Teaching and learning: an interaction between two behavioural processes

Abstract

The learning-teaching process is a name that is given to a complex system of behavioural interactions between teachers and pupils. Apart from just “teaching” and “learning”, as if these were processes independent of human activities, there are also behavioural processes that are referred to as “teaching” and “learning”. They are processes comprised of behaviours that are complex and difficult to perceive, principally due to their being comprised of multiple interacting components. The very behaviours themselves are subject to perception and scientific definition based on the identification of their components and the interactions they establish between themselves and which are given the names of “teaching” and “learning”. The interdependence of the two concepts is fundamental in order to understand what happens under each of these names. The perception and understanding of them is crucial for the development of any learning, education or teaching activity. How can these components be identified? How can the relationships between them be characterised? How can the “teaching-learning” process be seen? This article presents an examination of this process, in the light of the concepts arising from the Analysis of Behaviour, locating its possible contributions to the development of Education in relation to experiences of great value which originated and have been developed in Brazil, almost unknown to the majority of those that comprise them and to many Who work in Education.

Keywords: Scheduled teaching. Teaching-learning. Analysis of the behaviour of “teaching”. Personalised teaching.