THE IMPACT OF TRAINING TEACHERS TO LOVE THEIR STUDENTS: THE PYGMALION EFFECT T-PLUS Ankara June 12, 2015 Dr. Nuray Grove English Language Fellow.

THE IMPACT OF TRAINING TEACHERS TO LOVE THEIR STUDENTS: THE PYGMALION EFFECT

T-PLUS Ankara June 12, 2015Dr. Nuray Grove

English Language Fellow

• TAKE A MOMENT AND THINK ABOUT ALL TEACHERS YOU REALLY LIKED OR “LOVED”:

• Now take another moment to think about the students you like and the students you don’t like.

WHY?

• Emotions in the classroom.

Emotions

• Over 2,000 years ago, Plato declared that all learning has an emotional base

• it is only recently that neuroscientists have begun to uncover the biological interdependence of learning and emotion.

WHY ARE EMOTIONS IMPORTANT?

• Thought is not begotten by thought; it is engendered by motivation, i.e. Our desires and needs, our interests and emotions. Behind every thought there is an affective-volitional tendency which holds the answer to the last “why” in the analysis of thinking. A true and full understanding of another’s thought is possible only when we understand its volitional basis. (VYGOTSKY, 1986, p. 252)

Major networks involved in learningRecognition network Strategic network Affective network:

The recognition network

• receives sensory information from the environment and transforms it into knowledge.

• It identifies and categorizes what students see, hear, or read.

The strategic network

• is recruited for planning and coordinating goal-oriented actions.

The affective network

• is involved in emotional dimensions of learning such as:

• interest

• Motivation

• stress

For example, while reading

• the recognition network identifies letters, words,

• the strategic network focuses attention on the goal of understanding the text and monitors progress toward that goal,

• the affective network manages the motivation to continue reading.

OUR BRAIN

Positive and negative Emotions

• While negative emotions, such as fear and stress, can disrupt learning, positive emotions drive learning. The brain uses emotion to direct action — approaching positive situations and avoiding negative ones (Fischer & Bidell, 2005).

Positive Learning Environment

• Safe environment

• Feeling valued

• A sense of competence

• A feeling of belonging

NEGATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

• STRESS WILL DISRUPT LEARNING

• ANXIETY WILL LEAD TO LACK OF

MOTIVATION

• LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE WILL LEAD TO

STRESS

Pygmalion effect

• Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) argue that teacher expectations influence student performance.

• Teacher expectations are more predictive of success than other factors.

• Teacher expectations will determine a teacher’s attitudes, body language, and feedback.

• Teacher expectations will influence students’ motivation.

The story of Pygmalion

• Pygmalion in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book X) was a sculptor who fell in love with an ivory statue of his own making. Enamored by the beauty of his own making, Pygmalion begs the gods to give him a wife in the likeness of the statue. The gods grant the request, and the statue comes to life.

Pygmalion effect in the language

classroom• Establish high expectations

• Never forecast failure in the classroom

• Do not complain about students

Golem effect

• The golem effect happens when lower expectations placed upon students by teachers or the students themselves lead to poorer performance by the student.

The Golem Is:

• a clay creature that was given life by a Rabbi in Jewish mythology. According to the legend, the golem was originally created to protect the Jews. However, over time, the golem grew more and more corrupt and had to be destroyed.

AS TEACHERS:

WE MUST LEARN TO

LOVE THE UNLOVABLE

BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?

• Create a positive environment

• Use different theories and teaching stratgies

• Be passionate about teaching

• Use authentic materials (music and literature)

FLOW THEORY by Mihalyi

Csikszentmihalyi

Flow theory

• This state of mind happens when we are in complete absorption in what we are doing.

AND….

• The learner should be considered holistically: cognitive, emotional and physical aspects.

• Language learning should involve personally meaningful experience.

• Learner knowledge and resources should be drawn upon and autonomy is to be favored and developed

FOR FURTHER READING

• Arnold, J. (2011). Attention to affect in language learning. Anglistik. International Journal of English Studies, 22, 11-22.

• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.

• Dewaele, J.-M. (2011). Reflections on the emotional and psychological aspects of foreign language learning and use. Anglistik. International Journal of English Studies, 22, 23-42.

• Dewaele, J.-M., & MacIntyre, P.D. (2014). The two faces of Janus? Anxiety and enjoyment in the foreign language classroom. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4, 237-274. doi: 10.14746/ssllt.2014.4.2.5

• Gregersen, T., & MacIntyre, P.D. (2014). Capitalizing on Individual Differences: From Premise to Practice. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.