Teachers play a critical role in their students’ development, from childhood to adolescence. The profession plays a major role in passing on knowledge, including useful skills, serving as role models, and overall fostering holistic development about Confucian classroom.
Not all teaching is the same. Research reveals that teaching styles play a role in how effective an educator is. Studies have found that teaching styles can influence student engagement, increase participation, and impact overall academic achievement.
If you’re pursuing a career in education and interested in courses like an EdD in Higher Education online, learning more about different teaching styles is crucial. A Confucian classroom is becoming a popular strategy, emphasizing targeted teaching.
What is a Confucian classroom?
Confucian classrooms are rooted in an idea first proposed by the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. The main themes of Confucian-styled teaching, also known as a ‘Confucian pedagogy’ center around the idea of ‘ren’.
‘Ren’ in Confucianism refers to the idea of ‘humaneness’ and ‘benevolence’. A person who exhibits Ren would be someone who represents everything a person should be—kind, respectful, and compassionate—and encourages others to be the same.
When it came to learning, Confucius believed education should focus on the ‘cultivation of personal character’. Other beliefs he held about education that have shaped the idea of Confucian classrooms include:
- That everybody from all walks of life, regardless of their background, could learn.
- A passionate teacher should have a compassionate, loving heart for all of their students.
- Students should be directed to a learning process that includes studying, reflecting, and practicing.
- The content and style of teaching should be of interest to the student to stimulate their learning desire.
- Students shouldn’t accept any ‘ideas’ (learning) without employing critical thinking first and comparing it to their values and morals.
- Confucius also believed that everybody had different potentials and ‘learning paths’ which required different teaching styles, which he practiced with his own students.
These different philosophies have had varying influences on what makes up modern Confucian teaching pedagogy.
Confucian pedagogy & methodology
The modern ‘Confucian’ teaching style inspired by the philosopher is best categorized as a type of targeted teaching. Targeted teaching is a student-centric style that emphasizes a personalized approach to each individual student.
A classroom employing Confucian pedagogy would be learner-focused, where the teacher responds to students’ individual needs. They would adapt the curriculum and class content to the style(s) that the students learn best in.
For example, one student might learn better with audiovisual content. So, in a Confucian, targeted teaching classroom—the teacher would also create a video or PowerPoint presentation to go with coursework.
Confucian classrooms also value creative and independent thinking. The teacher should guide and encourage students to question the ideas taught in the classroom and freely discuss them with their peers.
Any information taught during lessons would then be applied through ‘self-cultivation’ and social interaction. Students would apply their knowledge by practice, through social interaction and self reflection.
Examples of Confucian classrooms
Confucian pedagogy could be applied to classrooms in various ways. The way the approach is applied would also depend on the setting, like whether it’s for primary school children or college students.
One way that the pedagogy could be applied in a classroom is through tasks that promote social harmony—one of the key elements behind Confucianism. Activities that require collaboration and students engaging in groups, promoting social interaction would follow Confucian pedagogy.
Another key aspect of Confucian pedagogy is the idea of lifelong learning and critical thinking. Teachers could promote this in classes by encouraging students to reflect on their learning experiences, for instance, by keeping a journal and facilitating open class discussions.
The benefits for teachers & students
Confucian classrooms have a range of advantages that benefit the teacher, students, and their educational relationship. To begin with, the Confucian pedagogy is built on the virtues of benevolence, with fostering a trusting environment being one of the key philosophies.
Like other targeted teaching strategies, Confucian pedagogy also places the student first. This means before anything else, the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of the student are considered when it comes to learning approaches.
According to research and educational theory, student-centric approaches to learning generally show better academic results. One particular study found that student-centric teaching strategies were positively associated with students’ grades in the long run, and led to better comprehension, problem-solving abilities, and interest in the subject.
It’s clear, whether through a Confucian classroom or another targeted teaching style, that personalizing education for each individual student is generally linked to better academic outcomes. While most schools are still teacher-centric, it’s expected that the future of learning will be student-centric.
