The Act Of Role Shifting: Teachers Becoming Learners And Learners Becoming Teachers In Today’s Educational Realm

June 9, 2023, 3:53 p.m.

In the participatory approach to the learning process, the role shifting of teachers becoming learners and the learners transforming into teachers are obvious. In the present day classrooms, teachers and learners are both learners and teachers. Teachers learn the modes of using new technology from learners and learners teach their teachers through their active responses to what they have comprehended from the lectures.

The educational system of the modern era serves as an excellent platform for this role-shifting by teachers and learners.

What facilitates Role shifting?

For a good teacher, learning never stops. In the modern era, the learning process is more of a collective disposition and learners are active contributors rather than passive listeners.

Let's now review the situations where the learners transform into teachers:

When learners are highly motivated by a particular topic and they have certain previous knowledge of the topic discussed, they can more easily relate to the subject and thus contribute to its discussion.

The opportunities to take seminars in the classroom bring out the teachers in the learners. As they prepare for the topic, the learners can come up with new ideas regarding the subject of which the teachers are unaware.

Today's learning scenario focuses on sharing knowledge rather than imparting knowledge. So the learners share with their teachers the know-how of various concepts discussed.

The quest for new information is readily welcomed by the teachers of the modern era and this increases the morale of learners. They tend to feel that the teachers are dependent on them for new data and become more enthusiastic to get immersed in the learning process.

Now let us look at the situations where teachers transform into learners:

The current generation of learners is well-versed in using technology and digital gadgets. Teachers automatically shift to the position of learners in digital classrooms and the learning process becomes more entertaining.

When teachers focus on learner-centered teaching approaches, learners are encouraged to solve problems, make decisions, formulate and answer questions, and discuss, explain, or debate to better conceive the topic of discussion.

Teachers learn new aspects from the interaction possibilities of modern classrooms. This helps them in implementing varied strategies and maintaining cordial relationships with students.

In present-day classrooms, teachers learn new tactics for student management and apply them promptly and effectively to bring better outcomes.

What are the advantages of Role shifting?

There are various advantages of role shifting in present-day classrooms. Here teachers are not instructors, but facilitators. And as a result, they don't just give orders but are involved in every activity with students. In this contemporary teaching mode of teachers becoming learners, students have freedom to make it to the best use of their learning process. A good teacher, who is basically a learner, guides students in such a process.

In the era of digital classrooms, there is equal space and scope for both teachers and learners and so the whole process of school management becomes easier. When learners take the position of teachers they are able to understand the objectives more clearly. At the same time, when teachers position themselves as learners, they can clearly comprehend the efforts students take to achieve their goals.