The Model of Didactical Relations

In a seminar about vocational didactics and being a facilitator in a learner-centered learning environment, I learned that this model is useful to me who has a challenge of improving my practice as a facilitator in learner-centered learning environment.
The model concerns analysis of teaching in order to facilitate learning. It’s action related and this model can be a useful tool in assessing of one’s improving process
Vocational didactics: This refers to planning of educational work and reflective thinking in relation to every aspect included in the plan. It’s important that one is describing concretely her practice.

In the Ugandan context, we have what is called a ‘lesson plan’ which has similar components as those in the model of didactics relations. Having the teacher-centered approach to teaching and learning, this plan is written by an instructor without involving the beneficiaries who are the students. Secondly, there is also no critical reflection about one’s practice and the teacher can use the same plan for several years with the same subject matter in teaching different students. This is a challenge because I as the instructor, I do not reflect on my practice even with different types of students.

Different aspects are taken care of in this model during the analysis of teaching and learning which boasts the instructor’s improvement process. These aspects are;
Students’ learning
This is the most aspiring resource for change in the model.
The teacher may have students with different backgrounds (educational, social, vocational, e.t.c), abilities, strength and weaknesses. There may be students with physical, mental and other disabilities. The differences in these students may relate to educational psychology, sociology, philosophy, educational history among others. As a teacher, it is important that I take care of the individual differences and pay special attention to the learners’ abilities (strengths) and not their disabilities (weaknesses). The teacher hence needs to take note of the different needs of the student and work with them to achieve their goal(s).
As a teacher, different people have different approaches to knowledge which is partly related to their theories and backgrounds. I should therefore take care of my theory of knowledge (critical approach to knowledge, technical approach to knowledge among others) when dealing with different people not to affect the way I work with them.

Educational frames
According to my background and experience, this is common as timetabling. In Uganda, this is usually the role of the Director of Studies (DoS) and administrative body in schools. The teacher decides what to teach the students when and where.
In the context of the model, it is also timetabling or splitting the education into subjects. It is important that the teacher works with the students in planning, how they can be meeting, when and where and for what. This is useful in creating a safe environment for an open dialogue between the student and his/her teacher.

Objectives/aims
My previous experiences are that I have always written the aims/objectives of the lesson and would never mind whether the learners would be having different objectives related to a certain subject matter. In the didactical model, I have learned that it’s important to me as a facilitator to learn about the students’ aims of coming to school or class and systematically discuss with them how they want to work to attain this. This according to me promotes self assessment and the student would evaluate his status after a given period of time to check out his improvement process.
As a teacher with action-based approach, it’s important that I work with the learners in achieving their objectives. This will help me to achieve my objectives and this leads to improvement of practice.

Work frames
These closely relate to the educational frames and objectives/ aims. They may involve instructional material/ learning aids, textbooks, self study, and group discussions among others. My experience has been that the teacher selects the visual aid and not with the learners. The challenge is that not all students may need the same visual aid; it will be very complex for the teacher to meet each student’s needs if he/she has not learned about their abilities and strength, what they are interested in and how they want to attain it.

Subject matter
The kind of subject matter/ challenge depends on the learner’s ability, educational frames, work frames, aim and objectives, method of teaching and assessment or evaluation. Consideration of all these aspects helps in identifying relevant information for the different learners. My experience is that the teacher determines the subject matter for the students without questioning it’s relevance to each individual student.
Working with the students in identifying their interests/ subject matter is important in improving my practice as a facilitator in a leaner-centered environment

Teaching methods
My experience is that the teacher determines the type of methods to use during learning facilitation. According to me, this has been a risky experience because the teacher chooses a method easy for him/her to use or one which is not time wasting and not one which will lead to full participation of all the learners’ in the lesson. Some learners in this case get bored during the lesson, may also begin dozing or move out of the class as much as they can so that they can “pass time” for the lesson to come to an end. In other cases, some learners even dodge the lessons and worse still drop out of school.

Evaluation/ assessment
The different parts of this model will influence what are relevant information/ knowledge to be evaluated. According to my experience, evaluation has been more concerned with writing examinations and marks and not necessarily the learning process. The challenge is that this promotes cram-work because the learner will concentrate on reproducing what the teacher has given as relevant content and not necessarily what he/she has learnt. It’s has been noted that many students only get “serious with their work” when the examination time table is displayed on the notice board. This partly puts the blame on me the teacher because I have not facilitated the student to be responsible for his learning process because I even judge one’s learning with marks at the end of a term (three months of teaching) or year(three terms). The teacher takes up the responsibility the students’ learning and the learner tend to think towards that.
It is therefore important for me as the teacher to question myself again; “what kind of knowledge is most worth?” The model of didactic relation enables me as a teacher to focus on what is relevant content and continuously move back and forth through reflections to ensure that all activities are leading to development of the relevant knowledge. This implies that assessment of learning should be on a daily basis (may be using logs) and not least planning over and again to facilitate creation of relevant knowledge. It enables the learner to take up the responsibility for his/her learning process and assessment. The cases of absenteeism according to me will reduce because the learner’s will be interested in what he/she is doing

With the Gap analysis model, one is able to assess his/her improvement process and the cycle continues over and again.

STRUCTURING AND LEADING DIALOGUE; PEDAGOGICAL COUNSELING

As a facilitator/ teacher, it is important to always ask yourself a question; “How can I facilitate so that the person in focus reflects and develops?”
In response to this question, the facilitator needs to;
Focus on the participants’ needs of;
a) Being seen
b) Being taken seriously
c) Being challenged

The participants / students should not be challenged before being seen or taken seriously. This will prevent cases of resistance from the participants’ assumption that the facilitator is taking control over them/ their lives/ needs.

• Have ground rules/ guidelines or contract
  The facilitator can ask the participants/ students another question; “what do you need for our cooperation to feel comfortable?” The participants may raise some guidelines and in case they get confused and are unable to raise any; the facilitator can give some of as;
  All participants should like what is good for each other. The facilitator advises that once a guide has been agreed upon, expressions should be made as “we” and not “I”. The participants need to avoid the “I-form talk”
  According to me, this is a good practice since it creates ownership of the learning process and the participants become more responsible for their own learning.
  ¨ Possibility focus; having ground rules with charges in case any one abrogates any of the rules.
  Ground rules/ possibility focus empowers both the facilitator and the participants leading to a democratic learning process. The “how” question depends on the facilitator and the kind of participants he/she is facilitating. The facilitator hence needs to adjust accordingly to meet the needs of each participant’s needs
• Accepting that we stop each other when we are talking. This is aimed at ensuring democracy as well as exercising authority. The participants should be given empowered but the facilitator/ instructor should avoid a point of helplessness( this implies that they are cases when he/ she needs to show some authority
  
  Facilitation Tool Box
  For good facilitation of learning, a facilitator is advised to use the tool box below;
• To see (the participants should introduce himself and the participants to do the same). The participants will feel seen and recognized.
• To ask (what, how and when). The facilitator has to avoid the ‘why’ question because it promotes resistance among the participants.
• To lead. This is problematic and that’s why the having a contract with the participants (guidelines for good cooperation and charge in case of violation) is useful.
• To structure( facilitation didactics-model of didactical relations)
• To be quiet. This helps one to reflect about what he/she has discovered.
• To mirror; important in giving feedback/ reconfirming what the participants have been discussing. In a research context, this process is relevant in validation of findings.

Note; It’s important to clearly spell out (write them clearly on paper) during cooperation with participants so that they can get acquainted with them. I find this useful because it assists the participants to adopt some of the tools they may find useful in facilitation of learning of their own students leading to improvement.

• To organize. The facilitator needs to discuss about one or two challenges at a time, allow the participants to talk as he/she listens, mirror them and then challenge them to make choice.

The participant or tecaher needs to assess him/herself using the Gap analysis model; what is my situation now? Where do i want to go/goal?
The motivation towards attaining the desired goal is dependent on; basic needs interests, wishes and dreams.
Goals seem abstract but are empowered by them being close to one’s basic needs, interests, wishes and dreams. The action commitment therefore involves breaking down the goal into small steps which lead one to achieving of his/ her goal in a long run.
In research context, the participants can be guided on how their individual challenges can be broken down into small achievable ones on a weekly basis or two weeks according to the participants’ or facilitator’s wish.

Assess every meeting with the question; “what have you discovered today?” This question applies to both the participants and the facilitator for self evaluation/ learning assessment. Writing of personal logs could be a useful tool throughout the whole process.
If the learners are unable to speak out what they have discovered, then it may necessitate the facilitator to reflect upon his/ her approach and adjust where necessary.