TEACHING STRATEGIES – PART 1

LESSON OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson presentation, you should be able to:
 Describe the two main approaches to teaching and learning
#Teacher-Centred Approach
#Learner-Centred Approach
 Outline various teaching and learning strategies under the two approaches.
 Describe the principles underling each teaching strategy
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each teaching and learning strategy.
 Explain how each of the teaching and learning strategy can be used effectively in
a lesson.
Approaches of Teaching and Learning

Teaching strategies are grouped into two main teaching approaches namely;

1. Teacher-Centred Approach
2. Learner-Centred Approach
Teacher-Centred Approach
 Sometimes referred to as direct instruction, deductive teaching or
expository teaching.
 More traditional in nature, focussing on the teacher as instructor.
 Teachers play important roles in the learning process and controls what
is to be taught.
 Teachers are information providers or evaluator to monitor students to
get the right answers.
 Students are viewed as learners who passively receive information.

EXAMPLES INCLUDE: Lecture Method, Direct Instruction, Demonstration,

Team Teaching e.t.c.
ADVANTAGES OF TEACHER CENTRED APPROACH
 It is suitable for large classes
 It takes shorter time to do the class activities
 Learning materials can be well prepared
 Logical arrangement of educational content
 Teachers may feel less nervous, embarrassed or tongue-tied
 Focus on the subject
 Teachers can manage the students to speak more in English because teachers can set
the criteria when students want to communicate in the class they should use English.
In this way of learning the real important thing is to transfer the knowledge to the
learners.
DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHER CENTRED
APPROACH
 Teachers have less motivation for innovation in teaching.
 Full dependency of students on teachers.
 Limited content
 Students have less opportunity to think aloud or interact hence they tend to be more
individualistic.
 Teachers become the most dominant source of information.
 In designing the class activities, teachers control every single learning experience.
 Summative assessment.
Learner-Centred Approach
 Sometimes referred to as discovery learning, inductive learning or inquiry learning
 Places much stronger emphasis on the student’s role in the learning process.
 Teacher’s main role is coaching and facilitating students’ learning.
 Teachers have less direct control over what and how students learn.
 Students are active participants in the learning process
 The child’s education is the free development of his interests and motives rather than
any other artificial effort made on him by a teacher.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE: Assignment, Question and answer, Cooperative Learning,
Group Discussion, Discovery Learning, Role Play, Scaffolding, Problem Based
Learning, Simulation
ADVANTAGES OF LEARNER CENTRED APPROACH

 Active engagement of students in the learning process.

 Students learn from each other.
 Students share ideas.
 Emphasis on the meaningfulness of the knowledge being passed.
 Formative evaluation.
 Students feel more secure and less anxious.
DISADVANTAGES OF LEARNER-CENTRED
APPROACH
 Special teacher skills required.

 Can be difficult for some students.

 Focuses on students’ personal demands.

 Sometimes the students may become overwhelmed, thereby distracting

the learning process and not achieving the learning goals.
COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TEACHER-CENTRED AND
STUDENT-CENTRED APPROACHES

Techer-Centred Approach Student-Centred Approach

1. Knowledge is transmitted from the teacher to 1. Students construct knowledge through gathering
students and synthesizing information and integrating it with
the general skills of inquiry, communication, critical
thinking, problem solving and so on

2. Students passively receive information 2. Students are actively involved

3. Teacher’s role is to be primary information giver and 3. Teacher’s role is to coach and facilitate. Teacher
primary evaluator and students evaluate learning together

4. Teaching and assessing are separate 4. Teaching and assessing are intertwined
 Techer-Centred Approach Student-Centred Approach
5. Emphasis is on right answers 5. Emphasis is on generating better questions and
learning from errors

6. Desired learning is assessed indirectly through the use 6. Desired learning is assessed directly through
of objectively scored tests. papers, projects, performances and the like.

7. Culture is competitive and individualistic 7. Culture is cooperative, collaborative, and

supportive

8. Only students are viewed as learners 8. Teacher and students learn together
9. Assessment is used to monitor learning 9. Assessment is used to promote and diagnose
learning
LECTURE METHOD
 An oral presentation of information by the teacher.
 Sometimes it is referred to as telling method.
 It is the method of relaying factual information which includes principles, concepts, ideas, and all
theoretical knowledge about a given topic.
 The teacher is always very active doing all the talking.
 Form of classroom activity where the teacher talks to his students in an autocratic way.
 In its pure form students have no opportunity to ask questions or offer comments during lesson.
 Hence, this teaching strategy falls under the teacher centred approaches.
Lecture Method contd../
 One of the oldest teaching methods because it was generally believed that a student was
an empty vessel ready to receive knowledge, ideas, skills, values, an adult would decide
to impart on him/her.

 Recommended for students with very little knowledge or limited background knowledge
on the topic.

 It is also useful for presenting an organised body of new information to the learner
ADVANTAGES OF LECTURE METHOD
 Most helpful when introducing a new topic. The teacher needs to give background
information on the topic in order to help the students understand with less difficulty
the material to be covered in the coming lesson.

 It is ideal for a large class. It permits a large number of students to receive at the
same time an organised perspective of goals and content to be covered in a particular
class.

 This method also helps the students to develop some skills. For instance, it provides
practice to students in senior classes to in taking simple notes.

 Commonly used since planning time is limited.

DISADVANTAGES OF LECTURE METHOD
 It can easily lead to boredom if overused. As students are very inactive, doing all the
listening.

 It does not allow enough feedback from the students, hence, it is difficult for the teacher to
collect any misconceptions developed during the lesson.

 Students rarely express their feelings and attitudes to what is going on.

 The lesson is aimed at the average student and those with above average or below average
abilities are not catered for. Low achievers may get frustrated, high achievers may be bored.

 Discipline can become a problem with students who are not interested because the work is
too hard or easy
GUIDELINES FOR THE CORRECT USE OF
LECTURE METHOD
 The teacher should know the overall goals and specific objectives for using the lecture method.

 The teacher should always try to relate his/her method to the developmental level of his/her
students, their needs, and interests, both in objective and content of his lesson.

 The teacher should have a clear, logical plan of presentation. He/she should work out the essentials
of the topic. This should include planning of methodology, utilisation of teaching and learning aids
and some demonstration if possible.

 It is advisable for a teacher to vary the classroom atmosphere of a total lecture method by using
interest-arousing teaching and learning aids such as charts, pictures, maps, models and any other
aids.
GUIDELINES FOR PROPER USE OF LECTURE
METHOD contd…/
 The teacher should always avoid the monotony of lecturing by varying the stress of his/her
voice.

 The teacher should allow an ample time for students to ask some questions during the lesson.

 It is also advisable on the part of the teacher in the course of the lesson to watch and observe
his/her students for their reactions and attentiveness as this will reveal the effectiveness of the
presentation. If the students seem bored, a change of the method would be necessary.

 At the end of the lesson the teacher should ask a few questions on the content covered to
check how effective the presentation has been.
DEMONSTRATION METHOD
 A type of teaching strategy whereby a teacher performs an instructions activity
in the presence of his/her students in order to show them how to do it.
 Therefore, demonstration means any planned performance of an occupation
skill, scientific principle or experiment.
 Through demonstration a teacher presents a task requiring some skill before
the students.
 The student’s role is that of the observer and recorder of information and skills.
For example in a computer studies class, the teacher can demonstrate how a
computer is switched on and off to form 1 students and expect the students to
perform the same task either individually or in small groups.
ADVANTAGES OF DEMONSTRATION METHOD
 Involving students in demonstrations allow this method to be less passive as
compared with the lecture method.

 It adds meaning to learning by giving the pupils the opportunity to see or hear what
is actually happening.

 This method becomes influential when a teacher wants to illustrate ideas, concepts or
principles which words would be inadequate.
 ADVANTAGES OF DEMONSTRATION METHOD
contd../..
 Demonstrations also discourages students from learning through trial and error where
time is limited.
 Demonstrations may help in reducing accidents before the students begin experiments.
For example, when working with highly inflammable materials or breakable objects, if
the teacher demonstrates on how the objects are handled.
 Demonstrations set performance standards and can be inspiring in such fields as art,
music and physical education.
 They are especially beneficial in showing how skills are acquired. When the students are
expected to master a certain skill, demonstrations would help the students to master it.
DISADVANTAGES OF DEMONSTRATION
METHOD
 Much time in planning and preparation is required for demonstration method to be
very effective.

 This method may become ineffective if the teacher just “shows’’ and “tells’’ without
feedback from the students.

 Demonstrations are most effective when followed by a corresponding student activity.

 A demonstration is not effective in overcrowded classrooms or with extremely small

objects.
DISADVANTAGES OF DEMONSTRATION METHOD
contd../..
 If the audio part of a demonstration does not march, the visual component may confuse
the students.

 Sometimes a demonstration can lead to imitation without understanding.

 This method is limited to particular teaching situations only. Some teachers try to use it
where other methods would be better.

 Considerable skills are required to give good demonstration.

 GUIDELINES FOR THE CORRECT USE OF
DEMONSTRATION METHOD
 Before carrying out a demonstration, a teacher should always spend enough time to plan and develop the
needed material.

 Practice and rehearse the activity in its entirety with an eye on time limitations.

 During demonstrations make sure that the sitting arrangements are that every student is able to see and
hear what you are demonstrating.

 A good demonstration should be used in conjunction with a short explanation of what is to be

demonstrated.

 At the end of a demonstration conduct a brief review of what has been demonstrated.