Teachers know much more than their students, and that’s the basis of their relationship.
But is it possible to avoid information asymmetry in such an obviously imbalanced dynamic?
Axel Rodrigues, a teacher based in Dubai, said: “Teachers are constantly giving students information. Nowadays, children are well-connected and aware of many of things. I feel it is very important to have transparency of information between teachers and students.”
However, he thinks this is not always possible.
The 50-year-old Indian expatriate said: “There are certain things that we cannot always share in a classroom. This is usually keeping in mind the student’s age and other factors. Sometimes, we need to treat information that we have very delicately and make sure we maintain peace and order in the classroom while still teaching our students.”
For Dubai-based grade 11 student, Rachel Alexander, communication is a “two-way road”, and something she expects from teachers.
The 15-year-old Indian expat said: “As a student, I feel it is much easier to connect with a teacher if they are transparent while sharing information. We all have personal limitations while conveying information to people around us, but the more the transparency, the better. If I face a problem or have a doubt, I can easily reach out to a teacher who I feel a connection with.”
Analysis:
Harsh Wardhan, an economist based in New Delhi, India, is also a consultant at the Office of the Economic Advisor at the Government of India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
He told Gulf News: “In the case of the teacher-student relationship, asymmetric information is of a different kind. A teacher is the one who shapes the minds of the students with their ideologies, thoughts and views. Asymmetric information in this case depends on the level of education. A kindergarten teacher, a high school teacher and a university professor will all have different levels of transferring information, based on the understanding of the child.
He added: “A school teacher provides filtered knowledge to young minds, which is good. However, a university teacher should not manipulate a student based on the information that he or she provides. In this case, information asymmetry can be and should be avoided. A good teacher should try to be more objective in his/her teaching and give a balanced view of different issues and try to avoid imposing ideological views.”
Wardhan added: “Students will be more attentive in class, when they know that the teacher is transparent in sharing information. A friendly teacher is always more approachable.”
