113 Educational beliefs, identity and mission 4 Beliefs about teaching and learning When classifying the educators’ belief orientations, the most teaching-centred belief orientation, characterised as ‘Imparting information,’ was found to be absent from our dataset. Of the teaching-centred orientations, one participant described teaching as a ‘Transmission of structured knowledge’ (Orientation II), and eight participants viewed teaching as ‘Providing and facilitating understanding’ (Orientation III). Examples of teaching-centred beliefs are the beliefs that the purpose of learning is to understand concepts, and that the purpose of interacting with students is to hold their attention. I think the main thing [learning goal] is we want them to learn these concepts and so what we try to do for teaching is to make it clear what the concepts are that we think are important for each of these topics. (S06) I think [the purpose of interaction is] to keep their attention. Yes, I think that is a very important goal. (L03) Of the learning-centred orientations, two participants believed that teaching is ‘Helping students to develop expertise’ (Orientation IV), two viewed teaching and learning as ‘Sharing the responsibility for developing expertise’ (Orientation V), and eight believed that teaching and learning was about ‘Negotiating meaning’ (Orientation VI). Examples of learning-centred beliefs include beliefs that the purpose of learning is to encourage a change in a student’s thinking, and that the interaction between student and teacher has a reciprocal purpose to negotiate meaning. If the students share in the excitement of learning new ways of thinking, and new things, that definitely influences them. (S01) ...in the expectation that you learn… both [teacher and student]. So it’s not a unidirectional process, it’s not a transfer; it is a two-directional transfer I would say. (L04) In Addendum 4.3 we provide sample quotes of both a teaching-centred and a learning-centred belief for each dimension.
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