ISSN 2348-3156 (Print) International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 10, Issue 3, pp: (13-19), Month: July - September 2022, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning: Observations from a Technical College in Rural Saudi Arabia William D. Monroe, Jr. Faculty of International Programs, Thongsook College, Bangkok, Thailand DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6821328
Published Date: 12-July-202
Abstract: This article is a look at the application of Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning in a post-secondary vocational college in rural Saudi Arabia by instructors, who have had no training in the implementation of the Dimensions of Learning, by way of objectively observing and then critically analyzing the lessons, followed by giving evidenced-based recommendations to ensure a more learning and thinking oriented lesson delivery. The lessons observed were vastly different as one lesson was a beginning level English as a Foreign Language lesson which introduced a topic, while the other was a vocational-technical lesson serving as a final review. Briefly noting previous studies and recommendations of research done in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the article will conclude that the Dimensions of Learning model is worth investigating further in vocational education in Saudi Arabia. Keywords: Dimensions of Learning, International Technical College, English as a Foreign Language, Vocational Education, Saudi Arabia.
I. INTRODUCTION The Dimensions of Learning (DOL), first published in 1992, grew from work by a team of researchers lead by Robert Marzano to establish a practical pedagogical framework, for teachers in K-12 education to use regardless of context in any content area. The DOL framework promotes that learning involves five categories of learning which, unlike Bloom’s taxonomy, are not hierarchical in structure, but instead interrelated (Curry & Samara, 1990). These five dimensions are: 1) Positive Attitudes and Perceptions About Learning, 2) Thinking Involved in Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge, 3) Thinking Involved in Extending and Refining Knowledge, 4) Thinking Involved in Using Knowledge Meaningfully, and 5) Productive Habits of Mind (Marzano, 1992). The anecdotal observations and critique of the lesson delivery presented here are of two different lessons, one an English as Second Language (ESL) lesson and the other a vocational lesson involving electrical students, at an all-male International Technical College (ITC) located in a rural town in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Marzano’s DOL form the basis of the areas of objective observation and critical analysis. To perform the observations, a small video camera, inconspicuously placed in both the classroom and technical laboratory, allowed for the classes to proceed as normally as possible. Also, note that neither the teachers being observed, nor any of the teachers in the college, received the recommended four-day teacher training for implementing the DOL. Each observation will conclude with recommendations that the teachers could use to make the lesson more learning and thinking oriented.
II. ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE LESSON The first observation was of a beginning level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class. The textbook for this class is Interchange Fifth Edition Intro by Jack C. Richards labeled as A1 by the Common European Language Framework (CEFR). However, many students in the class begin with no real English ability, sometimes unofficially described as
Page | 13 Research Publish Journals