Pel Theory

Research and produce a written rationale on the topics negotiating with learners, inclusive learning, integrating functional skills and communication.

Negotiating with learners

“Every learner's aspirations and interests can help to shape their future lives. They should form the starting point for planning a meaningful and relevant learning programme. As they work towards their aspirations, helping learners to explore both the support that will help them, and the hindrances they may encounter, can help them to refine their ideas into something more achievable.” (Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency)

Negotiations between students and tutors start at the beginning of the learning programme in order to establish ground rules, set long-term goals and short-term targets for students to develop and progress, and determine the best teaching and learning methods to help students achieve their goals. In order to be able to set SMART goals, tutors must first gather information about their students’ background, aspirations and different learning needs. This can be done for example through:

• Initial interviews
• Initial assessments
• SEN assessments
• Tutorials
• Group discussions
• Questionnaires
• Progress reviews

Once the learning needs and goals have been established, targets can be agreed verbally, or written down in a learner contract. Targets should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, and both students and tutors should be given the opportunity to reflect and comment on existing targets, and set new ones as appropriate.

As an ALS tutor at Access to Music, the process of negotiating with learners is essential for the learning support to be effective. This is always a two-way process where tutors and students are equally involved in discussing the student’s learning needs, setting targets and establishing how to tailor the support. The process involves:

• Initial assessments and a diagnostic test to establish the students’...