Behaviour and attitudes to teachers, trainers, and facilitators

This short paper looks at behaviour and attitudes in the context of teaching and training. The top down transfer of knowledge is embedded in most education systems, and top-down cultures, behaviours and attitudes reinforce this. This paper looks at the scope for using participatory learning instead. Despite some participatory trainings never referring to behaviour and attitudes, self-awareness is increasing and practices are changing. Individual practitioners are shifting their style from teaching to facilitating, from treating people as students to recognising them as colleagues, contributors and co-learners, and to modelling changes in behaviour and attitudes themselves. The paper goes on to give examples and introduces the concept of participatory curriculum development.