FACTORS THAT FACILITATE LEARNING
v Meaning and relevance
Learning can be effectively executed when learners are able to understand the various concepts and principles covered. Memorization of material without understanding should be avoided. There should be relevance of material to the learner’s interest because learners are more ready to respond to materials that meet their needs and which fit well with their already established interests.
Example: when a teacher want to teach materials used in agriculture, he provides books for learners in which they will found pictures of them, then it will help learners to know and to memorize them.
v Practicability
Learners should participate actively in the learning process and the subject matter. This requires that schoolwork should be tied to dimensions like prestige, success, occupation
Example: When a teacher teaches about novels, each learner must read loudly in a class then a teacher may have to correct him/her where he makes a mistake then all the class will know how to pronounce all words in that novel.
v Competence of the teacher
The teacher must be competent and confident, be able to command attention and the respect of the class for effective learning to take place. One’s competence can also come from one’s initiative and efforts put into teaching. Any competent teacher develops his/ her own ways of recognizing the needs currently felt by his/her students and then guide them into and through experiences designed to result in learning that will satisfy these needs.
Example: When a teacher gives students school work and he did not give them a limited time to submit it then they will not work carefully.
v Motivation and emotions
Motivation is the impetus to excel while emotions are internalized feelings based on personal and external factors. Therefore, motivation involves the manipulation of incentives and goals, creating a proper atmosphere, arousing emotional interest and inducting a pleasant state of satisfaction in the learners. The secret of successful teaching is to discover means of making learners like and want to do things that the teacher wants them to do. Teachers should motivate learners through constant evaluation and fostering or reinforcing the right motive as well as positive emotions. Reinforcers are stimuli that increase the strength of response; these can be positive or negative reinforcements in the learning situation that include praise, pleasant symbols and facial expressions. These should be utilized in class to enhance learning. Punishment should be avoided because it may discourage learners from learning activities.
Example: If students see their friend rewarded for good work done, they may work hard so that they are also rewarded.
v Socio-economic status
This can be considered by measures taken in relation to family income, residential area, social facilities or amenities, occupation and educational level of parents. These factors can impede learning if they are not well balanced. Learners, who come from high socio-economic status families may look down upon those who come from low socio-economic status, subsequently it may have negative effects on the latter. Hence frustration and poor performance occur. For proper and effective learning to occur, it is necessary to eliminate differences in aspirations between poor and rich students
Example: When a student have not yet paid school fees while exams approach, he will not prepare his exam calmly.