On learning cultures
What we have to gain and lose
We intuitively know that attitudes to learning can positively or negatively influence a student’s self conception as a learner and as part of a social group. These attitudes can then influence the dispositions and habits which foster the development of knowledge, skills and ultimately intelligence, which is thought to be somewhat malleable. David Didau says that “Group socialisation theory predicts that the most important variable for determining ... educational success is the peer culture at their school.” This has really interesting implications for the public education system, where a significant portion of the student and family groups who value education are filtered out of the mainstream. Didau goes on to say that “the effects of selection are more likely to repress the cognitive potential of children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds” as they find themselves welcomed into groups of, in their own esteem, not so bright students. Learning in these social groups is devalued and students connect on the basis of a common rejection of schooling. Most would acknowledge that education in Australia has become a two-tiered system but rarely is the increasing advantage gap within the public system addressed head-on.
At the other end of the privilege scale, what happens when a school loses sight of student outcomes in favour of a learning “experience”? The private system in Australia is highly competitive with many schools looking for differentiators in their offerings. Does a culture of discovery learning, holistic development, and time for explicit teaching of character send a message that these are equally as valuable as gaining knowledge and learning through rigorous intellectual work? There is evidence to suggest that social and emotional learning are biologically primary, therefore simply modelling the behaviours we wish to see - work ethic, persistence, integrity - should be enough in most cases to develop character in students without taking time and emphasis from learning. What possibilities for developing intelligence and improving life outcomes could arise from diverting focus back to creating a culture of modelling hard intellectual work and persistence?
When thinking about school culture and organisation I believe it’s important to think about group norms and what the collective attitude to learning is - or could be! As Didau says, “What starts as a different attitude to schoolwork might well end up as a difference in average IQ.”
So what kind of peer culture are you striving to create? What are the benefits? What are the costs? How can you make learning and achievement aspirational again?