Official Edubilla Blog

As educators, we teach a lesson and often assume that the students have understood the relevant ideas. However, when we test their understanding, we often find significant gaps in that understanding. Such insights are invaluable for a teacher as that would help the teacher to ask questions or give exercises that can specifically be targetedat eradicating these misconceptions.

The reason for these misconceptions stems from the fact that as students observe and experience various things in their day-to-day lives, they formulate their own notions, attribute meanings, and infer various concepts well before they are ‘taught’ to them. These understandings may/may not be scientifically correct. They continue to form such ideas throughout their school years. If these notions are ignored, it is likely that they will interfere with learning of new concepts. Many times such wrong notions stay with students for a lifetime.

Student interviews bring home a strong point for all educators. ‘It is more important to focus on what students learn than that on what we teach.’ At times student interviews can also reveal the gaps in the teacher’s own understanding as it allows them to explore and think about a concept in different ways along with the students. A teacher exploring the students’ understanding on the gaseous exchange in photosynthesis could realize that the curriculum never approaches photosynthesis and respiration as two processes happening simultaneously in plants, and as a result she herself has not thought through the connections. The teacher could reflect on the connections and ensure that these gaps are filled by her while dealing with the concept.

Interviewing students is a simple yet powerful pedagogical practice which can help in establishing a more personal bond between the teacher and the student, can promote inquiry based learning and ensure deeper understanding of concepts. Next time when in the classroom, let’s not question them. Let’s interact.