Teaching Philosophy

I discovered very early that a teacher can "make or break" the life of a student. I then realised that the success of all the students we encounter mainly rests on the shoulder of us, lecturers. It is therefore our duty to make sure that our students are interested in the knowledge we give them, and that, before all, we develop their curiosity and their way of thinking and aptitude to correct analyse.

This is because I did understand the responsibility I play in the future of my students that I have developed a style of teaching that, I believe, attracts their attention, opens their mind, feeds them with knowledge and equips them as human beings for their future professional and personal lives.

This teaching philosophy is explained below, and depicts very well my teaching style: illustrations, questions clarity, humility and a bit of derision.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11G1yNLA1XwufOZPnkC79X5ic_tEEMnO2/view?usp=sharing

How this students/teacher relationship works:

From the example above, students are lead to deconstruct the questionnaire, to reconstruct the full survey.

They have not been fed with pure theory first; but have understood by themselves how a serious survey is developed: from the research question to the final product, i.e. data analysis and publications; once the entire thinking/research process is done, then the teacher refers to the precise theory .

Using this technique, the teacher helps the students developing the correct thinking process by walking them on the path of learning (the Garden), and help them delivery their ideas and organising them (Maieutics).

Such an approach has many teaching and learning advantages:

- It enables the teacher to understand at what level the students are, and to build on and from that level.

- It enables the teacher to understand the thinking process of the students, (and prepare the most suitable students to future potential research).

- It enables the teacher to understand the strength and weaknesses of the students, and to adapt the teaching approach.

- It enables the teacher to immediately identify the concepts that are not clear to the students, and to correct the issue.

- It permits the students to learn naturally: they are the ones who “found” the ideas, making the theory theirs, by having not realized that the teacher guided them on a specific path. Because the theory and applications were developed by the students, this knowledge was not forced upon them, and is easy to remember for them. They have not received a finished product that they have to accept and learn, but they have developed themselves the product.

- The theory is made natural, and the applications of the theory are immediately seen and understood. It helps alleviating the usual dichotomy and confrontation between theory and application.

- The course uses different methods that are naturally incorporated following the teaching/knowledge path: from discussions, literature research, use of old techniques (to understand why those techniques have evolved) and new techniques (computer based) to real problems solving.

- The course is kept interactive at all times: students feel heard, understood, and respected. It is a real common work which engages the teacher, the student, and the entire group, to build together. In return students do respect their teacher.

- Students can use this thinking process and the knowledge developed and acquired directly in their future professional life.

- It forces the teacher to develop a course that follows the potential evolution of society, and to make the course dynamic.

- It is rewarding for the teacher, even if such an approach requires a lot of work, of attention, and constant framing of the course; it is indeed a real exchange and development of knowledge rather than a one way teaching.

Such an approach as many advantages for the students:

- Students naturally learn how to formulate questions and enquiries.

- Students naturally learn how to speak in public, and develop their communication skills

- Students naturally learn how to develop and expose ideas

- Students naturally learn how to constructively critic existing theories/work.

- Students naturally learn how to search for literature defending/contradicting their ideas

- Students naturally learn how to adopt a solving-problems approach, because they understand how to formulate a research/problem question.

- Students naturally learn how to build collaboration and to work in teams, while developing their own research approach, and being able to also work autonomously.

- Students naturally learn a real thinking process that they will use throughout their life

- Students naturally learn to present their work, and defend their ideas.

- Students learn how to listen, understand and respect the other trough discussions and exposés, based on scientific postulates, and not on prejudices.

- Students are in touch with the reality, and the professional world they are predestined to as they develop their knowledge using real research questions and examples that the teacher keeps up to date, and in touch with the labour market needs.

- Students are faced with real contemporary issues, trough the use of real examples and research. They are exposed to ethical and social issues that they debate through the application of theory to their work.