Carl Rogers

Best known for his contribution to client-centered therapy and his role in the development of counselling, Rogers also had much to say about education.

Where No Psychologist Went Before

Biography | Role of Teacher | Learning | Classroom

Biography

Carl Ransom Rogers (1902 - 1987) was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and is best known as the founder of 'client-centered' or 'non-directive' therapy. Carl Rogers initially studied theology - and as part of his studies acted as the pastor in a small church in Vermont. However, he turned to clinical and educational psychology, studying at Teachers' College of Columbia University.

There he grew into clinical practice drawing on such diverse sources as Otto Rank and John Dewey (the latter through the influence of W. H. Kilpatrick - a former student of Dewey's). This mix of influences - and Carl Rogers' ability to link elements together - helps to put into context his later achievements.

The concern with opening up to, and theorizing from experience, the concept of the human organism as a whole and the belief in the possibilities of human action have their parallels in the work of John Dewey.

His nondirective client/person -centered therapy/approach has found its way into many fields of study such as adult education and rehabilitation.

Dr. Rogers taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was a fellow at the Center for the Studies of the Person. He became well known with his book, " On Becoming a Person ."

What Does It Mean To Teach?

Rogers (1983) believes that teaching should involve the following central themes:

The primary task of the teacher is to permit the student to learn. Students need to explore and nourish their curiosity, instead of simply regurgitating facts.
As Rogers (1983) said, "Learning how to learn is the element that is always of value, now and in the future. Thus, the teacher's task is delicate, demanding, and a truly exalted calling. In true teaching there is no place for authoritarian, nor the person who is on an ego trip."
"Teaching is more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let learn. The real teacher, in fact, lets nothing else be learned than - learning. His or her conduct, therefore, often produces the impression that we properly learn nothing from him or her, if by learning we now suddenly understand merely the procurement of useful information. The teacher is ahead of his or her students in this alone, that he or she still has far more to learn than they - he or she has to learn to let them learn" (Martin Heidegger, What is Called Thinking, 1968).

What is Learning?

Rogers (1983) views learning as an insatiable curiosity that can be divided into two general types, along a continuum of meaning. These two types of learning are NONSENSE SYLLABLE LEARNING and MEANINGFUL, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.

1. Nonsense syllable learning: This type of learning simply entails rote memorization of facts and information. Rogers sees this as a difficult task, as learners are not truly learning, they are merely memorizing "stuff" for a test. Therefore, stuff learned from this type of learning is often forgotten quickly. Furthermore, students often fail to see the larger picture when they are required to simply learn facts. Subsequently, the information is perceived as meaningless. "Thus, education becomes a futile attempt to learn material that has no personal meaning. Such learning involves mind only. It is learning that takes place from the neck up. It does not involve feelings or personal meanings; it has no relevance for the whole person" (Rogers, 1983).

2. Meaningful, experiential learning: Although this may be a rather egregious example, Rogers (1983) uses the example of a toddler touching a warm radiator to illustrate the essence of this learning type. That is, when the toddler touches the warm radiator, he or she learns for him or herself the true meaning of the word "hot." As a result, he or she has learned a future caution in regard to all similar radiators; and has absorbed these learnings in a meaningful and experiential manner such that they will not be forgotten any time soon.

In short, Rogers (1983) emphasized that learning required this experiential component. Rogers argued that in order to truly learn, an individual must engage in whole-person learning. Traditionally, learning has only focused on the cognitive dimension of learning, or left-brain learning.Thus, Rogers believed that in order to really learn, a person must utilize the right-rain as well.

Facilitator's Role

To Rogers, experiential learning is equivalent to personal change and growth. Rogers feels that all human beings have a natural propensity to learn; the role of the teacher is to facilitate such learning. This includes:

Setting a positive climate for learning.
Clarifying the purpose of the learner(s),
Organizing and making available learning resources,
Balancing intellectual and emotional components of learning, and
Sharing feeling and thoughts with learners but not dominating.

According to Rogers, learning is facilitated when:

The student participates completely in the learning process and has control over its nature and direction,
It is primarily based upon direct confrontation with practical, social, personal or research problems, and
Self-evaluation is the principal method of assessing progress or success.

Rogers also emphasizes the importance of learning to learn and an openness to change.

How can teachers be real in the classroom?

Becoming Real in the Classroom Starts Outside of the Classroom:

Most people, this includes teachers, have asked themselves any one, or perhaps, more than one of the following questions:

Who am I, really?
Will I ever really know who I am?
How can I find my real self?

In today's society, with increasing demands and pressures, these questions may be more relevant than in the past. As a result, most of us are on a quest for our identity. Most of us are asking, "Who am I?"

Rogers (1983) provides a loosely structured framework to guide teachers in their task to be real in the classroom.

First and foremost, Rogers (1983) states that self-discovery is a lifelong task.

Being Real in the Classroom:

Since the process of self-discovery is a lifetime task, it can be expected that being "real" in the classroom is also a lifelong commitment - one that reflects the continuous discovery process.

Thus, Rogers (1983) advice to teachers on being real in the classroom is as follows:

"Be alive in the classroom.
Don't close your experiential door because you're in the classroom...Of course, some things are not appropriate for disclosure to students, but most experiences are.
Allow the students to know you. If you hold up a facade, the students will sense it and optimal learning will not occur."

Qualities That Will Facilitate Freedom in the Classroom

In his book Freedom to Learn (1983), Rogers addressed three qualities needed for facilitating freedom in the classroom.

The three qualities are as follows:

1. Realness in the facilitator of learning: Rogers believes that this is the most crucial and needed quality. When the teacher, the facilitator, is a real person, being what he or she truly is, and engaging into a "personal" relationship with the learner, without a facade, the teacher will be increasingly more effective in providing an environment conducive to optimal learning.

2. Prizing, acceptance, and trust: When a teacher practices the true meaning of "prizing," the teacher promotes and encourages whole-person learning. This quality emphasizes a basic trust and belief that the student(s) are not only capable of learning but also capable of teaching.

3. Empathic understanding: This refers to the teacher's ability to accurately understand the student's phenomenal field. That is, the teacher understands the student's internal reactions, and has a sensitive awareness of the way the process of education and learning appears and feels to the student.