Introduction

Derek’s learner, Jason, is very smart and able to retain a lot of information, but has a tendency to rush through the less exciting material and shows interest and attentiveness only when performing tasks that he finds to be interesting.

This concerns Derek because he is worried that Jason will overlook many important details and rush through procedures. For a homework assignment Jason was told to take a very thorough look at Preflight Procedures and that for his next flight lesson they would discuss each step in detail. As Derek predicted, Jason found this assignment to be boring and was not prepared.

Это беспокоит Дерека, поскольку он переживает, что Джейсон упустит из виду множество важных деталей и пройдёт все процедуры в спешке. В качестве домашнего задания Джейсону было поручено очень внимательно изучить предполётные процедуры, и на следующем уроке полёта они подробно обсудят каждый этап. Как и предсказывал Дерек, Джейсон посчитал это задание скучным и не был готов.

Derek knows that Jason is a “thrill seeker” as he talks about his business, which is a wilderness adventure company. Derek wants to find a way to keep Jason focused and help him find excitement in all areas of learning so that he will understand the complex art of flying and aircraft safety.

Дерек знает, что Джейсон — «искатель острых ощущений», поскольку он рассказывает о своей компании, которая занимается организацией приключений в дикой природе. Дерек хочет найти способ поддерживать сосредоточенность Джейсона и помочь ему находить интерес во всех сферах обучения, чтобы он мог постичь сложное искусство полётов и технику безопасности.

Learning is the acquisition of knowledge or understanding of a subject or skill through education, experience, practice, or study. This chapter discusses behavior and how it affects the learning process. An instructor seeks to understand why people act the way they do and how people learn.

Обучение — это приобретение знаний или понимания предмета или навыка посредством образования, опыта, практики или учёбы. В этой главе обсуждается поведение и его влияние на процесс обучения. Преподаватель стремится понять, почему люди действуют именно так, а не иначе, и как они учатся.

An effective instructor uses knowledge of human behavior, basic human needs, the defense mechanisms humans use that prevent learning, and how adults learn in order to organize and conduct productive learning activities. Definitions of Human Behavior The study of human behavior is an attempt to explain how and why humans function the way they do.

Эффективный преподаватель использует знания о человеческом поведении, основных человеческих потребностях, защитных механизмах, препятствующих обучению, и о том, как учатся взрослые, для организации и проведения продуктивной учебной деятельности. Определения человеческого поведения. Изучение человеческого поведения — это попытка объяснить, как и почему люди действуют именно так, а не иначе.

A complex topic, human behavior is a product both of innate human nature and of individual experience and environment. Definitions of human behavior abound, depending on the field of study. In the scientific world, human behavior is seen as the product of factors that cause people to act in predictable ways.

Человеческое поведение – сложная тема, поскольку оно является результатом как врождённой природы человека, так и индивидуального опыта и окружающей среды. Существует множество определений человеческого поведения, зависящих от области исследования. В научном мире человеческое поведение рассматривается как результат факторов, заставляющих людей действовать предсказуемым образом.

For example, speaking in public is very high on the list of fears many people have. While no two people react the same to any given fear, fear itself does trigger certain innate responses such as an increase in breathing rate. How a person handles that fear is a product of individual experiences. 

Например, публичные выступления занимают одно из первых мест в списке страхов, испытываемых многими людьми. Хотя реакции на один и тот же страх не бывает одинаковыми, сам страх вызывает определённые врождённые реакции, например, учащённое дыхание. То, как человек справляется со страхом, зависит от его индивидуального опыта.

The person who has never spoken in public may be unable to fulfill the obligation. Another person, knowing his or her job requires public speaking, may choose to take a class on public speaking to learn how to cope with the fear. Human behavior is also defined as the result of attempts to satisfy certain needs. 

Человек, никогда не выступавший публично, может оказаться неспособным выполнить это обязательство. Другой человек, зная, что его работа требует публичных выступлений, может решить пройти курс ораторского искусства, чтобы научиться справляться со страхом. Человеческое поведение также определяется как результат попыток удовлетворить определённые потребности.

These needs may be simple to understand and easy to identify, such as the need for food and water. They also may be complex, such as the need for respect and acceptance. A working knowledge of human behavior can help an instructor better understand a learner. It is also helpful to remember that to a large extent thoughts, feelings, and behavior are shared by all men or women, despite seemingly large cultural differences.

Эти потребности могут быть простыми для понимания и легко распознаваемыми, например, потребность в еде и воде. Они также могут быть сложными, например, потребность в уважении и принятии. Практическое знание человеческого поведения может помочь инструктору лучше понимать обучающегося. Также полезно помнить, что мысли, чувства и поведение во многом схожи у всех мужчин и женщин, несмотря на кажущиеся существенные культурные различия.

For example, fear causes humans to either fight or flee. In the public speaking example above, one person may “flee” by not fulfilling the obligation. The other person may “fight” by learning techniques to deal with fear. Another definition of human behavior focuses on the typical life course of humans.

Например, страх заставляет людей либо сражаться, либо бежать. В примере с публичным выступлением, приведённом выше, один человек может «бежать», не выполняя своё обязательство. Другой человек может «бороться», обучаясь техникам борьбы со страхом. Другое определение человеческого поведения фокусируется на типичном жизненном пути человека.

This approach emphasizes human development or the successive phases of growth in which human behavior is characterized by a distinct set of physical, physiological, and behavioral features. The thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an infant differ radically from those of a teen.

Этот подход делает акцент на развитии человека, или последовательных фазах роста, на которых поведение человека характеризуется определённым набором физических, физиологических и поведенческих особенностей. Мысли, чувства и поведение младенца радикально отличаются от мыслей, чувств и поведения подростка.

Research shows that as an individual matures, his or her mode of action moves from dependency to self-direction. Therefore, the age of the learner impacts how the instructor designs the curriculum. Since the average age of a learner can vary, the instructor needs to offer a curriculum that addresses the varying learner tendency to self-direct. [Figure 2-1]

By observing human behavior, an instructor can gain the knowledge needed to better understand him or herself as an instructor as well as the learning needs of learners. Understanding human behavior leads to successful instruction. 

Instructor and Learner Relationship How does personality type testing affect instructors and learners? Research has led many educational psychologists to feel that based on personality type, everyone also has an individual style of learning. In this theory, working with that style, rather than against it, benefits both instructor and learner.

Although controversy often swirls around the educational benefits of teaching learners according to personality types, it has gained a large following and been implemented at many levels of education. Today’s learner can visit any number of websites, take a personality test, and discover what type of learner he or she is and how best to study.

In a continuing quest to figure out why humans do what they do, the mother-daughter team of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers pioneered the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test in 1962. The MBTI was based on Jungian theory, previous research into personality traits, and lengthy personal observations of human behavior by Myers and Briggs.

They believed that much seemingly random variation in human behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment. 

They distilled human behavior into sixteen distinct personality types. Inspired by their research, clinical psychologist and author, Dr. David Keirsey condensed their sixteen types into four groups he calls Guardian, Artisan, Rational, and Idealist.

Others have either contributed or continued to expand personality research and its influence on human behavior. Personality type testing now runs the gamut from helping people make career choices to helping people choose marriage partners. 

Not only does personality type influence how one learns, it also influences how one teaches. Learning one’s personality type helps an instructor recognize how he or she instructs. Why is it important to recognize personal instruction style?

The match or mismatch between the way an instructor teaches and the way an individual learns contributes to instructional satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Learners whose styles are compatible with the teaching styles of an instructor tend to retain information longer, apply it more effectively, learn more, and have a more positive attitude toward the course in general.

Although an instructor cannot change his or her preferred style of teaching to match a learning style, steps can be taken to actively bridge the differences. Consider the Derek’s dilemma with Jason described at the beginning of this chapter.

Derek knows he is the type of instructor who provides a clear, precise syllabus and has a tendency to explain with step-by-step procedures. His teaching style relies on traditional techniques and he often finds himself teaching as he was taught.

Observation leads Derek to believe Jason is the type of person who needs the action, excitement, and variation reflected in his career choice. In an effort to focus Jason on the need to learn all aspects of flight,

Derek sets up a scenario for the day that features how to scout locations for future adventure tours. By adjusting the flight scenario, Derek pushes himself out of his lock-step approach to teaching. He has also added an element of variation to the lesson that not only interests Jason, but is one of the reasons he wants to learn to fly.