Page 108 - Beyond Methods

96 Minimizing perceptual mismatches 4.1.2 Based on your curricular as well as methodological plans, pri-
oritize the aims and activities of your class.
4.1.3 On the first day of class, or as soon as possible, administer the questionnaire and collect the completed sheets.
4.1.4 Compile the information from the completed questionnaire (both yours and the learners’) and make a chart as shown in Figure 4.3:
Item
Learner priority (total for each) 123
Teacher priority
Remarks
Figure 4.3
4.1.5 Return the completed questionnaire to the students. Ask them to discuss their responses in small groups for about ten–fifteen min- utes, and then report back to class on what they discussed.
4.1.6 Lead a discussion on their report. Focus on whether some stu- dents changed their expectations after talking to their classmates in their groups and, if so, why.
4.1.7 Based on the information compiled from the questionnaire and class discussion, reflect on the mismatches between teacher and learner perceptions. See whether and to what extent you are willing to modify your plans or negotiate with the learners.
4.1.8 In the next class, take your learners into confidence about any changes you contemplate. If you would rather stick to some of your own priorities, even if they are at variance with those of your learners, explain your rationale to them. Whatever the choice, it is important to make the initial expectations quite clear to everybody.
4.1.9 Monitor class progress and do not hesitate to make suitable changes in the aims and activities based on ongoing feedback from the learners.
4.1.10 Finally, at the end of the course, look back to assess whether and to what extent this process of finding out mismatches between learner and teacher perceptions of classroom aims and activities is worth the time and effort. Reflect also on how you can improve this ex- ploratory process.