Introduction
This essay provides a critical review of an instructional video titled “What is a Myth? (ESL Lesson)” delivered to 4th-grade English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the teacher’s pedagogical approach, classify it within the spectrum of antiquated, classical, or contemporary pedagogy, and explore its alignment with the Pedagogical Capacity for Deep Learning (PCDL) framework. Furthermore, the essay examines the roles of teachers and learners within the identified pedagogical cluster and assesses the impact of this approach on the development of selected global competencies, specifically the 6Cs (Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity). The analysis aims to offer a nuanced perspective on how pedagogical choices influence student engagement and learning outcomes in an ESL context. Structured into three main sections—analysis of instructional practices, application of deep learning concepts, and discussion of global competencies—this essay seeks to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the lesson’s effectiveness.
Analysis of Instructional Practices and Pedagogical Classification
The instructional video demonstrates a blend of teacher-centered and interactive strategies. The teacher begins with a warm-up activity, building rapport by sharing personal routines and facilitating a class competition system with stars for boys and girls. The core of the lesson involves direct instruction on myths, focusing on characters, problems, and life lessons, supported by visual aids displayed on a television screen. Interactive elements such as vocabulary games, pair work, and a creative task of designing magical creatures encourage student participation. This combination suggests a pedagogical approach that values both structured delivery and active engagement.
Classifying the teacher’s style within pedagogical clusters, it aligns most closely with contemporary pedagogy. Unlike antiquated pedagogy, which relies heavily on rote memorization and teacher authority, or classical pedagogy, which emphasizes traditional lecture-based methods with limited student input, contemporary pedagogy integrates learner-centered activities and technology (Richards and Rodgers, 2014). The use of a television to present slides, incorporation of multimedia through a short video on life lessons, and emphasis on interactive games reflect a modern approach that seeks to engage students actively. Moreover, the teacher’s encouragement of pair work and creative expression indicates a shift away from purely transmissive models toward fostering student agency.
Within this contemporary pedagogical cluster, the teacher’s role is that of a facilitator and guide, structuring the lesson while allowing space for student contributions, as seen in the collaborative games and creative tasks. Students, in turn, are positioned as active participants, expected to engage in discussions, correct sentences, and invent their own mythical creatures. This dynamic aligns with contemporary views of education, where learning is seen as a collaborative process rather than a unilateral transfer of knowledge (Johnson and Johnson, 1999). However, the teacher still maintains significant control over content delivery, which suggests a hybrid approach balancing structure with interaction.
Application of Pedagogical Capacity for Deep Learning (PCDL)
Deep learning, as conceptualized within the PCDL framework, emphasizes meaningful, student-centered learning experiences that foster critical thinking and real-world application (Fullan et al., 2018). It moves beyond surface-level memorization to encourage students to connect ideas, reflect, and apply knowledge in diverse contexts. Among the PCDL models, the Engagement Model is particularly relevant to the instructional approach observed in the video. This model focuses on creating learning environments that promote active participation, emotional investment, and collaborative inquiry (Fullan et al., 2018).
In the video, the teacher’s use of competitive games and pair work aligns with the Engagement Model by fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among students. For instance, the “What am I?” vocabulary game and the point system for boys and girls encourage active participation and peer interaction, creating a positive learning atmosphere. Additionally, the creative task of designing a magical creature allows students to apply vocabulary and conceptual knowledge in an imaginative way, deepening their understanding of myths through personal expression. These strategies resonate with the Engagement Model’s emphasis on student involvement and motivation as drivers of deep learning.
However, while the teacher’s approach shows elements of deep learning, its effectiveness could be enhanced by providing more opportunities for student-led inquiry. For example, students could explore myths from their own cultural backgrounds to make personal connections, thereby deepening engagement. Currently, the lesson remains somewhat teacher-directed, with predefined content and limited space for critical questioning. Adapting the Engagement Model more fully might involve scaffolding tasks that encourage students to pose questions about myths or analyze their cultural significance, thus fostering a deeper level of cognitive and emotional investment (Hattie, 2009). Nevertheless, the existing strategies lay a promising foundation for deep learning within an ESL context.
Impact on Global Competencies (6Cs)
The pedagogical approach demonstrated in the video has a notable impact on the development of selected global competencies, specifically Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity from the 6Cs framework. These competencies are increasingly recognized as essential for 21st-century learning, preparing students to navigate complex global challenges (Fullan et al., 2018).
Firstly, Collaboration is evident in the pair work activity where students jointly write key words based on clues and in the competitive games that promote teamwork within gender-based groups. These activities encourage students to work together, share ideas, and support each other’s learning, skills that are crucial in collaborative environments beyond the classroom. The teacher’s structuring of these tasks within a contemporary pedagogical framework ensures that collaboration is not incidental but a deliberate learning outcome.
Secondly, Communication is fostered through various interactive elements, such as students reading aloud vocabulary terms, correcting sentences, and describing their invented creatures. These tasks require students to articulate ideas clearly, particularly important in an ESL setting where language proficiency is a core goal. The teacher’s use of direct instruction combined with discussion opportunities reflects a contemporary balance that supports language development while enhancing communicative competence (Richards and Rodgers, 2014).
Lastly, Creativity is strongly supported through the lesson’s culminating activity, where students design and describe their own magical creatures. This task, embedded within a supportive and engaging pedagogical approach, allows students to think divergently, combining elements from different animals to form unique concepts like the teacher’s example of a “Crocodog.” Such activities nurture creative thinking, a competency vital for problem-solving and innovation in a global context.
While other competencies like Critical Thinking, Citizenship, and Character are touched upon (e.g., through life lessons about kindness and social responsibility), they are less central to the lesson’s design. The focus on Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity aligns well with the contemporary pedagogical emphasis on active, student-centered learning, demonstrating how pedagogy can directly influence the mastery of essential global skills.
Conclusion
This critical review of the ESL lesson video on myths reveals a pedagogical approach best classified as contemporary, characterized by a blend of structured instruction and interactive, learner-centered activities. The roles of the teacher as a facilitator and students as active participants within this cluster reflect modern educational principles aimed at fostering engagement. Application of the PCDL Engagement Model highlights the potential for deep learning through collaborative and creative tasks, though greater emphasis on student-led inquiry could further enhance its effectiveness. Moreover, the pedagogical strategies employed significantly impact the development of global competencies, particularly Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity, equipping students with skills relevant to both linguistic and broader life contexts. Ultimately, this analysis underscores the importance of aligning pedagogical choices with contemporary frameworks to maximize learning outcomes in ESL settings. Future implications include exploring how cultural integration and critical inquiry can be more deeply embedded within such lessons to enrich both deep learning and global competence.
References
- Fullan, M., Quinn, J., and McEachen, J. (2018) Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World. Corwin.
- Hattie, J. (2009) Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge.
- Johnson, D. W., and Johnson, R. T. (1999) Learning Together and Alone: Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Learning. 5th ed. Allyn & Bacon.
- Richards, J. C., and Rodgers, T. S. (2014) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press.
