Teaching vs Learning: Difference and Comparison

We have been taught many things throughout our life, starting from our family. They say that your parent is your first teachers and then comes the teachers of our schools.

Teaching means helping a person or a student acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue. A teacher does not have to be in a school to teach someone because teachers are found everywhere.

Similarly, Learning is another thing attached to teaching in our life. If someone is teaching, the learners are learning something from that teacher.

In other words, learning is a process that includes acquiring knowledge and understanding. Learning involves acquiring values, skills, preferences, and many more.

Key Takeaways

  1. Teaching refers to imparting knowledge or skills to someone, while learning refers to acquiring knowledge or skills through study or experience.
  2. Teaching is done by a teacher or instructor, while the student or learner does learning.
  3. Effective teaching requires clear communication and a deep understanding of the subject, while effective learning requires active engagement and a willingness to practice and apply new knowledge.

Teaching vs Learning

The act of conveying knowledge, skills, and values to others, in a formal environment such as a classroom, is known as teaching. Learning is the process of obtaining new knowledge, skills, or behaviours through study, experience, or instruction, and it can take place in either a formal or informal context.

Teaching vs Learning

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonTeachingLearning
DefinitionTeaching is the process that involves sharing knowledge with the other person.Learning means acquiring knowledge from your teacher, like values, skills, behaviour, etc.
FormsTeaching comes in two forms: formal and informalWhereas learning does not have any form. One can learn a lesson from everything.
Continuous ProcessTeaching is a continuous process, as it requires a lot of time to teach a new thing to someone who does not know about it.Learning, too, is a continuous process. Not everybody is smart or a robot that can learn everything in one day.
ConsciousnessPeople can teach one another consciously or even unconsciouslyLearning also happens sometimes, consciously and unconsciously.
Linked WithIt is linked with learning and learners.Sometimes learning does not need to be taught.
AuthorityTeaching mostly happens with higher authority.Whereas learning happens with the lower authority only.
AutonomousTeaching is more autonomousLearning is less autonomous.
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What is Teaching?

Teaching means spreading knowledge to others. Teaching can happen both officially and as well as unofficially.

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A teacher comes into our mind when we hear the word ‘teach’, and a teacher is indeed the one who teaches us most of our life.

For most people, teaching happened since school, and your teachers were the only source; you learned something today.

Teaching may not include knowledge because values and morals, behaviour, discipline, skills, manners, and traditions can be taught to one another.

When we talk about unofficial teaching, all of these come; when we talk about official teaching, that means mostly bookish knowledge is taught.

As I have said that teaching does not mean that a teacher teaches in a school or a university. Teaching begins when you are born, and your parents are your teachers.

Your parents are the ones who teach you the values of life, behaviour, and such things. This is where your behaviour is reflected and shows your family background.

Teaching professionally at a school is undertaken by professionals in the field of education. The teaching is structured in schools and colleges, and the educators have their schedules, routines, and timetables.

The traditional teaching method involves a teacher lecturing to his/her students, and the students note what the teacher has said to them.

teaching

What is Learning?

In simple words, learning means acquiring knowledge. Knowledge does not always mean education because several other things can be learned.

We continue to learn throughout our lives because learning is a continuous process where knowledge is vast; one needs to keep learning throughout life.

Learning starts as soon as we are born. As we grow from infant to child, we learn to do several activities like eating, walking, talking, etc. We learn different kinds of skills as we grow gradually.

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Learning can be done in various ways and styles. Some include visual learning, listening and learning, and kinaesthetic learning.

Visual learning means learning something by looking at and seeing things. Suppose there is a diagram of a pie chart in front of you showing the latest data on the crime rate of your country.

Then you look at the diagram and learn that some states have a higher crime rate and some have a lower one.

However, learning stops after death, whereas teaching continues even after death.

learning

Main Differences Between Teaching and Learning

  1. The difference between teaching and learning is that teaching is done to give or spread knowledge or skills to a group of learners. In contrast, learning involves gaining knowledge and skills from a teacher or a professional.
  2. Teaching requires high-level authority, whereas learners possess low-level authority.
  3. Teachers or people teaching something to a group of learners require expert knowledge in that particular field.
  4. Teaching is always linked with a group of learners, whereas learning does not require teaching to learn something.
  5. Both teaching and learning can be done either consciously or unconsciously.
  6. Teaching continues even after death, where the legacy of someone lives, whereas learning stops after death.
Difference Between Teaching and Learning
References
  1. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED283446
  2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00029890.1963.11992076
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Emma Smith
Emma Smith

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.

26 Comments

  1. The article effectively communicated the fundamental aspects of teaching and learning, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and active engagement for effective knowledge acquisition.

    • Absolutely, the article portrayed the significance of effective teaching requiring clear communication and understanding, and effective learning necessitating active engagement and application of new knowledge.

    • The comparison table was particularly useful in distinguishing between teaching and learning, highlighting the forms, continuous process, and the linked aspects of both.

  2. The article presents a comprehensive view of teaching and learning, highlighting that learning begins from birth, emphasizing diverse learning styles, and the role of teachers and parents as educators.

    • The comparison between teaching and learning, particularly the conscious and unconscious aspects, provided a thought-provoking perspective on the generation of knowledge.

    • Indeed, the article effectively conveyed the intertwined nature of teaching and learning, emphasizing the continuous and autonomous aspects of both processes.

  3. The comprehensive explanation of teaching and learning offered valuable insights into both processes, emphasizing the significance of teaching values, skills, and traditions, and the diversity of learning styles.

    • Indeed, the article beautifully portrayed the diverse ways learning occurs throughout life, showcasing the essential role of continuous learning in the acquisition of knowledge.

  4. The description about teaching not being restricted to schools but happening unofficially is enlightening. It’s crucial to recognize the role of parents and informal educators in teaching values and traditions.

    • It’s interesting to learn about the various types of learning styles such as visual learning, listening and learning, and kinaesthetic learning, which emphasize the diverse ways individuals acquire knowledge.

    • Absolutely, parents play a critical part in teaching behavioral values and traditions that shape a person’s character.

  5. The article offered an insightful understanding of teaching and learning, especially in highlighting the informal teaching done by parents and the structured teaching in schools and colleges.

    • The article effectively outlined the distinction between teaching and learning, showcasing the various forms and continuous processes of both aspects.

    • Absolutely, recognizing the diverse authority levels in teaching and learning, and the autonomous nature of learning offered a substantive view of knowledge acquisition.

  6. The article aptly described teaching as the process of spreading knowledge, encompassing unofficial and official forms, while learning was portrayed as the continuous process of acquiring knowledge in various styles.

    • Indeed, the article effectively elaborated on the diverse aspects of teaching and learning, emphasizing their significant roles in knowledge acquisition and how they contribute to an individual’s growth.

  7. The comparison between teaching and learning provided a comprehensive understanding of the distinction between the two processes. It’s evident that both are intertwined and crucial for knowledge acquisition.

  8. The article clearly explains the difference between teaching and learning, pointing out that learning is a continuous process that begins from the moment we are born, and teaching is the process of imparting knowledge to others. It’s evident that both are essential aspects of education.

    • The detailed comparison table provided a clear understanding of the differences between teaching and learning, making it easier to comprehend the concepts.

    • Absolutely, it’s fascinating to see how learning begins from infancy and continues throughout life. It reinforces the importance of education.

  9. The detailed description of teaching and learning, emphasizing that teaching is not limited to formal environments, and learning is a continuous process, provided an informative and enlightening perspective.

    • Absolutely, the article effectively emphasized how parents serve as the first teachers, imparting values, behavior, discipline, skills, and traditions, which significantly influence an individual.

    • The article’s explanation of the different forms of teaching, and the diverse types of learning styles provided a holistic view of knowledge acquisition, encompassing formal and informal learning.

  10. The in-depth explanation of teaching and learning underscored the critical role of teachers and parents in knowledge acquisition and character development, highlighting the comprehensive nature of learning through diverse styles.

    • The article excellently highlighted the intrinsic values of teaching and learning, portraying them as continuous and intertwined processes that shape individuals throughout their lives.

    • Absolutely, the article significantly emphasized the authority, autonomous, and conscious aspects of teaching and learning, providing a holistic view of knowledge acquisition.

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