Developing a Philosophy of Teaching and Learning
Marilyn Oerman (1999) says that a teaching philosophy statement is a crucial section in a teaching portfolio. It should guide the design of courses and modules, the selection of teaching methods, the structure of the students' practical experiences and that of all assessment strategies. The content of the philosophy statement, therefore, should be permeate the content of the portfolio.
According to Oerman, a teaching philosophy statement should include an explanation of your assumptions and beliefs about:
1. Teaching and learning processes,
2. How students, in your discipline, should approach learning inside and outside of the classroom,
3. How best to teach students in various settings,
4. Which outcomes are addressed,
5. How to foster critical thinking and ethical and professional values,
6. The relationship of teaching methods to your teaching philosophy.
NB. Explaining how it relates to the literature on university teaching and learning strengthens a statement of teaching philosophy. Lack of any link to the literature suggests the absence of a scholarly approach to teaching.
Starting to write a Teaching Philosophy Statement
A teaching portfolio is an argument developed around the claims you wish to make about yourself as a teacher. In a teaching portfolio, this statement serves as the equivalent of an introductory section of an argumentative essay. Thinking about the following questions will enable you to derive the text you need for your teaching philosophy statement.
· What do I mean by learning?
· What happens in an effective learning situation?
· What evidence can I quote to support my conception of learning?
· What evidence can I quote to support my conception of what happens in a learning situation?
· What do I mean by “Good Teaching”?
· How do I make sure that my teaching is “good”?
· What goals do I set my students?
· How do I help them reach these goals?
· How do I check that they are pursuing these goals?
· If they achieve these goals, how will I know?
· What rules do I expect my students to follow?
· What philosophy of teaching am I demonstrating in my classroom?
· How would an observer of my teaching describe my philosophy?
· How do I gather information about how my students experience my teaching?
· What do I do with this evidence?
