Teach Less Learn More

What exactly is “Teach Less, Learn More” (TLLM)?  Has there been any explanation from the Ministry as to how a system that uses the TLLM ideology looks like?  How different is a school that implements the TLLM system different from the other school that does not?  Have any schools implemented the TLLM curriculum?  I have read many letters to the forums surrounding this TLLM method and I myself have also spoken to many teachers to get their views about TLLM.  From these interactions and my own observations, no one, not even the teachers, knows what a TLLM system entails. 

Does it simply mean that TLLM is just another fancy tagline?  Based on letters published in forum, parents seem to think that TLLM means less teaching from the teachers and more self-learning on the part of the students.  If we base our understanding just by literally reading off the tagline, then parents’ interpretation does seem appropriate.  But is this the system the policy makers have in mind? 

While I cannot and will not speculate how the Ministry plans to implement TLLM, I have come across programmes both from the US and Singapore that I believe adopt a TLLM approach, based on my own interpretation of TLLM.  The teacher introduced a topic or a task.  Students think about what they know and didn’t know, but would like to find out.  The teacher then arranged for some activities, written assignments, field trips, and even an interview with an experts so that students can get more information, ask question or to clarify doubts.  This will then be followed by a project that will have real-life impact on the community/society.  The output by each student or group will differ as it depends on the interest of the students.  However, because of the diversity, the whole class benefited as there is now a collective of knowledge and students can build on the understanding of their peers as well as the guidance provided by teachers and external resources.

The above approach does not suggest that the teacher is teaching less, or doing less.  While there’ll definitely be fewer lectures, there will be more planning and more thinking required on the part of teachers.  Teachers will also need to be more flexible and think on their feet to cater to students’ interests, questions and changes to circumstances.  Essentially, each class will be different, with their own takeaways, even though the ultimate learning outcome will be achieved.  Teachers will also need to help students see value in the different activities and how these different activities contribute to the bigger task on hand.  More importantly, teachers will have to read more, research more and keep themselves up to date so as to have meaningful discussions with the students.  The demands placed on the teachers will definitely be more than the conventional teaching method.  This is where I believe real learning take place, as the teacher illuminates the path, cultivates interest in learning and nurtures the child’s initiatives and confidence.

Will the students learn more?  Most certainly - I am confident that students under such as system will internalize the learnings from the lessons much better, with an enhanced intellectual curiosity and such skills and knowledge will stay with them for longer and may even shape their choices in the future.   However, is this the kind of TLLM approach that our schools and the Ministry have in mind?  Will it work in our schools?  Are we ready for it?