This means that the Standard is not just about teaching a learner to pass a test. Instead, it is about developing the learner’s competence and their willingness to continue the learning process beyond their test.
In the context of learning to ride, the instructor brings to the learning process their hard-earned knowledge, understanding and experience. If an instructor relies simply on telling the learner what they should do, they will probably be able to teach them enough to pass the test. All the evidence suggests that learners in this sort of relationship do not really change the way they think and quickly forget what they have been taught. Their skills can fall quickly by the wayside.
There is a better chance of long-lasting change in understanding and skills if, the instructor:
- Presents their knowledge, understanding and experience clearly and effectively
- Listens to the learner’s reactions to that input
- Helps the learner to identify any obstacles to understanding and change
- Supports the learner to identify strategies for overcoming those obstacles for themselves
This framework is recognised in the teaching and learning environment as ‘client or student-centred learning’. It is extremely productive. The outcome of the learning process should be that the learner has developed a safe and responsible method which they can apply consistently and reliably; not that they have learnt any one specified method.