More Than Listeners:

More Than Listeners:
Active Participation in the Learning Process
by Roger Boone
Christian's Expositor Journal
September 1993

Teaching God's Word is one of the fundamentals of the Christian's life. In the worship services, in the home, or with family or friends, at every opportunity Christians teach the Word of God.

Jesus, the Son of God, was the Master Teacher. Those who heard Him teach recognized that "He taught them as one having authority" (Matthew 7:29). Those who followed Jesus were called "disciples," literally "learners." As we learn from Jesus, we each in our turn and in our place become teachers also. In Acts 20:7, on the first day of the week, Paul spoke and "continued his message until midnight." Paul was a teacher. In Acts 18:26, Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside and "explained to him the way of God more accurately." Aquila and Priscilla were teachers. It says in 2 Timothy 2:2 that faithful men are to "be able to teach others also." Faithful men are to be teachers. To this Paul added in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." When it does, the result that follows is "teaching and admonishing one another." Every Christian is to have a knowledge of God's Word. The Word is to dwell in us. When it does we will teach it. Teach it in our homes. Teach it to our friends. Teach it in the church. We will teach it. In our proper place, we will teach it.

But teaching cannot happen without a learner. For teaching to be successful the learner must learn. A teacher may teach and there be no learning as a result of the teaching. This is futility. When learning occurs there are two who are responsible—the teacher and the learner. The teacher cannot he successful without cooperation from the learner.

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will he wiser still; Teach a just man, and He will increase in learning" (Proverbs 9:9, New King James Version). It is not just any man but the wise man who receives instruction and becomes wiser. It is not just any man who increases in learning. It is the just man. The attitude of the learner is crucial to the learning process. The teacher and the learner are two sides of the same coin. They are joined in the process of teaching-learning.

This does not let the teacher "off the hook" when there is no learning. It is the teacher's responsibility to teach in a way that will help the learner to learn. Real teaching is happening when the teacher involves the learner in the teaching. Real teaching happens when the teacher gains the participation of the learner in the material to be learned. Much teaching goes on where there is no learning because the learner does not participate with the teacher in the teaching-learning process. Thus, the role of the teacher is not merely to present information. The teacher must present the information in such a way as to invite and encourage the participation of the learner.

Forms of Participation There are two basic forms of participation. There is passive participation and active participation. Passive participation is when the listener simply sits and listens to the instruction, but does nothing to reinforce the instruction. Passive participation is often intermittent, i.e. the mind wanders in and out of the lesson. Frequently with passive participation, what is heard goes in one ear and out the other.

Active participation occurs when the learner goes further and becomes actively involved in the lesson. Within the category of active participation there is:

1. Active mental participation, when the learner's mind is actively participating in the lesson, reviewing, critiquing, or mentally comparing it to facts already known.

2. Active physical participation, which would include reading, writing, discussing, researching, or some other physical exercise.

Passive participation is minimum participation and results in minimum learning. Active participation involves the learner to a greater degree and results in greater learning. Take a look at the Retention Triangle (figure 1) and observe that as the level of participation increases learning increases. Learning research states that learners remember:

Figure 1. The Retention Triangle, showing average retention rates by learning method.

10% of what they hear
20% of what they read,,
30% of what they see,
50% of what they see and hear,
70% of what they say about something,
90% of what they say as they do something

Furthermore, in a Handbook of Research on Teaching, by Merlin C. Whittrock, an explanation of what students do to learn is given: "Students recite, practice, seek assistance, review, check, locate sources, access materials." Note that mere listening is not even listed. Of course, listening must be understood and taken for granted, but listening alone only produces a minimum amount of learning. For real learning to occur, listening must be put into action. The student must participate further in the learning process.

If the goal of the teacher is to help others learn, then the teacher must find ways to gain the active participation of the learners.

The Example of Jesus As a wonderful teacher, Jesus frequently taught in such a manner so as to gain the active participation of His hearers. Notice the examples that follow:

1. Use of the unexpected. In Matthew 9:1-2, a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus to be physically healed. Rather than immediately giving the expected healing, Jesus said, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." This was completely unexpected and immediately started discussion among the scribes. By use of the unexpected, Jesus gained their attention and their participation. They began to discuss Jesus' statement of forgiveness. Their correct conclusion was "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Mark. 2:7). By doing the unexpected, Jesus captured their attention and gained their participation, i.e. discussion of the subject.

2. Use of thought questions that are difficult to answer. Continuing in the story of the paralyzed man (Matthew 9:4-5), we find Jesus asked the question, "For which is easier, to say 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?" (v. 5). This was and still is a difficult question to answer. Its answer requires thought and careful consideration. Notice further that Jesus did not give the answer to the question. He left it for those who heard it to take home for consideration. The best teaching is not always done by supplying the answer, but by giving the learners the opportunity to think about the subject for themselves. Jesus encouraged participation in the teaching-learning process by the use of difficult questions.

3. Use of statements difficult to understand. This is similar to the preceding point. In John 4, after Jesus had spoken to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus' disciples came and encouraged Him to eat (v. 31). He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (v. 32). This caused the disciples to talk among themselves, wondering where He might have found something to eat. After letting them discuss and wonder about His question, Jesus answered "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me" (v. 34). Of course, Jesus was teaching that there are more important things than physical food. But He began by engaging the minds of His disciples, gaining their participation in the teaching learning process.

4. Giving homework. In Matthew 9:9-12, the Pharisees, who were critical of Jesus' association with sinners, asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (v. l1). Jesus answered the question with "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (v. 12). Jesus could have stopped there with a simple answer to the question, but He did not. He added, "But go and learn what this means 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice'." This was a quote from Hosea 6:6. It was also homework. It was something for them to take with them for further study and consideration.

5. Physical participation. At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus was asked to provide wine (John. 2:1-7). Rather than do all the work Himself, He said to the servants, "Fill the water pots with water" (vs. 7). Jesus involved them in the physical preparations for the miracle, thus gaining their interest and attention by their participation.

6. Use of parables. A parable relates some common event to a spiritual truth. The learner is interested in the comparison, and becomes mentally involved in trying to understand how the comparison between the physical and the spiritual fits together. There are several examples in Matthew 13. In the Parable of the Sower (vv. 3-8), the physical planting of a field and the growth of the seed is compared to the planting of God's Word and its growth in the heart of man. In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, wheat and tares growing in the same field compares to Christians and non-Christians living in the same world. Their final separation is demonstrated by the harvest, which is compared to the Judgment Day. In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, a common herb of the field and its growth is compared to the growth of the church. In the Parable of the Dragnet, a net cast into the sea gathers many different kinds of fish. The fish are separated on shore. This compares to the separation of the wicked from the just at the Judgment Day. In each of these parables something common and ordinary is laid alongside a spiritual truth to gain the mental participation of the learner.

7. Relating the new to the old. In several places in the Sermon on the Mount, we find the repetition of the formula, "You have heard that it is said to those of old . . . But I say unto you" (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 38-39). In each case Jesus gained the interest and mental participation of His hearers by beginning the new teaching with a reference to the old.

The Point The point of all this is to demonstrate that teaching effectively is more than just recitation of numerous facts. The teaching-learning process involves the effort of two individuals. The hearer and the teacher. The hearer must be willing and prepared to learn. The effective teacher must be prepared to teach in a way that will allow the hearer to participate in the teaching, ideally, both mentally and physically.

As a teacher, Jesus used many different methods to engage the minds of the hearers. He invited and encouraged their participation in the learning process, both mentally and physically.

As teachers, we must know that teaching is more than just the presentation of facts. Teaching is a creative process seeking to communicate knowledge through the involve-ment and participation of the hearers.

Practical Application
The majority of our teaching falls into two categories:

(1) teaching in the worship services of the church, and
(2) teaching in a home study situation. The latter category would include informal discussions we may have as individuals.

The teacher in the worship services can look to Jesus as his example, and in the course of his teaching use the following ideas to invite and encourage the participation of the hearers.

1. Say the unexpected. This will draw the wandering mind back to the subject being taught. The unexpected statement will be remembered and discussed. But make it appropriate. Use it wisely. Another name for a lesson where everything is unexpected is unorganized.

2. Ask questions. For the most part, these will be thought questions not intended to be answered as part of the worship service. Many times the teacher will ask and immediately answer his own questions. While this can be an effective means of teaching, for variation, leave some questions unanswered. These questions can be thought about and discussed at another time.

3. Give Homework. Some teachers make it their goal to answer every possible question on a subject during the course of a lesson. This is not always desirable, since it tends to end study and discussion on a subject rather than encourage further discussion. Instead, leave some questions purposely unanswered, suggesting suitable Scriptures where the answer would be found.

4. Encourage physical participation. First, encourage the use of the Bible during the lesson. Some teachers give so many Bible verses, so quickly, perhaps only briefly quoting them, that those trying to follow the lesson in their Bibles quickly become discouraged. Instead, the teacher can encourage participation by giving Scripture verses clearly, turning to the Scripture himself, then giving the verse again. Then, if people are obviously still turning to the Scripture, wait! If people know you are expecting them to study the lesson with you, more of them will!

Second, encourage the taking of notes. Being organized in the presentation of your own lesson is a great help to those who are following you and taking notes. If your outline is obvious, it will he easy for people to write it in their notes. Also, use the chalkboard. Write an outline of your lesson on the hoard. Write Scriptures you cite on the board. Any school student knows that if a teacher views the information important enough to write, it is important enough for the student to write also. Finally, parents can encourage their children to participate in the lesson by asking them simple questions on the drive home that are appropriate to their age.

Teaching in the home study situation will allow the teacher even more room to gain the active participation of the hearer. In addition to all the above methods which could be used in the worship services, in a home Bible study a teacher can also do the following things to stimulate active participation.

1. Allow the hearer freedom to choose their own study topics. Especially in the beginning, those new to a study of God's Word often have topics of interest that need to be explained before further study can progress. The answers to these first study subjects can often lead to discussion of more pressing subjects, such as salvation.

2. Allow discussion. Discussion makes the hearer feel respected. It also allows the teacher to find out what the hearer does and does not know. Discussion allows the teacher to tailor the teaching to the learner.

3. Give homework. Even more so than in the formal worship services, homework is appropriate to the home Bible study. it lets the learner be involved in the study in between meetings with the teacher.

4. Give outlines. These outlines can be studied later when the learner finds a specific need for information. I still have all of the handwritten Bible study outlines given to me by the first person to study with me before I became a Christian. These outlines can contain some of the most important information the learner will ever receive, viz., notes on God's plan of salvation.

5. Role playing. Ask the learner to reverse roles and teach you about a subject. This will involve the learner to the greatest level. It will demand that they study the subject then prepare a logical lesson. Once a person can teach a subject, at least the basics of the subject will be known.

Conclusion The participation of the learners not only aids the learning process, it drives the learning process. Where there is no participation there is no learning. Where participation is minimal, learning is minimal. To maximize learning, maximize participation.

The prophet Hosea wrote, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea. 4:6). It is certainly not our wish that this would ever be said of us. Knowledge of God, His ways, and His Word are crucial to the survival of Christians in a sinful world. Learning is the gaining of knowledge. As learners we must realize that to learn we will have to do more than passively sit and listen. We will have to participate, read the Scriptures, write the Scriptures, think the Scriptures, practice the Scriptures. As teachers we must realize that standing up and quoting knowledge is not necessarily teaching anyone anything. Effective teaching invites and encourages the participation of the learners.

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