Humanistic Approach Teaching

The main components of the humanistic approach are that the lessons are Student-centred. Humanism allows students for social personal development. It takes pressure of the students as is not performance-oriented or test-dominated, this provides opportunity for success. The whole process is about Discovery. Students are encouraged to go out there and find out information and it is up to them to decide which information they think is relevant. Ultimately, the teacher or guider must respect student's feelings and aspirations. In this orientation the basic concern is for the human potential for growth (Armitage et al, 2003). Perhaps the best known example of humanistic thinking is Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of motivation. At the lowest level are physiological needs, at the highest self actualization. Only when the lower needs are met is it possible to fully move on to the next level. A motive at the lower level is always stronger than those at higher levels (Jarvis, 2006). Level one: Physiological needs such as hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, relaxation and bodily integrity must be satisfied before the next level comes into play. Level two: Safety needs call for a predictable and orderly world. If these are not satisfied people will look to organize their worlds to provide for the greatest degree of safety and security (INFED, 2004). Level three: Love and belonging needs cause people to seek warm and friendly relationships. Level four: Self-esteem needs involve the desire for strength, achievement, adequacy, mastery and competence. They also involve confidence, independence, reputation and prestige. Level five: Self-actualization is the full use and expression of talents, capacities and potentialities (Jarvis, 2006). I will like my students to reach to level four. I hope that by investigating by themselves (using own style and choosing resources), my students become proud of their work and their desire for learning improves. The more they use this approach the more confident they will become, the more independent they will be and their self-esteem will grow. Out of the top three, I only got control over level two. It is very little that I can do to fulfil the first two levels of needs, and as for the level three, I know that all students are friends outside the college so I hope their need for relationship is cover in order to progress to level four. Humanism sees learning as a form of self-actualization; it contributes to psychological health (Light, cox and Graham, 2009). Although self actualization it is seen as the primary goal, other goals such as sense of accomplishment and the controlling of impulses are also present (Pritchard, 2008) Perhaps the most persuasive exploration of a humanistic orientation to learning came from Carl Rogers. He saw the following elements as being involved in significant or experiential learning. Rogers saw the humanistic approach as a mean for personal involvement in learning. It is also self initiated, even when the impetus or stimulus comes from the outside. Rogers also though, that this approach had the capacity to make a difference in the behaviour, the attitudes and even the personality of the learner. A humanistic approach encourages the learner to evaluate their learning. They know whether it is meeting their needs, whether it leads toward what they want to know. The essence of a humanistic approach is meaning. When learning takes place, the element of meaning to the learner is built into the whole experience. (INFED, 2004).