Higher Education

Chapter 2: Myths

What Are Myths?

Myths represent the enduring, unconscious beliefs that we all have about teaching and learning that are forged by our own experiences as students over the years, or what Lortie (1975) describes as the "apprenticeship of learning." That "apprenticeship," combined with vicarious role models found in popular literature, television, movies, and, more recently, YouTube, contribute to the myths that unconsciously shape our beliefs about what effective teaching and learning look and sound like.

Underpinning our beliefs about who can learn and how much they can learn are pervasive cultural norms and societal values that fuel the public discourse about education. Gregory (2007) refers to these as education narratives that "haunt real classrooms like ghosts and invisibly distort all students' and teachers' notions about what education is for, how it should be conducted, and what kind of experience it should provide." Many of these narratives shift the blame for poor performance to the students, their families, or their communities based on unfounded beliefs about the nature of intelligence, racial stereotypes, cultural norms, and the equality of opportunity.

Ullucci (2007) points out that while many of these beliefs remain unspoken and unchallenged; they form the bedrock on which we build educational policies and practice. As Tyack and Tobin, (1994) suggest, such beliefs can be considered a form of grammar: those taken-for-granted, unconscious structures that form the basis for preserving things the "way things are" in schools. We think that an exposure to the foundations of education can help prospective teachers become more aware of the myths that have influenced what they believe about effective teaching and learning.

Related Resources and Articles

Videos, PowerPoints, and Podcasts

Grandin, T. (2010, February). Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds.
Teach for all (2013). Myths about education from around the world [Video file]. Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/53332807.

Blogs

Equitable Education (2013, April 13). Gender and education: Myths, misconceptions, and realities. Equitableeducation.co.uk. http://www.equitableeducation.co.uk/blog/gender-and-education-myths-misconceptions-and-realities.
Murphy, E. (1997). Introduction. Constructivism: From philosophy to practice. http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emurphy/stemnet/cle.html.
Sottile, J. (n.d.). Ten myths about teaching and why you should ignore them. Consideration.org. http://www.consideration.org/sottile/about-me/ten-myths.html.
Stansbury, M. (2011, August 5). Ten common myths about teaching. eSchool News. http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/08/05/ten-common-myths-about-teaching/?.
Watters, A. (2011, July 19). The wrath agains Khan: Why some educators are questioning Khan Academy. Hack Education. http://hackeducation.com/2011/07/19/the-wrath-against-khan-why-some-educators-are-questioning-khan-academy/.

Newspapers, Magazines

Rosebrough, T. (2003, August 27). Myths and facts: Teaching and learning. Union University. https://www.uu.edu/centers/edpractice/research/post.cfm?ID=41.
Varlas, L. (2011). Three myths about high expectations. ASCD Express, 6(23). http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/623-varlas-2.aspx.

Journals, Book Excerpts, Monographs

Baglieri, S., Bejoian, L.M., Broderick, A.A., Connor, D.J., & Valle, J. (2011). [Re]claiming “inclusive education” toward cohesion in educational reform: Disability studies unravels the myth of the normal child. Teachers College Record https://www.tcrecord.org/library/abstract.asp?contentid=16428.
Clifton, R.A. (1989). Knowledge and mythology in teacher education. McGill Journal of Education, 24(3), 267–280. http://moralpanics.pbworks.com/f/knowledge%20and%20mythology%20in%20teacher%20education.pdf .
Demerath, P., Lynch, J., Milner, R., VI, Peters, A., Davidson, M. (2010). Decoding success: A middle-class logic of individual advancement in a U.S. suburb and high school. Teachers College Record, 112(12), 2935–2987. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentID=16019 .
Eliot, L. (2011). The myth of pink and blue brains. Educational Leadership, 68, 32–36. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer11/vol68/num10/The-Myth-of-Pink-and-Blue-Brains.aspx.
Epstein, R. (2007, April/May). The myth of the teen brain. Scientific American Mind. http://drrobertepstein.com/pdf/Epstein-THE_MYTH_OF_THE_TEEN_BRAIN-Scientific_American_Mind-4-07.pdf?lbisphpreq=1.
Gorski, P. (2008). The myth of the culture of poverty. Educational Leadership, 65(7), 32–36. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/The-Myth-of-the-Culture-of-Poverty.aspx.
Gregory, M. (2007). Real teaching and real learning vs narrative myths about education. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 6(1), 7–27. http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=facsch_papers&sei-redir=1%20-%20search=%22Real%20teaching%20real%20learning%20vs%20narrative%20myths-%22.
Nuthall, G. (2005). The cultural myths and realities of classroom teaching and learning: A personal journey. Teachers College Record, 107(5), 895–934. http://www.tcrecord.org/content.asp?contentid=11844.
Redman, P.D. (2006). Don’t smile until December and other myths about classroom teaching. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin. http://www.corwin.com/books/Book228262?siteId=corwin-press&subject=C00&qsupld=false&productType=&q=myths&fs=1#tabview=toc.
Stein, D. (2010). Hidden assumptions that limit foresight and other education. Journal of Futures Studies, 14(4), 147–152. http://www.jfs.tku.edu.tw/14-4/S07.pdf.
Tyack, D., & Tobin, W. (1994). The “grammar” of schooling: Why has it been so hard to change? American Educational Research Journal, 31(3), 453–479. http://aer.sagepub.com/content/31/3/453.
Ullucci, K. (2007). The myths that blind: The role of beliefs in school change. Journal of Educational Controversy, 2(1). http://www.wce.wwu.edu/resources/cep/ejournal/v002n001/a006.shtml.
Wilkins, A., & The Education Trust staff (2006). Yes we can: Telling truths and dispelling myths about race and education in America. Washington, DC: The Education Trust. http://www.edtrust.org/sites/edtrust.org/files/publications/files/YesWeCan.pdf.

List of Cases

The Suit's for Wearing
When I Grow up I Want to Be . . .
Who Cares?
Flipping Burgers
Missing in Action
Just in Time
Who Pays?
Whose Culture, Who's Teaching?
Unmasking Hallowe'en
No Space for God Here