Issues of equality and diversity can be met in a number of ways, firstly by using the teaching cycle, which identifies their learning needs, analysing the needs to determine learning requirements, plan and design a program, develop materials and decide an appropriate teaching approach. By conducting the ‘teaching assessment of learning’, helps to evaluate and update the teaching program, as we all learn in different ways. For example, Kolb’s learning cycle, Bloom’s domains and taxonomies when teaching we must teach in a number of different ways as not to exclude any learners from the learning experience. The teacher should meet the needs of individual learners and accommodate differences in ability, prior learning, learning speed, missed attendance, social and cultural background and maturity, motivation, learning style, and should not stereotype people.
As teachers we need to promote ‘inclusive learning is a process of increasing the presence, participation and achievement of all learners. If the provision is right, everyone will be included’ (www.becta.org.uk). To promote inclusion there should be a good learning climate which is helped by conveying respect, listening, sharing, preparing, and high standards, conveying genuineness, being yourself, being clear and consistent. Conveying understanding, ensuring learning by questioning. Move to independent learning, providing flexible opportunities for learning. All of these factors help in the development of a cohesive group.
The importance of a cohesive group is so that group members can help the learning process along with their life skills and experience; this will enable some people to input into a group situation, who may not have previously entered into an open debate with the whole class or in a group setting.
The stages of group growth are forming, storming, norming, performing. ‘This is what happens when a group comes together’...