Methodology

A seminar on ‘Concept-based instruction’

Part -2-

The outline of the Seminar:

1. General overview
2.Concept-based instruction in second/foreign language
teaching
3.Sample Concept-based lessons in secondary grade level
4.Concept-based curriculum design
5.Advantages of concept-based instruction
6.Criticism of CBI

Prepared by: Ahmed Salih

Course instructor: Dr. Omar Ilyas

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 1. General overview
As a pedagogical approach to educational praxis, concept-based instruction originates
from Vygotskian tradition of sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1997a). For Vygotsky
(1978), conceptual knowledge not only forms the minimal unit of higher form of thinking, but
also constitutes the foundational unit of instruction. Rather than letting learners rediscover
abstract concepts that are already known in science, a process that is inefficient and
unnecessary, instruction should provide learners with abstract scientific concepts and then
guide them to discover how they are applicable in concrete circumstances. However, for
conceptual knowledge to be of value, Vygotsky noted that it needs to be linked with
practical activity. This work was developed and carried out by two of his followers: Gal‟perin
and Davydov. The concept-based pedagogical model developed by Gal‟perin (1989, 1992)
is called Systemic-theoretical instruction (STI). At the core of this model are verbalization
and internalization of concepts. The primary concerns are to provide learners with high-
quality knowledge, guide the learner„s learning process in order to foster the internalization
of the concepts and eventually to enhance learner-independence. Concept based
curriculum and instruction requires a shift in classroom pedagogy. But traditional textbook-
driven curricula seldom support this shift effectively.

2. Concept-based instruction in second/foreign

language teaching

In spite of the fact that CBI is relatively new to language teaching, it has revolutionized the
way scholars view language instruction and cognitivism. CBI research has been directed
mostly to classes of social studies, science or mathematics and only a few CBI studies
have been reported in the field of foreign or second language teaching and learning. This
might be due to the fact, as Erickson (2012) argues, that linguistics has little agreement
about the elementary system or concepts. Logically, materialization is more difficult in such
a field.

It is about time that we reshape the way our students think and subsequently reshape the
way we adopt to teaching them. Lee (2012) elaborates that learners should not be left
simply to listen to lectures and memorize abstract rules within the context of foreign
language education. Instead, they should be employed in communicative activities where
they can make connections between rules and practices. In this way, learners would be
able to re-contextualize their understanding and extend it to novel situations which have not
practiced before. This is where practical activity using the concept is relevant. Finally, the
target concept is internalized and the intended action can be carried out automatically with
ease.

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CBI promotes the internalization of categories of meaning which provides a psychological
means in order to mediate second/foreign language communication. “Any learning process
is deliberate rather than spontaneous” . Therefore, focus must be on developing
understanding of and ability to use the second language for meaning-making purposes in
second language pedagogic activities.

As most linguistic concepts are abstract, Nicholas (2012) proposes some characteristics to
help solving the problem of abstraction. To do so, concepts have to be functional and
practical, concretely linked to authentic language material and use. Furthermore, when it
comes to choosing key concepts which would serve as basis of instruction, some might
mistakenly relate them to linguistic forms. Concepts in language learning should not be
bound to linguistic forms, but rather unite different and sometimes superficially unrelated
features of language. For example, talking about the concepts of “pragmatics” and “speech
acts” would include the manifestation of other related disciplinary concepts like culture,
socio-pragmatics, context…etc.

Internalized linguistic concepts serve a powerful mediational role in second language

development and use. Current and recent research into CBI has revealed that internalized
linguistic concepts is a very distinct advantage of CBI as opposed to other forms of explicit
language teaching, as they equip learners with an orienting basis for the use of a range of
language features. Through endorsing intentional or artificial of appropriation semiotic
concepts and general categories of meaning, CBI ensures the development of
second/foreign language pragmatics. Concentrating on pragmatic key concepts i.e. general
categories of meaning like politeness, power, distance…etc., includes many disciplinary
related concepts.

3. Sample Concept-based lessons in secondary

grade level
Following the sample lesson below, the teacher can write a generalization that extrapolates
the transferable understanding. Sample generalization will be provided at the end of the
section. After the teacher have identified an enduring understanding for each selection, he
will choose a particular type of learner (accelerated, delayed, English as a second
language, etc.) and plan a differentiation strategy to meet his or her learning needs for that
lesson.

Topic: (River Valley Civilizations)

Teacher to students: "In this lesson, you will learn about and respond to problems faced by
people in the River Valley civilizations. You will learn how people living in farm villages were
affected by problems such as flooding, insects, disease, or invaders:' Working in

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cooperative groups, have students choose a solution they think best solves the problem
and prepare to justify their choice with two reasons. Emphasize to the groups that their
plans may include only materials/tools that were available at the time, such as stones or
shovels, and ingenuity.

Generalization: The students understand that ...

Kind of Learner:

Differentiation Strategy:

4. Concept-based curriculum design

Since CBI operates conceptual thinking and the use of concepts in teaching, the
management of time inside the classroom must shift the focus from covering and
memorizing information to thinking with and implementing knowledge at conceptual levels.
Concept-based curriculum is defined as a course of study in one subject or across a list of
all courses that is based on delivering course content through the use of concepts.

Erickson (2012) compares between concept-based curriculum and instruction and

traditional content-based curriculum. He argues that the concept-based design operates
three-dimensional model which engages factual content and skills with disciplinary
concepts, generalizations and principles. On the other hand, the traditional topic-based
curriculum includes two-dimensional model which focuses on factual content and skills with
assumed rather than careful consideration of the development of conceptual
comprehension and the transmission of knowledge (see Figure1). Two-dimensional
curriculum models concentrate on facts and skills aiming at covering the content, content
analysis and the memorization of material. Three-dimensional models concentrate on
concepts, principles and generalizations. They apply the related facts and skills as tools to
increase deeper comprehension of disciplinary content and interdisciplinary issues and to
facilitate conceptual transmission through time, through cultures and through situations.

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.

Figure 1: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional curriculum and instruction

5. Advantages of concept-based instruction

It is argued by scholars that the crucial components that require a concept-based model are
intercultural understanding and international-mindedness, the ability to transfer knowledge
and a strong intellectual model that is emotionally appealing and inspiring. These elements
have many advantages on many levels. They are summarized as follows:

Thinking and cognitive level: It requires intelligent learners who apply critical, creative,
reflective and conceptual thinking skills.

—the cognitive relationship and interplay between the

factual and conceptual levels of thinking.

principles.

previous knowledge, and make the arrangements and connections of the required
knowledge more prominent.

t offers chances for personal meaning-making processes through processes of thinking,

creating and reflecting.

Intercultural understanding: it advances and assists the process of intercultural

understanding and international-mindedness through conceptual transmission.

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concepts and conceptual understandings as reproduced through exclusive and varied
cultures.

draws out the multiple viewpoints and conditions of different cultures and nations.

Motivation for learning: It identifies that intellectual and emotional commitments are
essential to the motivation for learning.

ging the learners to think about the facts in terms of

appropriate and personally engaging key concept.

understandings to”.

-solving. As it
believes that social construction of meaning motivates participants as well as leading to
quality product.

Fluency with language: It promotes fluency with the languages of cultures and the
disciplines.

their conceptual understanding with relevant factual knowledge.

the
different disciplines.

6. Criticism of CBI
One of the major criticisms of Gal„perin„s approach is that as van der Veer (2000) points
out, the stepwise procedure depromotes learners„ creative thinking by “the supposed
one-way transmission of the subject matter content”. It is true that in many studies,
Gal„perin„s method is implemented as a form of teaching algorithms. van der Veer
(2000), however, argues that those algorithms guarantee the right execution and lead to
the solution of the problems and therefore benefits the learners who go through
Gal„perin programs. He goes on to argue that the teaching algorithm gives learners the
experience of investigating a topic that has not been introduced in the orienting stage.
This way, learners are prepared to deal with unknown problems and to think creatively
and scientifically. Hence the creativity comes from extending the conceptual knowledge
to concrete problems. This is related to the issue of teaching heuristics and can only be
investigated by carefully designed empirical research.

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References

Ai, H. (2015). Promoting second language development with concept-based language

instruction and intelligent computer-assisted language learning.

Erickson, H. L., & Tomlinson, C. A. (2007). Concept-based curriculum and instruction for
the thinking classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press .

Lee, H. W. (2011). Concept-based approach to second language teaching and learning:

Cognitive lingusitics-inspired instruction of English phrasal verbs.