BE A BETTER

LEARNER
GROUP 3
The Better Learner
The self-concept is rich and complex social representation. In addition to people’s
thoughts about who they are right now, the self-concept includes thoughts about
their past self-their experiences, accomplishments, and failures – and about their
future self–their hopes, plans, goals, and possibilities. In every society, education
plays a vital role for planning about people’s future selves and its endless
opportunities for self – improvement. Here, students are going to discuss the nature
of education and better learning capabilities suited for them.
Education is a group’s formal system of teaching knowledge, values and skills. Such
instruction stood in marked contrast to the learning of traditional skills such as
farming
or hunting, for it was clearly intended to develop the mind.

In short
- It means understanding who you are, who you were before, and who you want to
be in the future. School helps you learn new things so you can grow, improve
yourself, and choose what kind of person you want to be someday. Education
teaches your mind, not just skills like farming or hunting.
Function of Education
Education contributes to the well-being of the self. The intended consequences of
people's actions are known as manifest functions, while those that are not intended
are called latent functions. The functions of education which are both manifest and
latent functions will become evident.
1. Teaching Knowledge and Skills – Education’s most obvious manifest function is to
teach knowledge and skills. Each society must train the next generation to fulfill its
significant positions. From a functionalist perspective, this is the reason that
schools are founded, parents support them and taxes are raised to finance them.
( Education’s main purpose is to teach knowledge and skills so the next generation can take
important roles in society. This is why schools exist, why parents support them, and why taxes
help fund them.)
2. Cultural Transmission and Social Integration – Durkheim stressed the role of formal
education as a conserver of culture. The social institution of education reflects rather
than transforms the social structure. Lester Ward sees this institution as an instrument
of social improvement where the educated person gains happiness as valuable by
product. It can also be viewed as the means by which the status quo obtains or keeps
power, wealth and prestige. (Education passes down culture and keeps society
together. It can improve people’s lives, but it can also help those in power maintain
their status.)
3. Gatekeeping – Gatekeeping, or determining which people will enter what
occupations, is another major function of education. Essential to the gatekeeping
function is tracking, sorting students into different educational programs on the basis
of real or perceived abilities. Tests are used to determine which students should be
directed into "college prep" programs, while others are put onto a vocational track.
(Gatekeeping means deciding who gets into certain jobs. Schools do this by
“tracking” students into programs based on their abilities—some go to college prep,
others to vocational paths. Tests help determine these placements.)
4. Promoting Personal Change – Learning critical thinking skills helps to promote
personal change. Schools teach students to think for themselves, to critically
evaluate ideas and social life.

One consequence is that the further people go to school, the more open they tend to
be to new ways of thinking and doing things. People with more education tend to
hold more liberal ideas. While those with less education tend to be more
conservative.
5. Promoting Social Change – The educational institution also contributes to social
change by sponsoring research. Most university professors, for example, are given
time off from teaching so that they can do research. Their findings become part of a
body of accumulated knowledge that stimulates change. Some academic research
has had an explosive impact on society- literally, in the case of atomic and hydrogen
weapons that were developed in part from university research. Nobody remains
untouched by this function of education. For example, medical research conducted in
universities across the world is partially responsible for the likelihood that one will
reach old age.
6. Mainstreaming – A new function of education is mainstreaming. This is
incorporating people with disabilities into regular social activities, As a matter of
routine policy; students with disabilities used to be placed in special schools.
Educators concluded that in these settings disabled students attend regular schools.

In the Philippines, education has always been one of the pillars of national
development, given its capacity to provide the country with competent and skilled
manpower. Viewed as a key investment that can break the poverty cycle, it provides
the Filipino youth with knowledge and skills to actively participate in productive and
profitable activities aimed at improving their quality of life and improvement of the
overall aspect of the self. Thus, it is equally important to learn how to maximize
learning by becoming better students.
Learning to be Better Students
Learning is one of those concepts whose meaning is crystal clear until one has put it in
actual words. There are many educators who tried to explain learning. One writer defines
learning as an intelligent adaptation to changing condition. Another authority attests that
learning is a process of acquiring knowledge. Learning is when one learns something.
Learning is learning how to do something. (Cecareli et, al, 2014). However, the best
definition should be to put emphasis on the students' relatively change of behavior
brought about by experience and practice as a result of learning.
(Learning can be defined in many ways, but the best meaning is that learning is a change
in behavior caused by experience and practice.)

Ornstein (1990) defines learning as a reflective process whereby the learner either
develop new insight and understanding or change and restructures his mental processes.
(Learning is a reflective process where a person gains new understanding or changes the
way they think.)

Lardizabal (1991) opines that learning is an integrated on-going process occurring within
the learner, enabling him to meet specific aims, fulfil his needs and interest and cope with
the learning process, (Vega & Prieto, 2006). To sum up learning may mean an interactive
combination of intelligence, motivation, experience training and other psychological
factors. (Learning is a continuous process that helps a person meet goals, needs, and
interests. It is shaped by intelligence, motivation, experience, training, and other
psychological factors.)
 COGNITIVE AND
METACOGNITIVE OF
LEARNING
Throughout the history of learning, psychologists provide important information on
human learning, development and motivation. There are psychological principles that
pertain to the learners and the learning process that are focused on cognitive and
metacognitive factors (APA, 2005).

1. Nature of the learning process - The learning of complex subject matters is most
effective when it is purposive process of constructing meaning from knowledge,
acquisition and experience.

2. Goals of the learning process - The successful learner, overtime with support and
instructional guidance, can create meaningful, coherent representations of
knowledge.

3. Construction of knowledge - The successful learner can link new information with
existing knowledge in meaningful ways.

4. Strategic thinking - The successful learner can create and use a stock of thinking
and reasoning strategies to achieve complex learning goals.

5. Thinking about thinking - Higher strategies for selecting and monitoring mental
operations facilitate creative and critical thinking.
6. Context learning. Learning is influence by environmental factors, culture
technology and instructional practices (Vega & Prieto, 2006).
METACOGNITION
KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS
According to Onrod (2004) as cited by Vega and Prieto, (2006) Meta cognition
includes knowledge and skills.

• Be aware of one's own learning and memory capacity and of what learning
activities can realistically be accomplished.

• Know what learning strategies are effective. One should realize that meaningful
learning is more effective than rote learning.

• Plan an approach to a learning activity that is surely effective and meaningful.

• Use effective learning strategies. Take detailed note of lecture or activities of those
difficult to remember.

• Know effective strategies to relieve previously stored knowledge.

Rules for Learning
Learning is a permanent change in behavior brought about by experience,
maturation, and performance. A learner can effect change in his learning by following
simple rules.

• Learning is active - Learning is not just "soaking up" or absorbing knowledge. The
learner has to take active part in the learning process.

• Learning requires practice - Learning does not mean remembering every word
read. It is the major ideas and meaning that one has to keep in mind.

• Distributed learning is favorably better than cramming - This refers to the

spreading out the study over a period of time. This will make one remember the
materials easily. In cramming studied materials will crowd the mind that results to
confusion.

• Learning should be meaningful - Correct learning requires understanding the

phrases and sentences but also analyzing chain of words to a certain order. For
instance one is asked to figure out this combination of words. One would find the
task difficult but with simple analysis one can discover simple common greetings.
 HAP PYN EWY EAR
Learning is helped by feedback. Taking active part in class discussions will give one
plenty of feedback from classmates and teacher. Feedback is a kind of technique that
makes one know how he/she is in class activities (Frando& mores 2006).

Managing One's Own Learning

• Recent research findings reveal that:

• Students who are anxious or depressed get lower grades/lower achievement

scores

• Students who can delay gratification earn better grades

• Students who respond to setbacks with hope and resilience vs. anger and
hopelessness achieve higher academic and social success

• Low levels of empathy are associated with poor achievement

Thus, managing one's own learning does not specifically involve establishing study
habits only. It also entails developing and enhancement of self-awareness and self-
management.
SELF-AWARENESS
AS A TOOL FOR
LEARNING
• Self-Awareness is the ability to accurately sense and identify personal feelings,
along with the ability to understand and evaluate them. To be fully aware of one's
feelings he must first identify them, and then one must acknowledge and accept
them.

• Self-awareness is concerned with knowing about one's own internal states,

preferences, resources, and perceptions.

• As one person become more self-aware, he/she becomes better able to be in touch
with his/her own feelings.

• Self-awareness is very important to achieving success at work. Not being in touch

with one's own feelings in sufficient degree can handicap one's overall
effectiveness.

• Individuals who have high self-awareness are able to conduct accurate self-
appraisals, are self-confident, are authentic, welcome feedback. perceive situations
accurately, and are willing to take risks for what they believe to be right.
The Self-Awareness cluster contains three basic
competencies or subcategories:
Emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognize people's own emotions and their
effects, in identifying how they react to cues in the environment, and understand how
their emotions affect their overall [Link] with these competencies
below are highly developed:

• Are aware of their feelings

• Understand the connection between their own feelings and what they
• think, do, and say
• Know why certain feelings occur in themselves
• Recognize how their feelings affect their performance
• Understand the implications of their actions
• Are aware of how they are guided by their values and goal
• Accurate self-assessment
• Self-confidence
1. Accurate self-assessment is the process of identifying one's inner resources,
abilities, strengths, and acknowledging and accepting one's limits. It is based on the
desire to receive feedback and new perspectives about oneself and is motivated by
the desire for continuous learning and self-development.

• Individuals in which this competency is highly developed: Have a sense of humor

about themselves

• Are knowledgeable of their own strengths and weaknesses

• Have the ability to be reflective to learn from experience

• Are receptive to candid feedback, new perspectives, continuous learning, and

self-development

2. Self-confidence is one's own belief in one's capability to accomplish a task. Self-

confidence includes acknowledging and affirming that one is the best person for the
task that one is doing. It is also about conveying one's ideas and opinions in a
confident manner and having a positive impact on others.
• Individuals in which this competence is highly developed:
• The belief that they are the most capable person for the task

• The ability to present themselves in an assured, unhesitating manner

• The courage to voice views that may be unpopular and to go out on a limb when
following their convictions

• The ability to be decisive and to make sound decisions despite uncertainties and
pressures
How to Improve Self-Awareness
Here some ideas that will help improve one's correct level of self-awareness.

• Increasing one's self-awareness will require serious thought and effort.

• Person will have to be objective about himself/herself and his/her own perceptions
as he/she examines inner feelings and explore reactions to be the people and
events in his/her school life.

• Specifically, a person will have to summon the courage to objectively examine the
ways that he/she makes appraisals, tune in to their senses, and get in touch with
their feelings.

• A person will have to learn how to identify his/her true intentions and pay close
attention to his/her actions.
Tips for Developing Self-Awareness
EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS

• Pay attention to the physical reactions aroused in one's body during learning
situations.

• Keep a journal where one writes down his behaviors and inner feelings when faced
with learning situations on a daily basis.

ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT

• When interacting with people with whom they feel comfortable, ask for their
constructive feedback about their actions and behaviors.

• Make a list of what people believe to be their strengths as well as any areas where
development is needed, and then compare their own list and a similar list prepared
by someone else.
SELF-CONFIDENCE

• Adjust one's thinking and behaviors so that they closely match those of someone
whose models that trait of self-confidence-with that model in mind, act decisively,
instead of self-consciously watching other's

• every move. Find someone one can trust who would be willing to help one to
objectively analyze his/her abilities

SELF-MANAGEMENT AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING

• Self-Management is the ability to understand a person's emotions and then use
that understanding to turn situations to one's benefit.
• Self-management is also the ability to use one's feelings to reason well and act
intentionally.
• Self-management is important because when people are able to better managing
their emotions, they do better in school and in life.
• People who are good managers of their emotions are open to change, effective in
mood management, consistent in stress management, they are intentional,
productive, and behave in a reasonable and rational way.
The Self-Management cluster contains six basic competencies
or subcategories:
1. Emotional self-control is the ability to keep impulsive feelings and emotions under
control. It is being able to restrain negative actions when provoked, when faced with
opposition or hostility from other people, or when working under pressure.

Individuals with these competencies are highly developed:

• Deal calmly with stress

• Display impulse control and restraint

• Stay posed and positive, even in trying moments

• Think clearly and stay focused under pressure

2. Trustworthiness is maintaining standards of honesty and integrity. It includes
communicating intentions, ideas, and feelings openly, and welcoming openness and
honesty in others.

Individuals with the following competencies are highly

developed:
• Act ethically and are above criticism

• Build trust through reliability and authenticity

• Are authentic what a person sees is what he/she gets

• Have a tough stance, even if they are unpopular

• Confront unethical action in others

3. Conscientiousness is about taking responsibility for personal performance. It
reflects an underlying drive for being reliable and delivering quality work.

Individuals with foregoing competencies are highly

developed:
• Follow through on commitments and keep promises

• Hold themselves accountable for meeting their objectives

• Are organized and careful in their work

• Pay attention to detail

4. Adaptability is the ability to be flexible and work effectively within a variety of
changing situations and with various individuals and groups.

Individuals in which this competency is highly

developed:

• Can smoothly handle multiple demands, shifting priorities, and rapid change

• Are flexible in how they see events

• Adapt plans, behavior, or approaches to fit major changes in situations

5. Optimism is about seeing the world as a glass that is "half-full" rather than "half-
empty". It is the ability to see good in others and in the situations at hand. Threats
are viewed merely as opportunities that can be acted upon and taken advantage of
to achieve optimal outcomes.

Individuals in which this competency is highly

developed:

• See opportunities rather than threats

• Have mainly positive expectations about others

• Have hopes that the future will be better than the past
6. Initiative is the ability to identify a problem, obstacle, or opportunity and take
action on it. People with initiative are consistently striving to do better, to experience
new challenges, and to be held accountable for their actions and ideas.

Individuals in which this competency is highly

developed:

• Seek out fresh ideas from a wide variety of sources

• Act rather than wait

• Entertain original solutions to problems, and generate new ideas

• Take fresh perspectives and risks in their thinking

Tips for Improving Self-Management
EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL

• Make a list of all the things that trigger people to lose control. Create a strategy to
prevent these triggers from causing them to lose composure and self-control.

• Reduce your stress through physical activity, or other types of relaxation.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

• Spend some time exploring the values and principles that people feel most
strongly about and write down the important ones. Next to each one, examine
whether one's behavior is consistent with these values, and ask themselves what
they would need to do differently in order to be more genuine and be true to their
beliefs.

• Consider the issues on which one is willing to act against all opposition. Clarify for
oneself what is and is not worth fighting for
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

• Keep a detailed journal for all school requirements needed to accomplish.

• Build routine checks into a person's calendar to ensure devotion to dealines,

policies, and standards. In the event that he/she finds something that does not
reach the desired standard or that will take much longer than the time frame
given, work through his/her plan to give the task at hand more time and effort.

Adaptability is the ability to be flexible and work effectively within a variety of

changing situations and with various individuals and groups.

• Periodically review one's study habits.

When current strategies are not working stop and see that strategies and changethe
plan of activities and behavior.
Optimism

• For two or three days, make a list of all the difficulty one encountered, and write
down the consequences next to each one. Note that when one's feelings are
pessimistic in nature, positive activity is shortened, but when one's feelings are
optimistic in nature, positive energy flows.

• Try to change a person's thoughts from negative to positive.

You are actually utilizing metacognitive skills. According to
Waterloo Student Success Office (n.d.), the following are other
skills that can help you in exercising metacognition:
1. Knowing your limits. As mentioned earlier, one cannot really make any
significance advancement in using metacognitive skills without having an honest
and accurate evaluation of what you know and what you do not know. Knowing
your limits also looks at the scope and limitations of your resources so that you
can work with what you have at the moment and look for ways to cope with other
necessities.
(example: knowing what you can do and what you still need help with.)

2. Modifying your approach. It begins with the recognition that your strategy is not
appropriate with the task and/or that you do not comprehend the learning experience
successfully. Recognizing, for example, that you are not understanding what you are
reading, you should learn to modify your strategy in comprehending your material.
You might want to read and reread a page in five-minute intervals instead of trying to
finish the material in one sitting. You may want to make a summary or code for
yourself instead of using keywords or highlighting sections of what you are reading.
(example: If something doesn’t work, try doing it a different way.)
3. Skimming. This is basically browsing over a material and keeping an eye on
keywords, phrases, or sentences. It is also about knowing where to search for such
key terms. For example, you might want to look at the Introduction first or the
Abstract. The Table of Contents can also provide you with a quick guide to the
contents of the book. Introductory paragraphs, headings or subheadings, and
conclusions can also provide you with an overview of the whole material. This
technique works best when you want to get an idea about the contents of a reading
material, when you are trying to read through several materials in a limited time
frame, or when you want to focus on certain details, among others.
(example: Just look quickly at the important words to see what the story or lesson is
about.)

4. Rehearsing. This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing, and/or doing what
you have learned, but also trying to make a personal interpretation or summary of
the learning experience. One of the fun ways to do this is by imagining yourself being
interviewed about your task. As you try to convey what you have learned from the
resources, you also insert your opinions or other personal take on the matter. Just be
sure that the key concepts are well understood and are still in-line with the source
material even with multiple rehearsals.
(example: Practice what you learned again and again so you understand it better.)
5. Self-Test. As the name implies, this is trying to test your comprehension of your
learning experience or the skills you have acquired during learning. While some
materials already come with tests like this book, you can still create tests for yourself.
You can make essay questions or definition of terms test while you are reading or
watching a material. You can challenge yourself in completing a task successfully,
maybe in a given period of time-for example doing 50 free throws with at least 90%
success rate. Self-test does not only focus on what you have learned but also on how
you learned it. After the experience, you should also ask questions like, "What
strategies did I use?" "How successful were my learning strategies?" "How can I
further improve my learning skills?"
(example: Check yourself to see if you really learned it and what you still need to
practice.)
6. Solve problems - with a team-interacting and cooperating with team members will not only
help in learning from others but also enhance socialization skills.
(example: Working together helps you learn and make friends.)

7. Think aloud - hearing ourselves speak our thoughts help make more sense at times, having a
trusted friend hear initial thoughts may also help in processing ideas better
(example: Saying your thoughts out loud helps you understand better.)

8. Self-explanation - explaining to oneself a concept read, heard, or seen may increase

understanding and ability to paraphrase.
(example: Telling yourself what you learned helps you remember it.)

9. Forgive self when making mistakes - allow self to make mistakes to figure out several
possibilities surrounding a concept, idea, task
(example: It’s okay to make mistakes because they help you learn.)

10. Note taking-taking down notes, the way one understands the discussion, video talk, can help
process the idea and even add to muscle memory and retention
(example: Writing things down helps you remember the lesson.)

11. Reflective writing-keeping a journal or writing one's realizations can help in evaluating our
strengths and weaknesses in learning.
(example: Writing about your day helps you know what you learned.)
THANK YOU! 
Members:
Española, Cassandra
Gultian, andria
Gultian, Mariel
Golgat, jermen
Española, john dave
Flores, ziel