LECTURE METHOD

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GENERAL METHOD OF
TEACHING

LECTURE
METHOD
1. INTRODUCTION

Lecture method is generally followed in colleges and in schools with big classes. In

this method only the teacher talks, the students are passive listeners and they do not take any

active part. Although this method is attractive, concise, economical, speedy, useful for

factual information and logical sequence yet it has certain, limitations that it is memory

based, emphasizes spoon feeding, is teacher centered, too rapid, un-psychological, without

learning by doing, authoritarian and fails to develop critical thinking and reasoning power.

This method is useful for higher classes or for those who intend to join college. This method

needs active efforts on the part of the teacher to make lecture interesting.

2. STRUCTURE

Lecture lays emphasis on the presentation of the content. Teacher is more active and

students are passive participants but he uses question-answer technique to keep them attentive

in the class. Teacher controls and plans for all acts of students.

3. PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING

It employs the following principles:-

a. The content is presented a whole.

b. The main stress is on presentation.

c. The students learn better through listening.

d. The subject-content is correlated with other subjects.

e. The new knowledge is linked with student’s previous knowledge.

4. APPLICATIONS

The presentation can be made effective but it should be used with great precautions.

Teacher should make use of the teaching aids in the description and explaining concepts.

Questions should be asked to make the presentation purposeful and interesting.

We use this method because of the following objectives:-

a. To Clarify:

This method is a group method and when large number of pupils need

clarification in the moment of lecturing can remove the doubts.

b. To Extend Contents:

In the books and otherwise, many things remain unsaid. There is a world

beyond textbooks and pupils are interested to know about those things besides

knowing about the teacher. Sometimes the discussion in the book about topic

is not sufficient. We can use lecture method for the purpose.

c. For the Purpose of Review.

It is useful in recapitulatory work.

6. STEPS

We may take following steps in the lecture method:-

a. Preparation

First of all, pupils mind should be prepared to receive the new knowledge.

Noting is to be imparted in vacuum. New knowledge is retained in the mind

when it is linked with the relevant previous knowledge. Herbart calls this as

apperceptive masses. The teacher should stimulate and bring into forefront the

apperceptive masses. This will enable the pupils to link the new knowledge

with their previous knowledge. Teacher comes to know where the pupils

stand. The pupils begin to feel that there are certain gaps in their knowledge

which must be filled up. Thus the pupils become eager to receive the new

knowledge. For this purpose, the teacher render:-

i. Put questions
 ii. Narrate a story, use some audio-visual aid.

iii. Discuss some relevant topic

This will naturally prepare the ground for the new lesson and start as a sort of

introduction of the same. After this teacher may announce the aim of the

lesson in clear and concise words.

b. Presentation

After preparing the students and announcing the aim of the lesson, teacher

should start the presentation of the lesson. Here the teacher uses a number of

teaching devices like questioning, narration, explanation, audio-visual aid etc

to make the various ideas clear to the pupils. Presentation of knowledge

should not be one-way traffic. The teacher is to carry the students with him.

He should present the subject matter so that pupils follow it without any

difficulty. There should be activity in them also. Teacher should try his best

to develop and expose the subject matter with the active participation of

pupils. He should bear in mind the following principles in the presentation

stage:-

i. The matter to be presented should be wisely selected according to the

level of the pupils.

ii. While teaching, teacher should see that the pupils follow what he

teaches. He should take up the next section of the lesson only when

the previous section is clear to the students.

iii. First finish one section of a lesson and then integrate it with what has

gone before. In the end, all the parts of the lesson should be integrated

to understand the lesson as a whole.

Facts or examples presented in the previous step should be compared and

contrasted so that the pupils understand their mutual relationship. Knowledge

is retained in the mind in the interlinked form and not in the isolated form.

This step is especially important in inductive type of lesson. Pupils observe,

compare and contrast some particular examples. This leads them to the

discovery of some new rules or generalization.

d. Generalization

Here they understand similarities and different relations. This leads to

formulation of general principles, rules and formulas. The teacher is not to

give the generalization himself. He is to guide only. The students make

generalization themselves.

e. Application

The generalizations arrived at are applied to solve problems. Knowledge

becomes useful when it is put to use. They also test generalization.

Application also serves the purpose of revision and recapitulation. This helps

in fixation of knowledge.

7. ADVANTAGES

The following are the major advantages of lecture method:-

a. The habit of concentration may be developed among the students.

b. It is an economical teaching method. A large subject content may be taught

relatively in small duration.

c. Very high order of cognitive objectives may be achieved.

d. The personality of teacher influences the learner’s personality.

e. The new content can be easily introduced.

aids.

g. Teacher can employ his full verbal communication and competency.

8. LIMITATIONS

It has the following limitations:

a. It gives more emphasis on teacher presentation and has no place for the

participation of the students.

b. This method can be used in higher classes but it can not easily used in

elementary classes.

c. Teaching activities are dominated by the teacher and there is not place for

student’s abilities, interests and their learning.

d. It can not be used for achieving the psychomotor objectives and highest order

of affective objectives.

e. Usually teacher deviates from the subject-content and teaching points.

Therefore, student can not perform well in examination.

f. An effective teacher can use this method properly, and a teacher should have

master over the content.

9. SUGGESTIONS

The following precautions should be observed to use this strategy effectively:-

a. The language of the lecture should be simple, easy and comprehensive.

b. The questions should be asked to make the students attentive in the class.

c. The students remain inactive and passive participants, hence the teacher uses

humour to release their tension and monotony of the class.

d. The method should be used from secondary level to upward classes.

link with new one.

f. It should be supported by question-answer technique and appropriate teaching

aids, maps, charts, diagrams, picture etc.