Teaching Methods & Strategies

**3.43 Issues in Delivery of instructions** Teaching methods and strategies for various instructional groups: Large Group -- from 60 students and above per class. Methods to be used here include lecture method, team teaching, co-operative teaching strategy. Medium/Average Group -- from 50-60 studen...

**3.43 Issues in Delivery of instructions** Teaching methods and strategies for various instructional groups: Large Group -- from 60 students and above per class. Methods to be used here include lecture method, team teaching, co-operative teaching strategy. Medium/Average Group -- from 50-60 students per class. You can use discovery method, laboratory method, discussion method or demonstration method. Small Group --- Less than 40 students. You can use field trip, project, laboratory activity, inquiry, individualized instruction e.g. one teacher to one student e.g. Computer Assisted Instruction (CAl). **Time** Time, according to Manser (1984) and Okebukola (2000) is happening of event, continued existence in a particular point in time, a particular period, an occasion, measurement of how long an event took place choosing a momentum in a particular action. In teaching we consider the following: a. Description of time i.e. morning, afternoon, or evening. b. a particular age unit that students should learn a particular concept e.g. Piaget' Cognitive Developmental Stages. - Senson motor stage 0-2 years - Preoperational stage 2-5 years - Concrete operational stage 5-11 years - Formal operational stage 12-15 years and above c. The duration of teaching activities e.g. in a lesson plan the duration for your lesson may be 35 minutes or 45 minutes and in tertiary institution I hour or 2 hours. In practical lesson it may he up to 3 hours. d. Maturation stage: This depends on the fitness of a child both physically, psychologically, socially etc. In the lesson note or lesson plan there is need to distribute time base on each step of the lesson i.e. from introduction to conclusion of the lesson. **3.4.4 Introduction** The skill of introduction is concerned with the way the teacher introduces the lesson or a particular unit within a lesson. At the beginning of each teaching episode, the teacher must induce in the mind of his students the learning task about to be undertaken. The teacher also needs to gain and hold the attention of his students in order to motivate them to work, think and learn. He must also guide his students in the direction he wants them to go and establish clear link with previous knowledge. There are four major components or variation skills in introduction: i. Gaining attention i.e. a teacher's use of verbal, gesture and eye contact and also the use of audio visual material as well as interacting with the students. ii. Arousing motivation: The teacher needs to show warmth and enthusiasm for the subject especially when dealing with younger children. Teacher needs to excite the children's curiosity or introduce an element of surprise into the lesson. He may induce it by telling a story or introducing an activity. iii. Structuring: Here the teacher state the names of the task to be carried out e.g. "This afternoon we shall be looking at some pictures and after we have talked about them we shall write a story". Here the teacher suggests ways or proceeding with the task e.g. "I want you to make a list of all the living organisms that you can see in this picture. Or the teacher may use a series of questions to introduce a topic". iv. A teacher makes comparison or contrast by giving particular examples of concept or material that are similar or different. 1. The introduction must be meaningful to students in terms of their age, ability and interest. 2. The introduction must be related to the lesson contents and objectives. 3. The introduction should establish link with previous knowledge from familiar to unfamiliar concepts. **3.4.5 Logical** Logic in the lesson delivery is an important factor. If the teacher wants students to understand his lesson he needs to present it in a logical manner such as: a. From simple to complex b. from known to unknown c. use inductive reasoning i.e. from specific to general or d. use deductive reasoning i.e. from general to specific. Also, the teacher needs to present his lesson in order of difficulty when teaching. He should also present the content of his/her lesson in hierarchal order that will provide prerequisite knowledge for learning a particular task in his lesson. Teachers' lesson presentation should be logically structured based on steps provided in the lesson presentation aspect from simple to complex issues. **3.4.6 Questioning** Of all the skills teacher uses in the classroom, the skill of questioning is the most complex and possibly one of the most under-used and under-valued. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that teachers do not make enough use of oral questions and those which are asked, demand a very low level of students thinking. It is claimed however that teachers who are skilled in the use of questioning are not only able to raise the level of student's achievements but they also create a more effective social and learning environment in the classroom. **The Skill Component of Questioning** There are many components and sub---components of the skill of questioning. Some are simple in operation while others are complex and can be described as advance. **For example**: 1. Phrasing i.e. the teacher makes his question brief and uses words that the students can understand. He phrases his questions so as to give a clue for those students who are less able (backward). 2. Focus: The teacher asks broad questions to involve as many students as possible and then ask more specific question as the information comes in. The teacher ask question which focuses on a single task. 3. Direction: The teacher possesses the question to the whole class and then after a pause (wait time) select students to answer by naming them or using a gesture such as pointing. Teachers should avoid the words like "you" or "who" can tell me? etc. 4. Distribution: Here the teacher distributes his questions at random to cover the whole class. 5. Pausing: (wait time) the teacher pauses for a few seconds (i.e. 2-3 seconds). After asking a question to the whole class and then call upon a student to answer. This technique is most important when the teacher varies the level of questions. 6. Prompting: The teacher includes a clue in the question which indicates the scope or type of answer he requires. The clue might even lead directly to the answer. Advanced **Questioning** 1. Varying the level: i.e. the teacher ask questions which differ in difficulty and call for different levels of thinking e.g. a. Recall --- the teacher asks questions which simply allows students to remember and re---state information already known or learned. b. Comprehension: Here the teacher asks questions which test students understanding of a piece of writing e.g. from the graph before you which shows a list of years in which leap years fall, predict the next leap year. c. Application: At this level the teacher ask questions which provide the students with the opportunity of applying what they have learnt before to a new situation e.g. in a given solution of salt and water device a procedure for separating them. d. Analysis: The teacher asks questions which require students to examine evidences in order to be able to organize and express their thought e.g. given a cup of water mixed with oil and another one dissolved in salt, students are asked to state which one is heaver with reasons(s)? Through analysis the student will find out that oil cannot dissolve in water therefore, calculating the weight is not necessary. e. Synthesis: The teacher asks questions which involve student(s) in a creative activity probably about a situation which draws a number of ideas together e.g. planting seeds under various conditions a student may be asked to describe the condition related to optimum growth. f. Evaluation: Here the teacher asks questions which require students to make judgment on ideas or values and then to give supportive reasons for their judgment, for example, you are provided with metric and English system for measurement which one will you prefer and why? **3.5 Classroom Management** Discipline, order and class -management are terms often confused and therefore used wrongly. In the classroom, discipline may be measured by the extent to which students are self-controlled and willingly apply themselves to the task appointed by their teacher. Disorders in the classroom: One of the reasons that disorders occurs in the classroom is because it is a very artificial place. Students from various backgrounds are brought together to learn using specified methods within the confirmation of a single room. In such unnatural circumstances almost anything can go wrong. Some of these disorders in the classroom are: 1. Inattention and Restlessness a. Attractions or disturbances outside the classroom may cause this type of disorders in the classroom. b. Excess energy accumulated by students kept passive for too long. c. Children who are physically or mentally tired often show a kind of inattention and relentlessness d. Lessons which are boring tend to make students inattentive or restless. 2. Noise: This is not necessarily a bad thing. Noise is bound to be associated with some activities. Noise is only bad when it becomes distracting and reduces efficiency e.g. e. Over-eager students with bad manners who snap their fingers and call out 'sir' when they know or do not know the answer to the question or which to be chosen for some activities, can be a source of disruptive noise. f. Comments by students about an assignment they have just been asked to do or about an exercise or test that has been returned to them may result in a loud noise which is disturbing. g. Idleness which may result either from absence of a teacher from the classroom or from- the completion of an assignment or Lest before the stipulated time. h. Private or group argument may lead to disturbing noise. Whispers and subdued laughter can also lead to disturbing noise. 3. Unexpected events, e.g. i. Unexpected visitor in the classroom. j. Late corner to the classroom k. Sending children out for an assignment. 4. Indiscipline: Harmony in the classroom depends upon the keeping of rules and good relationship with the teacher and his students as well as from students to students. There are certain situations which resulted to indiscipline in the classroom: l. Struggle by students in order to enter the classroom at the same time. m. Demonstration in which the students cannot see what is being displayed properly. n. Selfish students who are not discipline may rush forward to get a place or collect equipment more especially when the equipment will not be sufficient.