Creating a Quality Learning Environment

Need for a Quality Learning Environment

• A quality learning environment involves shifting ownership of learning to students, motivating students, and recognizing the diversity of learners.
• It requires an administrative attitude that values learning improvement, preparing students for class, and creating an assessment culture.

Shifting Ownership of Learning

• Transferring learning ownership to students encourages the development of essential life skills like self-discipline, problem-solving, decision-making, and independent thinking.
• Actively engaging children with the material builds confidence and gives them autonomy over their education.

Strategies to Increase Student Participation

• Encourage student input in lesson planning.
• Create options for students to have a choice in activities.
• Allow for student-led discussions and presentations.
• Encourage student reflection.
• Use cooperative learning strategies

Motivating Students

• Motivation stems from the desire for wanting something. Gives fuel to continue pursuing that desire.
• It is an internal process that activates, guides, and maintains behavior over time.
• Teachers can help students stay motivated by understanding components like achievement and intrinsic motivation.
• Achievement motivation is attempting success. It also allows for choosing goal-oriented success/failure activities.
• Intrinsic motivation comes from within and leads to satisfaction, increased engagement, better retention, and happiness.
• Extrinsic motivation is when behaviors are done for external rewards or reasons, not self-satisfaction.

Diversity of Learners

• Encompasses group and individual differences among learners.
• Institutions should develop diversity and intercultural competence to foster productive relationships between students and colleagues.
• Teachers can foster empathy between learners by recognizing the interconnectedness of individuals within the school.
• Schools should always expect diversity, respect learner needs, and celebrate differences.
• Classrooms are ideal settings for discussions on diversity.

Administrative Attitude Toward Valuing Learning Improvement

• South African schools are divided into 5 quintiles based on socioeconomic context.
• Quintile 1 schools are in deprived communities, while quintile 5 schools are in affluent ones.
• Quintiles 1, 2, and 3, and some quintile 4 schools, are declared no-fee schools.
• Effective school leadership requires proper use of power and authority to improve teaching and learning spaces.
• School principals must empower staff to solve problems collaboratively for the improvement of schools and learners' performance.

Preparing Students for Class

• Advanced learning needs an effective setup that allows students to practice learned concepts.
• Realizing this involves making arrangements in the educational environment (unspecified).

Quality Learning Environment Skills

• In an academic skills center, the learning environment relies on one-on-one interactions.
• It must develop the following skills: risk-taking, and following convictions
• Risk-taking involves self-confidence in challenging environments. These should require increasing performance levels with the possibility of failure
• Following convictions means acting according to one's beliefs. This is key to building trust.
• Respecting involves showing honor and esteem for others. Showing consideration is crucial, as creativity is limited and quality collaboration lessens without it.
• Committing to others means pledging to work for the well-being of others in the learning environment. Often this is done through a pledge or contract outlining commitments and actions.
• Valuing the process involves valuing the methods used rather than just the accomplishment. Students must see the value in sharing, collaborating, and assessing work for authentic learning to occur.

Quality Learning Environment Contexts

• Supportive environments are especially important in first-year courses, entire programs, academic skill centers, and faculty settings.
• It is important to work through the methodology for building a quality learning environment with each student. This takes precedence over addressing the student's immediate problem.
• Addressing the faculty is important to build Quality Learning Environments.
• Leadership must emphasize student-oriented teaching with faculty working cohesively.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

• It includes physical, social and emotional environments. It also needs to be accessible to those with disabilities.
• It is not just about displays or labeled accessories, or holiday preparation; it's an ongoing process.
• The learning environment must adapt to students' needs.
• A physical environment must be content, comfortable, and focused.
• Social environments must be beneficial to learning.
• Emotional environments require that children feel emotionally prepared to learn.
• Positive environments create increased enjoyment and engagement. Can also enrich teaching, learning, and improve academic performance.