Learning by teaching
In professional education learning by teaching (in German "Lernen durch Lehren", therefore LdL) designates a method which allows pupils and students to prepare and teach lessons or parts of lessons. LdL should not be mixed up with presentations or lectures by students, as students do not only convey a certain content, but choose their own methodological and didactical approach in teaching their calssmates a certain area of the respective subject.
Although Professor Jean-Pol Martin, the promoter of this method, is strictly against the assigning of credits for these lessons, this point remains a focus of discussion.
History
The principle of LdL is not new, it was already part of the so-called Lancaster-Schools. The first book about the topic was published in 1971 in the USA by Gartner and in Germany in 1975 by R. Krüger. A broader recognition of the method started in the early eighties, when Jean-Pol Martin developed the concept systematically for the teaching of French as a foreign language and gave it a theoretical background in numerous publications. At the same time other educational theorists did research in this area (e.g. Renkel, 1997; and a publication in the magazine PÄDAGOGIK, 11/97). The method spread from 1987 on, when Martin founded a network of several thousand teachers that employed LdL in many different subjects, documented its successes and approaches and presented their findings in various teacher training sessions.
From 2001 on LdL gains more and more supporters as a result of educational reform movements started throughout Germany.
The Method from 2000 on
LdL consists of two components: a general anthropological one and a subject-related one. The anthropological basis of LdL is the pyramide of needs by Abraham Maslow. The task to teach others a certain content should satisfy the need for safety (promotion of self-confidence), for social contact and acceptance as well as give the taught individual a sense of self-realization and transcendence. The latter should be seen with the following in mind: facing the problems of our world today and in the future, it is essential to mobilize as many intellectual ressources as possible - which happens in LdL lessons in a special way. As intense communication is a prerequisite for the shared construction of knowledge, democratic approaches are promoted that way.
Regarding the subject related component (in foreign language teaching), LdL aims to negate the allegedly existing contradiction between the three main components: automatization of speech-related behavior, teaching of cognitively internalized contents and authentic interaction/communication.
The Approach
After intensive preparation by the teacher, students become responsible for their own learning and teaching. The new material is divided into small units and student groups of not more than three people are formed. Each group familiarizes itself with a strictly defined area of new material and gets the assignment to teach the whole group in this area. One important aspect is that LdL should not be confused with a student-as-teacher-centered method. The material should be worked on didactically and methodologically (impulses, social forms, summarizing phases etc.). The teaching students have to make sure their audience has understood their message/topic/grammar points and therefore use different means to do so (e.g. short phases of group or partner exercises, comprehension questions, quizzes etc.)
Most users of LdL (teachers) do not teach all their classes or all the time according to this method. They state the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- Students work on the material more intensively and are more active
- Next to subject-related knowledge students gain important key qualifications like
- working in teams
- planning abilities
- reliability
- presentation and moderation skills
- self-confidence
Disadvantages
- The introduction of the method requires a lot of time.
- Students and teachers have to work more than usual.
- the danger of monotony if the teacher does not give didactic impulses.
LdL in its different applications
The method LdL is applied in all types of schools and in all subjects. Most curricula recommend it as an open and pupil-centered option. As a method for further professional training it is for example used with the German "Bundesgrenzschutz" (the Federal Border Guard) or in the professional education of librarians. Furthermore there are experiences with special groups of students (highly gifted ones) and in different cultures. LdL has been researched on a scientific level by a group of researchers concerned with the workings of the brain since 2001.
The method in different educational institutions
In Germany LdL is used in different institutions with different target groups:
- University: Students get the opportunity to train complex thinking for a generation of knowledge. Research and teaching can be combined harmonically and thus constitute the ideal of university teaching. The initial limitation of the mostly extremely detailed and exhaustive material to a certain core knowledge has proved to be a successful way which is also required by today's working conditions. Later on students are doing research on different subtopics and according to their team's interests. As a rule LdL can be used in each course and with every student group (a group of 15 to 35 participants has proven best). An empirical report with theoretical background, practical advice and bibliographical reference (in German) can be found at (jpm please insert link here!)
- Grammar Schools: LdL was developed at grammar schools, therefore we have got most experiences in this type of school (the German Gymnasium is a secondary school, comprises classes 5-12 or 13 and leads to an exam which enables students to go on to university). This demand is due to the fact that the education and training of teachers working there is not really focussed on teaching skills and methods but on the theoretical knowledge of their respective subject matter. So they have a high need for didactical concepts. Furthermore, LdL is seen as a more cognitive approach in contrast to others like, for example, learning circles or freely chosen work.