Educational Paradigm Clash

Image by Gerald Grow.

It is confirmed. The way I teach, and the goals I (as a teacher) strive for, are in direct opposition to the way Koreans learn and the goals they strive for.

Koreans believe in memorizing information, regurgitating that information for a test and getting a high score. So, if you memorized all the facts, vomit those facts correctly onto paper, then you have succeeded in your goal. The goal: A reiterated A+.

My method of teaching is not as an all-knowing oracle pouring information into the empty cup held up by the information-thirsty student. My goal is not to spoon feed facts. Instead of conveying information I aim to teach skills. The goal: Nurture skills.

Here’s the problem: The students approach my lectures on “skills” as facts that they should memorize for the exam. There’s a clear clash of interest. On the exam they are not asked to regurgitate, but to demonstrate skills, not to tell me the facts I shared with them, but to show me that they can think for themselves.

Only very few get it. Honestly, I feel somewhat frustrated. I’m clashing with a completely different educational culture. I'm realizing that if I want to succeed in my goal, I should not merely get them to think for themselves, but I should firstly get them to think differently. I have to change their whole paradigm regarding education.

Remembering that I am a guest in a different culture I have to be careful about over emphasizing my goals at the cost of my students' goals. Nonetheless, I strongly feel it my duty to get my students to be independent thinkers and self-directed learners. I've decided to make a decided effort to study Gerald Grow's article on "Teaching Learner's to be Self-Directed". I've skimmed through it before, but think it deserves some attentive reading.