Our understanding of learning differs today, with all most everyone having an opinion on how best learning can be effected. And with this, we have predicaments in teaching and learning.

The concept of learning continues to be a serious challenge to teachers and students, thus compromising curriculum implementation.

The standard example of learning is characterised by cognitive thinking, centered on the mind and knowledge.

However, many teachers and curriculum developers tend to ignore the fundamental components of learning, which has trapped the quality of education and consequently led to poor delivery.

Tutor trainees and their instructors must be able to understand the psychology of teaching and learning, it’s far beyond understanding and having content at your fingertips, which many schools go by.

The manner of recruiting teaching staff in many countries is the same — that is, based on how knowledgeable the person is.

This reminds me of the ‘worst’ physics teacher albeit very knowledgeable, at Kisubi Seminary in Uganda.

He was nicknamed "master bookless” by students because he only walked in with a piece of chalk and wrote down everything he knew in physics from his head. His subject, however, was the most poorly performed by the entire class.

He only taught us what he knew, but was not interested in what we knew or thought, or our contribution to the learning process. We were considered insignificant.

We need to reclaim the magnificence of learning and make it stand out. The only way this can be implemented is by considering the fundamental mechanisms of learning, which involve intellectual, emotional, and practical aspects.

It is important to note that these are interrelated, not separate.  Learning is not a one-way thing, all aspects of learning support each other for efficiency.

Way forward

Teacher, trainers and curriculum developers should be reminded of the components of learning and how better it can be implemented to make learning effective.

Once this is taken into consideration, the quality of teachers will improve and so will our education system.