Use the following questionnaire

a. with yourself - answer the questions yourself;

b. with fellow students;

c. with some of the students at St Dominic’s.

Questionnaire

1. What was your highest level of schooling before you joined an RTC?

2. Would you have liked to go further in your schooling?

3. Why didn’t you go further?

4. Why did you decide to join an RTC?

5. What do you hope to gain out of being here?

6. What are the main problems you have had since being in an RTC?

Results

Q1: Make a table of the total numbers in each group:

    No schooling ______

Below standard 6 ______

Standard 6 ______

Form 1 –2 ______

Form 3 ______

Form 4 ______

Form 5 ______

What does this tell you about the normal intake to RTCs?

Q2: Total number asked ______

Number answering Yes ______

Number answering No ______

What problem (if any) do these results suggest for RTCs?

Q3: Some people suggest that if you fail to achieve something you want, you may explain it to yourself in one of 4 ways:

1. Blaming yourself:

1A Not enough ability – “I have failed.”

1B Not working hard enough – “I was not interested in studying.”

2. Blaming outside forces:

2A The course/subjects were too difficult – “I could not cope.’

2B Not enough chances – “Not enough places in schools.”

“No money for fees.”

How many of your answers correspond with each of these categories?

1A ______

1B ______

2A ______

2B ______

You may find many in categories 1A and 1B: people who blame themselves for ‘failing’. Think about the education system in Solomon Islands. Is it usually true that failure is the fault of the student? What may be the best answer in terms of the system?

In Solomon Islands the reason so many people do not go to higher education is simply the shortage of places. There are over 9,000 students in Standard 6 each year, and only around 4,000 places in Form 1. Form 4 is much smaller still.

Most people, therefore, come to RTCs because the system has pushed them out of further ‘formal’ or ‘academic’ education. But many blame themselves and say they have ‘failed’.

This creates a problem because people only learn well if they are motivated and self-confident. They must have a reason for learning and feel they will be able to be successful. Many students may have ended up in an RTC through necessity not choice, and many may feel a sense of failure. Our job must be to re-motivate them and make them feel successful.

The reasons why people decide to do something may be divided into 3 kinds:

1. Externally-motivated: People may want to get money, a job, more food, a better house etc. Their motivation comes from outside rewards.

2. Motivated by others: People may want other people to admire them, respect them, or love them, or may want to help other people.

3. Self-motivated: People may want to achieve something to satisfy themselves. They may feel happy or proud that they can do something well. They may want to do everything to the very best of their ability, even if there are no other rewards.

Divide each of your answers to questions 4 and 5 into these 3 categories and find the total number of each. Some people may have given more than one answer and fall into more than one category.

EXTERNALLY MOTIVATED ______

MOTIVATED BY OTHERS ______

SELF MOTIVATED ______

All three kinds of motivation can be used to motivate our students in RTCs, but we often find that those who are self-motivated that do best of all.

In your groups make a list of ways you think we can motivate our students:

1. within our lessons;

2. in the RTC as a whole.

Remember that many of our students may come feeling that they have failed.

Read summary sheet A8, How to motivate our students.

Look back at the answers to Q6 of your questionnaire in activity A9.1.

In your groups, use these, and your own experiences of being in an RTC, to discuss and make a list of problems which students may face when they come to RTCs, especially learning difficulties.

Think particularly of students who leave school, live at home for a time and then return to learn at an RTC.

Read the following problems and add any others that your group thought of.

In your groups, discuss possible solutions to the problems and how these problems may affect the way we teach in RTCs, or the way we run them.

1. Not knowing how to study, or not in the habit of studying, after living at home for some time.

2. Difficulties with reading and writing. We may even have students who cannot read and write. Should we accept such people in RTCs, if they have other skills? How can we help them when they come?

3. Feeling ashamed to admit that they have difficulty with reading and writing.

4. A sense of failure as discussed in activity A9.1.

5. False expectations that an RTC is like a secondary school, with mainly classroom learning. Unwillingness to do practical work or to recognise that practical work outside the classroom, and even ‘work sessions’, are important parts of the learning process.

6. False expectation that an RTC should train them for further studies or paid employment.

7. Laziness: they may have come to an RTC to get away from hard work at home.

8. Worry about family problems for the older students, who may have family commitments back home, or may be married with children.

9. Lack of essential equipment such as bush knife, plate, cup or even adequate clothing, and lack of money to buy these.

10. Financial problems of fees, transport or no ‘pocket money’ to buy essentials.

11. Problems of alcohol or drugs, which may be due to pressure from other students or surrounding communities.

The background and experience of RTC students may give them many strengths as well as problems.

Make a list of the strengths of RTC students, especially those who have spent time at home after leaving school.

To help you, here is a table comparing adult learners with child learners. Almost all our RTC students would be classified as adult learners. Decide whether you think this list of characteristics of adult learners applies to most RTC students.

Adults	Children
Learn because they are interested	May or may not be interested to learn.
Like to learn those things which are of immediate use.	Learn for the sake of learning things, because the teacher says so, and may or may not use them later.
Like to control their own learning.	Learn what the teacher tells them to.
Have a lot of experience and like this to be used in the course of learning.	Have limited experience to use.
Learn in order to fulfil their needs.	Have no immediate goals.
Want to learn in a short time.	Have a long time to learn.
Are willing to learn.	May not be willing to learn.
Have self-control.	Need guidance and discipline.

In your groups, summarise all you have learnt about the way people learn by preparing a chart headed

PEOPLE LEARN BEST WHEN …

Write not more than 10 one-sentence points.

Read summary sheet A9, People learn best when …