself, etc.,” Mikk Granström lists.
In turn, learning strategies are divided into those that support deep and shallow learning, or those that support effective and ineffective learning. If in the case of deep learning, new material is linked to previous knowledge, in the case of shallow learning what has been learned is only remembered until a test is done. “Difficult learning strategies are, for example, drawing pictures and concept maps, self-testing. Easier strategies are, for example, rereading and underlining,” Granstrom gives the example.
His study shows that Estonian teachers place more importance on effective learning strategies than students do. Observational data confirm that teachers also use different learning strategies in class. “However, only very few teachers explain why one or another learning strategy is used, for example why it is necessary to repeat what has been learned previously or why students can solve math tasks at home in this way. There are very few such teachers, and that is the problem,” the junior researcher points out.
His main advice to educators is to take some time away from the content of the class to teach students how to use different learning strategies. “That way students are more likely to acquire learning skills intentionally,” he explains.
The main criticism from the teachers themselves here is that there is not enough time in class to explain the strategies. However, Granström disagrees and suggests that the teaching of learning strategies should be seen as an investment in the future: “In the beginning we throw away the material, but then the whole learning becomes faster. We invest in dividends and we will get them back in the future. The future is of great interest.”
According to him, strategies can be taught starting in first grade. “Students in the lower grades must start out using simpler strategies in order to move on to more difficult strategies later,” he said. If you start with underlining and repetition, ideally, all the more complex strategies will be clear to students by the time they reach high school, and new material will be more accessible. “Of course, students are different and take in information differently. Giving them two or three strategies to master works well,” Granstrom admitted.
Let students do
Mikk Granström says the most surprising finding of the work came from the student survey results: students valued self-testing as a learning strategy more than teachers themselves did. “Teachers often use self-testing as an assessment method, but it’s actually a very effective learning method. Yet, students have bitten on it,” he believes.
In other areas, students rated less effective strategies higher. Mass learning, or memorizing the material by rote, is common. “It’s common because if you work hard on a test tube at night and take a test in the morning, the results are usually good,” he explains. However, a month or two later, you may have forgotten everything you learned, and as the exam approaches, you have to repeat the material from several classes. “When you repeatedly recall previously learned content with the help of a study strategy, you create permanent memory content,” Granstrom compares.
In addition to studying a lot, students also enjoy underlining and rereading texts. “All of this gives the illusion of having learned it. The more I read a text, the more familiar it becomes,” the junior researcher said.
Of course, he says, it must be taken into account that the choice of learning strategy depends on the subject, the age of the students and the purpose of learning. “In mathematics, you always need to remember the material you have already learned and relate the task to the previous one. In the end, certain formulas and skills are remembered and the knowledge is consolidated,” says Granstrom. However, when learning foreign language words, students can look for the meaning themselves. In natural subjects, on the other hand, students can be asked to search for relevant videos and pictures and discuss them.
According to the junior researcher, the main thing is that students are the most active people in the classroom. “Let the student draw a picture, let him search for information and prepare a slideshow. The student must actively participate in the learning process, so that what he learns is more likely to be remembered better,” he explains. Granström believes that the teacher is a mentor who guides the process, guides the students and discovers with them.
According to him, the next step after the doctoral thesis defense will be the dissemination of research results: it is planned to start school teacher training and carry out various follow-up activities. “We hope that theoretical knowledge is quite beneficial for teachers from a practical point of view. Now we just need to increase practical skills: how to link learning strategies with teaching and teach them,” he pointed out.
Based on the research, Granström mainly advises Estonian students that if the teacher does something (shows a picture or asks him to solve a task), he should ask the teacher: why. “However, I would advise Estonian teachers: teach different learning strategies more consciously in class and give clear instructions for their use and discuss the advantages of different learning strategies,” he suggests.
Mikk Granström, PhD student, Institute of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University Doctoral thesis defense September 17, “Teachers’ and students’ knowledge of learning strategies and their classroom teaching”. The work was supervised by Tallinn University professors Eve Kikas and Eve Eisenschmidt. Pirko Tõugu, associate professor at the University of Tartu, and Markku Hannula, professor at the University of Helsinki, objected.
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