This pilot study focused on teaching and learning as an experience: we aimed to explore whether phenomenological approach to experiences can be applied for studying the experience of teaching and learning. We thought to consider „strong” or „flow” experience in teaching and learning as an altered state of consciousness, and used phenomenological methods to identify their special characteristics.
Motivation in the teaching-learning process is supposed to be an important factor of the effectiveness of teaching. Underachievement, dropping out of school is thought to be a cause of lack of interest and boredome, while decreasing in conditions that promote excitement and engagement (Shernoff et al., 2003). Following Csikszentmihalyi’s proposal (1997), recent studies deal with flow experience while learning (Schmidt, 2010; Shernoff et al., 2000). Though, we couldn’t find a research dealing with flow experience of teachers, even if lack of interest and burnout of teachers seem to be avoidable with some enthusiasm in teaching (e.g. Schaufeli, 2008).

We thought to prove our hypothesis that strong experiences in teaching and learning can be considered an altered state of consciousness occuring under everyday conditions like with many other activities such as reading, listening to music etc. (Farthing, 1992). By supposing so, we applied study methods of the phenomenology of consciousness, to map teaching and learning experience in many dimensions.

Our research questions were on one hand methodological: whether phenomenological approach is appropriate to map the colourful teaching and learning experience, and whether qualitative and quantitative measures of the experience strengthen each other’s results. On the other hand, we wished to explore whether flow experiences in teaching and learning can be considered as altered states of consciousness, and to uncover a special pattern, unique dimensions of „strong” or „flow” experiences of teaching and learning that are different from that of other altered states of consciousness.

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