Teaching and learning for real-life: The application of real-life moral dilemma discussion (Re-LiMDD) for classroom interaction

Abstract

One of the ultimate aims of education is ensuring that knowledge, skills and values learnt in school is applied in real-life by students. It is essential that teachers have knowledge of who they are educating rather than fill up the empty vessels that come to them every year (Freire in Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum, New York, 1986). The need to prepare a platform for students to be able to bring their real-life into the classroom and vice versa is the ultimate aim of global education. This chapter explores the use of real-life moral dilemma discussion (Re-LiMDD) in the teaching and learning process. It explores the process of resolving real-life moral dilemmas in social studies classroom and alternatives in non-social studies context. It critically analyses the Re-LiMDD process and the different components necessary to adapt such a teaching and learning strategy in the twenty-first century classroom for effective classroom interaction. The argument here is linking students real-life with content learnt in school encourages deep learning and equips students with higher order thinking skills (HOTS) in a natural and authentic process. It is suggested that teachers adapt Re-LiMDD in their daily teachings to resolve everyday issues occurring in the classroom; it can be directly linked with the content of the subject or with classroom relationship.