Research on Students' Study Condition and Psychology for

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Research on Students' Study Condition and Psychology for
Interactive Teaching Model in the University
XIE Shao’an
Wuhan Textile University, P.R.China, 430077
[email protected]
Abstract: Through studying students’ current learning situation in some University, analyzing their
study psychology, advocating five optimizations and applying scientific, effective, interactive teaching
strategies, this paper will have a great influence in nurturing talents in University and improving their
reputation. In this way, University can develop themselves in a better way.
Keywords: University, Interactive Teaching, Study
1 Introduction
With the deepening of the reform of higher education, University with new teaching pattern sprung up,
which had become one of the most important roles in higher education. So far there are more than 300
University all over the country, extending the enrollment scale every year. Therefore, more and more
students have access to study in University. However, some of them may not be so qualified. This has
aroused the concern of the whole society. To carry out the spirit of the national education reform and
development of long-term planning programs, University are supposed to apply for interactive teaching
methods according to their behaviors and psychology. Only in this way can they improve their teaching
quality.
2 Study Condition of Students in University
Teachers, while teaching, should get to know students’ study condition. In order to do this, we
investigate students from different major, grade and class in University. After summarizing all the
statistics, we will reflect the condition for students in University in the following three aspects:
2.1 Students’ study willingness and ability
We attach great importance to the students’ background. We apply the fictitious leading theory of Paul
Hezzi to design their study willingness and ability. Each aspect will be divided into three tiers: strong,
common, weak. In this way we can see their study condition. Through analyzing the final results (please
refer to chart 1), we can conclude the following three features. Firstly, there is a small quantity of
students whose study willingness and ability are weak or study. Most of them are common. Secondly,
the students’ study ability will be improved with the strengthening of study willingness. So it will be
weakened with the reducing of the study willingness. Thirdly, compared with the students from the first
and second tier universities, the independent college students are much weak in study ability and
willingness. According to education theory, different education strategies should be applied to students
of different background, intensify their willingness. So the students who do not have strong study ability,
willingness should learn to improve their study ability. Those who have strong study ability should
strengthen their study willingness. More opportunities should be given to them to learn from and
cooperate with each other. No matter what background they have, they all need to interact. They should
remember that the way of interaction must be different.
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Study condition
Study ability
Study willingness
degree
strong
common
weak
strong
common
weak
11%--15%
77%--14%
12%--13%
25%--78%
52%--77%
23%--76%
6%--7%
82%--9%
12%--11%
Chart 1 Study condition of students
2.2 Students’ attitude towards study in class and study online
According to a recent survey, learning attitude generally refers to a kind of relatively stable
psychological tendencies manifested by students’ study and study context. Study is students' bounden
duty; however, students' attitude towards study in class and study online is totally different. From chart 2
we can see that the scale of the students study attitude in University is somewhat unbalanced. The index
clearly shows that students who like studying in class are less than ones who are inclined to study online.
And they often treat study in class as “burden” but take study online as “enjoyment”. Back to its origin,
three reasons can account for this phenomenon. First, students in University are not satisfied with the
traditional methods teachers used, including “cramming”, “mouthpiece” which are prime and boring.
They are disgusted with the teachers' scripted means. Instead, they consider that learning in class is
meaningless and skipping class to learn online is much more interesting than learning in class. Second,
study online has the advantage of interaction which creates a stage for students to use the Internet
independently, perform themselves and make up their own “short board”. So they are able to promote
their knowledge, skills and qualities. Definitely, there are some students getting indulged themselves in
computer games and have their study neglected which deviates from students' direction and goals of
study. The Principles of psychology indicates that attitude is everything, but attitude can also be
cultivated. According to the status of students' attitude towards study in independent school, we firstly
shall obtain some inspiration from studying online. They strengthen interactive teaching, attract and
maintain students' attention, and constantly stimulate their study interest in class, change the situation
from “I was required to learn” to “I intend to learn”, from “passive learning” to “active learning”, from
“knowledge transmission” to “knowledge creation”. Secondly, we shall teach students that studying
online has its own pros and cons. We are expected to learn how to develop the good and eliminate the
bad to guide students back to the main study battlefield.
Study status
love
like
dislike
Learning in class
19%
58%
23%
Learning online
31%
60%
9%
Chart 2 Contrast of attitude towards study in class and study online in independent schools
2.3 Students’ learning preferences and participation
Students’ interactive learning preferences refer to the preferences of students to participate in interactive
teaching and learning, which reflects the indicators of learning attitude. Students’ interactive learning
participation refers to students’ inter-class performance to participate in interactive teaching, which
reflects the indicators of learning action. Chart 2 is a survey of interactive learning and participation in
University. It is not difficult to find two problems from chart 3. First, University students show great
preference in interactive teaching methods, such as Q&A, case study, role playing, team leaning and so
on, indicating that interactive teaching has good effects on drawing students’ attention, arousing
students’ interest in learning and inducing students to learn effectively in action. Second, in the
University students’ participation remains extremely low indeed. Two prime reasons can be concluded:
First, most teachers are accustomed to the “chalk and talk” lecture mode of teaching, which made
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students have fewer opportunities to participate and practice though they are eager to perform. Second,
students are accustomed to passive learning pattern. To a certain extent, psychological disorder like
worries about mistakes, fears of being laughed at by classmates or being criticized by teachers still exist
among students, which requires active learning to be improved exceedingly. According to principles of
education, University students also have their own characteristics. Owing to the test point gap, this
group of students differs from those first and second tier students in learning ability and psychology.
However, they are rough diamonds as well. Therefore, independent faculty should research teaching
methods appropriate for the students on the basis of students’ unique characteristics. In this way,
students’ potential are stimulated and they are more likely to become talents.
Study status
Q&A in class
Case
studies
or
cooperative learning
Role-playing or PPT
presentation
Preference
like
do not care
79%
13%
82%
12%
55%
26%
dislike
8%
6%
Participation
constantly
8%
11.8%
19%
31%
occasionally
58.4%
61.7%
67%
never
33.6%
26.5
2%
Chart 3 Contrast to preference and participation of interactive teaching in University
3 Learning Psychology of Students in University
Relatively, the proportion of students whose families have good economic conditions is much higher in
University than that in other colleges. And almost all students in University have strong personalities
and self-awareness. However, they still depend on their parents in life. They appear to be independent in
study on the one hand; they rely on teachers constantly on the other hand, thus producing some complex
learning psychology——they want to learn, but find it is hard to learn; they are fond of learning, but are
incapable of learning; they are eager to learn, but tend to play.
3.1 Want to learn VS difficulty in learning
Most students in University have their own ideals. They want to learn, and they also want to have
excellent grades to get high scholarship so that they can relieve the heavy economic pressure on their
parents. Therefore, they have comparatively clear learning directions and fairly strong learning
motivations. But because they suffered a setback in the college entrance examination, which struck them
in spirit, they have a strong sense of frustration. Additionally, resulting from the low scores they had
when they entered the college, they are lost in anguish and hard to be interested in study, which made
them have poor bases and strong pressure. Study becomes a very painful thing for them. As time goes by,
it causes severe unbalance in psychology, serious emotion of disgusting study and even escaping from
school. Therefore, students cannot exert their potential for study and the results become worse and
worse. Haste makes waste. The high rate of make-up examination, repeating course and suspension of
schooling are the reaction of the learning psychology—they want to learn, but find it hard to learn.
3.2 Fondness of learning VS incapability of learning
Whether students are fond of learning means whether they have learning motivation. The biggest power
of study comes from interest. The capability of learning is connected with learning method. Most
students in University are smart and studious. After entering college, they find that study in college is
quite different from what they did in middle school as well as what they imagined. On one hand, the
difficult courses, fast progress and high requirements are more than what they can achieve. On the other
hand, they do not know how to spend their free time or how to choose a book in the library which has
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countless books. Suddenly, they find they are incapable of learning. It is hard for them to do major
learning, cooperative learning and innovative learning. Some students exclaim “Bitterness is the boat to
the endless sea of learning”; some students shout “Sixty rocks; one more sucks.”
3.3 Eagerness to learn VS eagerness to play
Learning is a hard work but at the same time it can be enjoyable. Students of University enjoy learning
because the process is weary but happy. They actually know that once they finish their study, they can
be able to find a good job, requite their parents, learn more knowledge, improve their ability and finally
change their life. Students of University have certain psychological characteristics— eager to be No.1
and eager to play instead of studying. And they can not focus their attention on class for a long time. But
they show a strong interest in some interactive teaching methods like case analysis, role playing,
simulation training, group discussion and project teaching. They also enjoy the way of learning by doing
and doing by learning in their study, and they have a strong desire to show themselves.
4 Interactive Teaching Strategy in University
Teachers’ task is to find a suitable teaching method for the students, that is, teaching in accordance with
students’ aptitude. Independent college students have their own characteristics in Learning psychology
and learning ability different from those in the universities of first class or second class, due to the gap
in test scores. But there’s no denying that they are also the talents in the future. Independent college
teachers should conduct research in suitable teaching method for the students in accordance with their
characteristics and develop their potentiality to the fullest. The following "five optimization" for
interactive teaching strategy is thus put forward according to my own experiences.
4.1 Optimizing interactive relationship between teachers and students
Traditional teaching strategy makes teachers the main body while interactive teaching strategy makes
the students. Teachers play a leading role in guiding and training students. Teachers should focus on the
characteristics of independent college students, conform to their reasonable needs of study, fully arouse
the students’ enthusiasm of study, and inspire the willingness and interest of the students to study hard,
better, independently and innovatively. Cultivated the learning, thinking and problem solving abilities,
developed good learning habits, changed “To learn” for “Will to learn”, the students are motivated to
learn social life, knowledge, living, aesthetic, applying what they have learned and creative solutions to
problems. The focal point of teaching is by no means “teaching”, but ”learning”, to teach to learn rather
than to learn to teach. Therefore, teachers should build up a democratic and equal relationship between
them and students, create an interactive and harmonious teaching atmosphere and promote students to
learn, love to learn, enjoy learning and be good at learning through various forms of interactive activities
between teachers and students, teachers and teachers, teachers and class, students and students, teachers
truly becoming both the teacher and friend of the students.
4.2 Optimizing interactive teaching design
Education requires innovation and teaching needs design. Teaching design is the fundamental part of
education. Teaching design means teachers playing the role of screenwriter and director, being
well-prepared for interactive teaching class. Preparing the lesson should be centered on the students with
“three preparing”, that is, preparing for the students’ psychology, preparing teaching materials as well as
related curriculum resources. Teachers should endeavor to make classroom teaching reflect openness
and interaction. Interactive teaching design should be carried out in accordance with “Three Helps”,
namely, help students to learn, help students to learn effectively and efficiently, help teachers to
accomplish teaching design with high quality and large quantity. Interactive teaching design should be
conducted according to “3I”, paying attention to inspire students’ interesting, emphasizing students’
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class interaction, focusing on stimulating students’ innovation, making scientific, optimizing and
strategic arrangements of teaching contents and teaching activities to the unit time of classroom teaching.
Interactive teaching design requires teachers to write down teaching plan and scripts of students’
interactive teaching organization in detail, thus forming action plan of students’ interactive teaching
organization.
4.3 Optimizing interactive teaching contents
Teaching contents are the main information transferring in the process of learning and teaching’
interaction, a great combination of knowledge and skills, ideas and views taught to students as well as
the cultivation of habits and action. Optimizing teaching contents should follow the principle of “Three
Helps”, namely, help students to learn, to understand and absorb the knowledge considering the
students’ cognitive law; help students to explore the formation of new knowledge considering how to
combine students original knowledge and basic skills, help students to upgrade their academic ability
and promote employment considering application of what the students have learned. There are five
major points to optimize teaching contents, that is, choosing teaching contents in accordance with
students’ cognitive law; Integrating teaching contents by putting varies teaching materials’ merits
together; Enriching teaching contents by absorbing daily life materials; Activating teaching contents by
making use of the relation of before and later knowledge; Making use of varies teaching methods to
present teaching contents. The key to optimize teaching contents lies in breaking the traditional content
framework, crossing space and subjects limitation to realize the transformation from chapter education
to module education. Modules are united with one or several study units which are small projects
divided according to various specific objectives and contents of module knowledge system. Teachers
can effectively help the students with the ability to learn and learn well through "Wide Angle"
knowledge and the "long" perspective on the depth of the module teaching.
4.4 Optimizing interactive teaching methods
Teaching methods should serve teaching content. Any form of teaching must reflect the principle of
"Students First" and effectively influence students' mental telepathy. Changes in teaching content,
teaching object and teaching requirement demand changes in teaching form accordingly, which means
that a certain teaching form should express corresponding teaching content. In order to do this, five
combinations should be achieved: combination between theory and practice, explanation and exercise,
teaching knowledge and guiding learning, traditional teaching media and modern teaching media and
classroom inside classroom and Interne space. In general, interactive teaching methods are varied,
mainly including group discussions, group research, classroom questioning, case study, scenario
exercises, simulation training, role playing, site visits and simulation etc.
4.5 Optimizing interactive teaching and learning management
During the process of class interactive teaching, teacher’ task is not only imparting information
(knowledge, skills), but also controlling the classroom and attracting students’ attention, motivating their
learning interest, strengthening learning desire and encouraging their learning behavior to the maximum.
In order to attract students to carry on classroom teaching control, the following aspects should be
noticed: Firstly, encourage students to actively participate, bravely show their skills and tolerate
students’ shortcomings. It is acceptable for students to make mistakes during the interaction and the task
of teachers is to prevent students from making the same mistakes again. Secondly, appropriately apply
discipline. Good classroom discipline can guarantee good class teaching activity. Classroom discipline,
which must be obeyed by students in class, requires that students attend class, and prevent them from
being late, leaving early and playing truant. Thirdly, correct attitude should be given toward individual
students. They can be helpful to make the classroom atmosphere active, at the same time, they should be
prevent from messing up the classroom. Finally, effectively control teaching information, which means
the control of the quantity, difficulty and speed of knowledge teaching.
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5 Conclusion
To conclude, the previous education patterns of injection and cramming in University are not helpful to
the development of students. Education should conform to the National Long-term Education Reform
and The Development Plan for 2010-2020 which includes deepening teaching innovation, creating
education methods, paying more attention to combining learning with thinking and the unity of
knowledge and practice, as well as teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. In order To
develop active interactive teaching to help to enhance teaching quality, schools should construct patterns
of interactive teaching and make full use of it to develop students’ ability of studying and make them
willing to learn. Making students the master of learning and knowledge is helpful for their growing up
and for their promising future.
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