Facilitative Teachers are Catalysts for Learning

Discussion board post for NURS623 Clinical Teaching and Learning in Nursing, posted on June 14 2023. Post is in response to discussion about what my interpretation of facilitative teaching.

My initial academic background is in science, particularly chemistry and biology, so when I think of the word "facilitate", the first connotation that comes to mind is "catalyst".

In chemistry, a catalyst is a substance that facilitates a chemical reaction, whether by speeding up the reaction or lowering the conditions required to undergo the reaction, thereby making it easier to occur (U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.). In the process of catalysis, the catalyst itself does not get used up, yet the reactants of the chemical reaction have been changed by it to result in the products of the reaction (USDOE, n.d.). In this analogy, the teacher is the catalyst, the reactants are the students at the beginning of a learning event, the reaction itself is the process of facilitated learning, and the products are the students after the learning event.

I appreciate this analogy for many reasons:

Firstly, it suggests that the chemical reaction (process of learning) could occur with or without the catalyst, meaning there is an intrinsic property of the reactants (students) in combination with each other to transform into products (growth). However, the probability of it actually occurring is lower without the catalyst because the reactants may not be able to access the amount of energy needed or specific combination/alignment for the reaction to occur effectively to completion. Similarly, students can collaborate to learn amongst themselves, but the probability of them achieving meaningful growth in the right direction is less without the teacher/facilitator to enhance and guide that experience.

Secondly, it indicates that more than one reactant (student) is required for a reaction (learning event) to occur. It is inherent to transformational and constructive learning frameworks that the collaboration of multiple minds is involved in learning and growth, much like a chemical reaction. A chemical on its own will not change without other chemicals coming into contact or exerting some kind of energy on it, just like a student in isolation will not grow without interaction and engagement.

Thirdly, catalysts (teachers) are constantly reusable, as they do not get used up in the chemical reaction (process of learning). Teachers can facilitate the learning of many students, over and over, and even multiple students at once. That is one of the most beautiful aspects of teaching: the ability to enable and empower learners toward growth and transformation without losing or giving up parts of ourselves. This can be perceived as a learner-centered teaching approach because facilitation is not about the teacher directing learning by transferring their knowledge to students; rather, facilitation is about enabling students to expand their own knowledge effectively and build habits and ways of thinking to empower them in lifelong learning beyond the experience with that teacher.

Finally, like a chemical reaction, once a learning event has occurred and the products (growth) have been produced, the products are often so different from the reactants (students prior to learning event) that the reverse reaction can sometimes be impossible. This is analogous to a broadening of perspective and shift in understanding that, once achieved, becomes a part of the learner that they can take with them in their future learnings.

As a science lover, and a teacher, I feel that this analogy inspires me in my profession and grounds my sense of role as a facilitator of students' learning. It also helps me establish boundaries, as I remind myself that as a catalyst, I am not meant to be used up in the reaction, and I must maintain my energies and powers for the next set of reactants (students) that I must help in their chemical reaction (learning event) to become products (growth).

Does anyone have analogies of teaching and learning that coincides with their philosophy and identity as teachers?

References

U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). DOE Explains: Catalysts. URL: https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainscatalysts#:~:text=A%20catalyst%20is%20a%20substance,catalyst%20to%20facilitate%20a%20reaction.