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Negotiating with Learners

What is 'negotiating with learners'?

Wilson (2008, pp. 220) identifies negotiation as "one of the keys to effective communication [through the act of] … [f]inding out why learners want to do something (or not), and establishing compromise … [to reach] a more favourable environment". Negotiation is therefore part of the foundations of communication, but is also a key component in ensuring that effective communication takes place.

Effective communication typically identified as the use of appropriate and clear language that uses tone and expression to convey information and understanding to the recipient. Further research (Wilson, 2008; Gravells & Simpson, 2009) identifies that technical terminology and 'jargon' should be explained in such a way that each learner must be able to understand it, that the speaker should captivate the attention of their audience to ensure that interest and that sufficient focus is retained to allow the learner to absorb the information and associate with it in such a way that they can generate an understanding of the topic being taught.

Therefore, for effective negotiation between teacher and learner, effective communication is a keystone and is integral to the process of negotiated learning. In addition to this, an understanding of the starting point and desired outcomes (destination) must exist so that each party involved in the negotiation has a clear idea of where they desire the process to lead and what concessions may need to be made in order to obtain a successful compromise.

Negotiation must therefore be a process that teachers and learners must undertake in order to obtain their outcomes, which is confirmed by the Negotiation Circle (2009), who define negotiation as "the journey of how [to] get to the destination, not the destination itself" and identifies that the act of negotiation is related more to identifying how to reach an agreement, usually a compromise, than it does to identifying the outcome itself. The Answers Corporation (2009) corroborate this definition by reaffirming that negotiation is a process, or means to an end, in that "[n]egotiation is the process of two individuals or groups reaching joint agreement about differing needs or ideas", and that the process consists of a number of key stages:-

  1. Orientation and fact finding
  2. Resistance
  3. Reformulation of strategies
  4. Hard bargaining and decision making
  5. Agreement
  6. Follow-up

A learning environment can be quite different to a business negotiation, although the principle is similar in that there are two main parties (teacher and learner) that each possesses their own views of the desired situation, or what activities are undertaken. These stages can be simplified for a classroom environment into four key stages:-

  1. Orientation – identifying the current situation and areas of resistance
  2. Discussion and Bargaining – resolving differences and reaching an acceptable solution (compromise)
  3. Agreement – setting down the compromise in a learning contract
  4. Implementation – implementing the learning contract into the learning environment

Negotiating with learners can therefore be defined as the process of reaching an optimal educational environment and curriculum to attempt to meet the needs of learners, the tutor and the curriculum provider through discussion, bargaining and compromise. However, it is more complex than this as it also requires flexibility in the curriculum, and the ability to create a blanket environment or change that will meet the needs of the majority of learners in order to be successful. It also requires all negotiators to be able to compromise in order to reach an agreement.

How can negotiation be applied to the Learning Environment?

Negotiation in a structured learning environment can involve a number of areas, including the initial assessment of learners and their learning styles, defining and agreeing goals and targets, and selection of the action to take for both learner and teacher to ensure that the aims and objectives of both the course and the learner are met where feasible. It is important to note that the curriculum itself will have required objectives, but that some aspects may be flexible or exchangeable according to a combination of learner, teacher and provider preference.

It is critical that any discussions taking place around negotiation involve all stakeholders, where the stakeholders consist of a representation from the learners (especially important for larger classes), the tutor and the curriculum manager. The representative(s) from the student body must consult their peers to ensure that they bring forward an agreed standpoint from the entire learner base rather than purely what they are seeking as learners. For smaller classes, the student representation may involve all learners, and should only be reduced where full representation would significantly impact the speed of negotiation without impacting the expected or target outcomes.

To fulfil modern requirements by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) to secure funding sources, much more evidence is required to demonstrate achievement and learning. This is primarily fulfilled through the use of initial assessment, Individual Learning Plans (ILP) and SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based) to record the learner’s progress.

In order to identify learner’s progress, an understanding of their ability prior to undertaking the course must be established, which is identified through an initial assessment that records their current skills within the subject area. This can be in the form of a questionnaire and tutor observation in the early stages of the course, in addition to one-to-one discussion with the learner.

Once a starting point is established, targets and goals can be identified and recorded to demonstrate the learner's achievements through their participation in the course. These are recorded in the learner's ILP, and form the basis for the measurable evidence of learning required to secure funding. Negotiating targets and goals with the learner can aid the encouragement of the learner to take ownership of their targets, resulting in greater enthusiasm toward participation and achievement, ultimately resulting in the accomplishment of the targets and goals. Wilson (2008, pp. 148) supports this analysis by agreeing that negotiating goals and targets with the learner will "aid ownership … and create useful discussions to inform the most appropriate targets".

How can this be implemented in Silversmithing and Jewellery Making?

In terms of my own teaching, negotiation forms a large part as it is within the Adult and Community Learning sector, and as such is generally considered as a 'leisure' course by the learner, and as a result there is less inclination to complete paperwork required by the course provider, or to co-operate with the use and agreement of targets and objectives.

Therefore, negotiation is utilised to persuade the learner to complete the required paperwork (often by reminding them that the course will not run if they do not) and offering flexibility over the projects and teaching areas available to compensate. Also, as learners develop their ability and gain experience with the subject matter, they are encouraged to undertake a more independent learning style and decide their own project work to complete in class.

A recent implementation required to fulfil funding obligations for OFSTED is the use of an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and SMART Targets to provide indisputable evidence of learner's achievement and progress in the course in order to secure funding sources and grants. This was not well received by many learners for reasons previously discussed, but was overcome through the use of negotiation and compromise between learner and tutor by way of arranging specific time to deal with paperwork and minimising the amount of class time spent on these through careful design and planning of class materials, targets and activities.

In Summary

Negotiation plays an increasingly significant role in modern education, particularly where learners require some form of incentive to fulfil the more tedious (or simply less interesting) parts of the course that are necessary. Where previously this may have been more instructed teaching, this has evolved to include the learner in the discussions and empower them to participate in making decisions on their own learning and how it will proceed. As a result, the learner gains a sense of responsibility for their learning and is less likely to drop out or disrupt the class through lack of interest.

In educational terms, negotiation is very much the process navigating from a structured teaching environment to a guided learning environment where the learner has a greater involvement in organising their own education than has previously been the case, resulting in greater empowerment and taking ownership of the responsibility of equipping themselves with an education.

The process itself has culminated in the diagram below, which defines negotiation in terms of an educational situation as a process of transition from a structured teaching environment, where the teacher has the significant involvement and say in how the course will be delivered and run, to a more guided learning environment, where the learner is more empowered and has greater control over their own learning.

Negotiation: The process of transition from a structured teaching environment to a guided learning environment.

Negotiation: The process of transition from a structured teaching environment to a guided learning environment.

However, both instructed teaching and guided learning each require input from both learner and teacher, albeit in different proportions for each. This input must be constructive and appropriate, or the process itself will be at risk of failure, and as such requires control to be applied from a position of authority that has sufficient proximity to the subject matter to be able to respond in a fitting timescale; this authority is typically the tutor. As such, the tutor must therefore allow the process to occur where it is desirable, but be able to control and guide it without applying exaggerated control and throttling the process in such a way that the benefit that could be gained through it is unachievable.

Referencing this article? Copy and paste the text below!

Price, J. [Teesside Silversmith] (2009) Negotiating with Learners [Online] Available: http://www.teessidesilversmith.com/resources/html/negotiating.php Accessed: 19/05/2012

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