Comparing judgements of educational desirability between learner and instructor roles with low or high proficiency

Individuals often consider the relative desirabilities of two types of educational methods: those oriented towards teacher guidance and those oriented towards student activity. This study examined whether the optimal methods perceived by individuals differ when they take the perspective of learners or instructors with low or high levels of proficiency in content knowledge.

Participants (N = 495) reported one subject in which they had low or high content knowledge proficiency and assumed one role (i.e., a learner enrolled in a class or an instructor responsible for a class). Participants then rated 10 items, each representing a typical classroom situation oriented towards teacher guidance or student activity, on the extent to which they considered the situation desirable as a learner or an instructor.

Regardless of their proficiency, the instructor-role participants viewed educational methods oriented towards student activity as more desirable (teacher guidance as less desirable) than did the learner-role participants. Further, irrespective of their role, participants with high proficiency considered student activity as more desirable (teacher guidance as less desirable) than did participants with low proficiency. Subject matter analysis of mathematics, language and history proficiencies produced the same judgement tendencies. Based on the premise that individuals generally increase in content knowledge (rather than decrease) and that they start as learners and become instructors (not vice versa), this study depicts the cognitive process of individuals as strengthening their preference for student activity by developing their content knowledge and transforming their role from learner to instructor.