Teaching expert in Christchurch

Press, 3 August 1983, Page 15

Teaching expert in Christchurch

One of the world’s most influential education experts, Professor Benjamin Bloom, will be in Christchurch this week.

Professor Bloom, who is a professor of education at the University of Chicago, is in New Zealand at the invitation of the Education Department, and will deliver a lecture at a public meeting on Friday. He is . probably best known for his book, “Taxonomy of Education Objectives,” which has been used as a textbook at teachers’ training colleges in New Zealand for years. The Christchurch regional superintendent of the department, Mr B. K. Gainsford, has said that all teachers trained during the last 15 years would have been influenced to some extent by Professor Bloom.

Professor Bloom’s principal theory is that of a “mastery method” of teaching, where teachers concen-

trate on individuals and their learning abilities. Eveiy goal is attainable according to Professor Bloom, but some people take longer to reach them. His public lecture at the Christ’s College assembly hall on Friday evening will

deal with the results of a recent research project on this theory. The four-year study of talent developments concentrated on six groups of people — concert pianists, sculptors, research mathematicians, research neurologists, Olympic swimmers, and tennis champions. His team interviewed 20 individuals in each group as well as their parents and teachers. His talk will be on some of the characteristics of the talent development process which appear to be common among all of those diverse groups, but which had been channelled into different spheres.