In a narrow sense, the school is a learning system consisting of students, teachers, educational administrators and other employees; in a broad sense, it is a living organism, a prototype of society, in which all elements are in communication and interaction with each other, with the participation of parents and other elements around the school.
Students who come to school to learn have different abilities, potentials, learning capacities, academic motivation, ways of thinking and interests. In this sense, the contemporary understanding of education, although not autonomous, leaves the teacher free to use different teaching methods and techniques to maximize the child's learning.
Various educational authorities state that learning methods in school can basically be divided into three categories. These categories are as follows;
Individual Learning Method
It is an individual learning environment in which students work alone to achieve their own goals without concern for what others are doing. In a learning environment based on individual work, there is no relationship between the group members in terms of goal realization. The realization of the individual's goals has no effect on whether others realize their goals or not. In other words, while the individual realizes his/her own goals, he/she is not interested in whether the other individuals in the group realize their goals or not.
Competitive Learning Method
It is a competitive learning method in which some students win while others lose and students compete with each other to find out who is the “best”. Although the learning objectives of the students in the competition-based learning method are common, there is a negative relationship between the students in terms of goal realization. In other words, the achievement of the goals of one individual in the group depends on the failure of others to achieve their goals. The result that the individual wants to achieve is beneficial only for himself/herself, while it is negative for the other individuals in the group. Similarly, the importance of the course objectives for students cannot be understood. Students accept either winning or losing.
The competitive learning method is based on the principle of “survival of the fittest”. Therefore;
-Other students are seen as adversaries.
-Students' knowledge, skills and abilities are constantly compared.
-Evaluations are made individually.
-Assessment results are used to compare and contrast students with each other.
-The teacher is the main resource and often directs competitive activities.
With these negative effects, this learning method, which damages the friendship relations between students and gradually puts them into fierce competition, also disrupts the school climate, the school culture, the working peace between teachers, as well as the competition of parents with each other, turning into a multiple competition in general!
Every activity in the classroom, exams at the classroom level, achievement assessment exams organized at the school level, mock exams commissioned from the private sector, sports activities, competitions, debates and every conceivable social activity are turned into competition tools.
-Students compete!
-Teachers compete!
-Parents compete!
-Schools compete!
-Provinces compete!
-Provinces compete!
In fact, during these competitions, especially during school-wide mock exams, classroom teachers are assigned to other classrooms and the prejudice that they will cheat their own students is no longer a prejudice, it is normalized! In this way, the teaching profession is trampled on by its own colleagues!
Education administrators, who compete with their teachers, evaluate the professional knowledge of the teacher according to the grade achieved by his/her class in private sector trial exams that are not pedagogically controlled! As a result, instead of applying learning methods and techniques according to children's interests and abilities, the teacher focuses on solving questions and test techniques! Differentiated instruction, which is defined as an approach to teaching in which the dimensions of the teaching process are organized in a way that ensures that each student has learning appropriate to his/her level in order to ensure that the individual learns, remains only on paper!
Parents who make their children compete, compete themselves! They punish their children who ‘underachieve’ in the exams with various punishment methods, the lightest of which is scolding! The anxiety level of competing children rises, their psychology is turned upside down, they cheat, look at their friends, steal information, lie, and get used to lying and stealing at that age in order to finish first in the exams!
Inclusive education is the process of responding to the diverse needs of learners by increasing their participation in education, culture and society and reducing discrimination within the education system. According to UNESCO, this process involves the state preparing and implementing education strategies to include all children of learning age and examining whether these strategies are effective. Through these strategies, the state should create the conditions and take the necessary measures to provide education to all children.
However, competitive teaching excludes all disadvantaged children who should be covered by inclusive education. They are almost ignored!
In fact, disadvantaged students are labeled not on a class basis, but on a school basis; either they are not allowed to take the exam, or they are prevented from coming to school that day due to ‘illness’! And the exam results of the children who do show up are not sent for evaluation!
Let's take a picture of school stakeholders in this landscape;
-For the students, all their classmates, all the students in the same class are rivals to be left behind in the competition! Children have long lost the ability to communicate with their rivals, to play friendly games, to be part of the same team, the same class, the same school!
-Teachers are each other's rivals on a departmental basis, no matter how much they don't want to get into this race, the system pulls them in!
-Most parents are already racehorse parents who are trying to realize the life they cannot live, the dreams they cannot realize, through their children! Such sick parents try to race their children's teachers as much as they race their children!
-School administrators focus on the success of the school in the province and district, regardless of this hidden earthquake inside the school, the deterioration of the school climate, the damage to the school culture, the psychologically disturbed students and unhappy teachers! Because for them, the internal decay of the school is not important, academic success is all that matters!
If you ask if there is nothing positive about this competitive learning method that corrodes the school, the teacher, the student, the parents and the school system as a whole, unfortunately, there is nothing positive about it except that it brings three or four cents to the school budget as a result of the exams!
Cooperative Learning Method
It is a collaborative learning environment in which group members either gain or lose together and work together within the framework of common goals. In a collaborative learning environment, students have common learning goals and the realization of the goals of one of the group members depends on the realization of the goals of other individuals in the group. In other words, there is a positive relationship between group members in terms of goal realization. The achievement of the goal of one of the group members who have unity of purpose depends on the achievement of the goals of the others. Conversely, if one of the group members fails to achieve his/her goal, it means that the whole group fails to achieve its goal.
The Ministry of National Education, educational administrators and critical educators must take the necessary measures to get rid of this competitive learning environment that is corroding the school without delay, and take the necessary steps to substitute the collaborative learning method at all levels of our education system. Otherwise we will lose students and schools!
Sources
Ali YILMAZ. Cooperative Learning; An Effective but Neglected or Misused Method.