Methodology:
This is defined as the way which the teacher
presents his materials to learners and engages them to have knowledge of a
variety of teaching methods he can choose from, in the teaching- learning process.
How a teacher present his lesson could sharpen children/students mental
activities which are the basis of social power or it may discourage initiatives
and curiousty thus making self reliance and survival difficult.
It has been noted that the method adopted by the
teacher hinder or promotes learning which will be listed and discussed below.
1. Lecture
method
2. Demonstration
method
3. Asking questions
a.
Problem solving
b. Asking
questions
c.
Discussion
d. Collaborative
learning
e.
Laboratories
f.
Problem solving
g.
Brain storming
h. Project
method
i.
The play/ dramatic method
Lecture
method:
This is the
most common method of teaching usually used at all levels which involves
systematic presentation of information or instructions through oral exposition
by the teacher, supplemented by the appropriate teaching aids materials, this
method of teaching is often referred to as : chalk and talk method. It has been
noticed that teachers who have few teaching aids or materials including books
to use in the teaching learning situation have to rely heavily on this method.
Asking
question
While teaching, discussion section, laboratories
or individuals encounters, questioning is an important part of guiding students
learning, when students ask questions, they are often seeking to shortcut the
learning process by getting the right answer from an answer and assessing the
validity of an answer that are usually more important particularly if the
student can apply these processors to the next question. Both of these
processes are obscured if the teachers simply gives the requested answer. Here
are some effective tips for effective use of questions.
·
Wait long enough to indicate that you
expect students to think before answering
·
Solicit the answer from a volunteer or a selected student
·
Determine the students confidence
level as you listen to the answer
·
Solicit alternative answer or
elaboration to provide material for compares, contrast and assessment.
·
Solicit additional response from the
same students with a leading questions of follow-up observation
·
Direct the ensuring discussion to the
complain evaluation and extension of the offered answers rather than simple
validation of right and wrong answer.
·
Pose a follow-up question to continue
the exploration.
Demonstration
Demonstration can be very effective for
illustrating concepts in class; but can result in passive learning without
careful attention to engaging student. They can provoke students to think for
themselves and are especially helpful if the demonstration has a surprise,
challenges and assumption, or illustrates an otherwise abstract concepts or mechanism.
Demonstrations that use everyday objects are especially effective and require
little preparation on the teacher. A teacher should consider a number of issues
when planning a demonstration.
·
What concept do you want the
demonstration to illustrate?
·
Which of much demonstration the
selected topic will generate the greatest enhancement in student learning?
·
Where in the class would it be most
effective?
·
What prior knowledge should be
reviewed before demonstration?
·
What design would be most effective,
given the materials at hand and the target audience?
·
Which steps in the demonstration
procedure should be carried out ahead of time?
·
What questions will be appropriate to
motivate and direct student observation and through process before, during and
after the demonstration?
·
What fellowship questions can be used
to test and stretch students understanding
·
If the classroom hall is larger
consider whether student in the back will be able to see your demonstration.
Look into videotaping the demonstration and projecting the image on a large
screen so that all of your students can see
Discussions
Focused discussion is an effective way for many
students to develop their conceptual frameworks and to learn problem solving
skills as they try out their own ideas on other students and the instructor.
However , student centered discussion are less predictable than instructor centered presentation, they are more time consuming
and they can require more skill from the teacher, you might try various strategies to engage your students
in meaningful discussion by posing question that measure different level of
understanding (knowledge, application, analysis).
Planning
and guiding discussion
The best overall advice is to be bold but flexible
and willing to adjust your strategies to the character of your class, if you
want to experiment with using discussion in your class, here are some things to
consider:
·
Decide on goals of your class
discussion , what is it that you want your students to get from each class
session, concept, problem solving skills, decision making skill, broader
perspective
·
Explain to the students how
discussions will be structured, will the discussion involved the whole class or
will students work in smaller groups. Make clear what you expect them to do
before coming to each class session. Read the chapter, think about the question
at the end of the chapter, and seriously try to do the first problems.
·
If you want students to discuss
questions and concepts in small groups, explain to students how the groups will
form
·
Do not allow a few students to
dominate the discussion. Some students will naturally respond more quickly, but
they must be encouraged to let others have a chance. Be sure that all students
participate at an acceptable level.
Collaborative
learning
Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a
variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by
student, or students and teachers together. (Goodsell et al, 1992). Cooperate
learning, a form of collaborative learning is an instructional technique in which students work in groups to
achieve a common goal to which they each contribute in individually accountable
ways (Storer et al, 1993). The interaction itself can take different forms:
·
Out-of-class study groups
·
In-class discussions groups
·
Project groups (in and/or out of
class)
·
Groups in which roles (leader, time
keeper, technician, spokesperson and so forth) are assigned and rotated
Although cooperative learning has been used
effectively in primary, middle and high schools for a number of years, as
discussed by Johnson and Johnson (1989) and Slavin (1989) few studies has been
done to demonstrate its effectiveness in the college classroom. In addition,
the evaluation of group work requires careful consideration.
Laboratories
It is hard to imagine learning to do science
learning about science without doing laboratories or field work.
Experimentation underlined all scientific knowledge and understanding
laboratories are wonderful settings for teaching and learning science, they
provide students to think about discuss and solve real problem . Developing and
teaching an effective laboratories requires as much skill, creativity and hard
work as proposing and executing a first rate research project.
Despite the importance of experimentation of
science, introducing labs fail to convey the excitement. Typically, students
work their way out through a list of step by step instruction trying to
reproduce expected results and wondering how to get the right answer.
Before you begin to develop a laboratory program,
it is important to think about its goals. Here are a number of possibilities:
·
Develop intuition and deepen
understanding of concepts
·
Apply concepts learned in class to new
situations
·
Experience basic phenomenon
·
Develop critical quantitative thinking
·
Develop experimental and data analysis
skills
·
Learn to use scientific apparatus
·
Develop reporting skills (written and
oral)
·
Appreciate the role of experimentation
in class
Once you have decided on the goals for your
laboratory teaching and are familiar with some of the innovative ideas in your field,
you are ready to ask yourself the following questions:
·
How have other teachers operated in
their programmes. Seek out colleagues in other classes.
·
How much time are you willing to
invest? Encouraging the school to buy new or more equipment and tinkering with
lab write-ups will probably improve the labs.
Lab
reports
The various methods by which students report their
lab work have different pedagogical objectives, the formal written report
teaches students how to communicate their works in journal style. Keeping a lab
notebook, which is graded, teaches the student to keep a record while doing an
experiment, but it may not develop good writing and presentation skills. Oral
reports can also motivate students to keep a good notebook, especially if they
can consult it during their presentation.
Teaching
lab with teaching assistant
Teaching assistant who were not taught well can
have difficulty in adapting to innovative laboratory programs, and the suggestions
below will help their transition. A good part of success of a course or subject
depends on the group spirit of the whole teams of instructors and teaching
assistants.
Brain
storming
This is an advanced use of the discussion method
of teaching, which involves cooperative thinking by groups towards the solution
of specific problems. In other words, it involves a class in oral exchange of ideas,
facts and opinions about a topic of mutual concern and interest, the purpose of
this method is stimulating and generation of ideas in the pupils and
facilitation of their expression.
Advantages
In this method, the teacher draws upon experience
and knowledge of the learner instead of learning them to rely entirely upon his
act as a leader and directs or redirects ideas and information produced by
them.
Some suggestions in a brain storming session may
not be worthwhile and should be quickly rejected. This provides an exercise in
critical evaluation for pupils/students and teacher. It makes for actives
participation of students, stimulate them to link individually and to learn to
express themselves freely.
Brain storming is only suitable for older students
in secondary schools, college and universities who can think on their own with
little guidance from the teacher. It helps the teacher to evaluates students
interest in learning, and encourage them to develop clear thinking, self
assurance and sometimes leadership.
It is valuable as a way of helping learners to
realize the many subjects must be looked at from several points of views and
that different factors or opinion must be taken into consideration in the
solution to the brainstorming problem or issue. It makes students understand
that there is no single ‘right answer’ to all questions, but that various
possible answers should be explored and considered with a view of finding the
best fullest solution.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantages of this method are that it
is time consuming. It must be well organized to avoid waste of time and going
off in an accepted direction. The teacher must plan before hand the main
aspects of the topic, which he wants brainstorming to cover. His relationship
with the students must be cordial to enhance their freedom to speak out, yet
respect his control. As the name goes, the teacher must encourage as many as
possible to participate in brainstorming but not allow one or two dominate the
session.
Problem
solving
In a situation where the lecture method treat learners
as objects of assistance, the problem solving method makes them critical
thinkers, this method requires ability
to reason and demand active thinking on the part of the learners , problem
solving bases itself on creativity.
Many simple problem of calculation, drawn from
everyday life could provide more practically useful learning experience than a
large number of formal sums on a standard pattern. Capacity to use reasoning to
solve problem will increase as pupils have more knowledge of facts, materials
and method which can be employed.
Any teacher desirous of using this method should
follow these steps:
i.
Raising the problem
ii.
Interpreting or more precisely
formulating it
iii.
Gathering and evaluating data
(including material)
iv.
Formalizing tentative solution
required and testing them where possible by experiment,
v.
Verifying the result.
Project
method
This is a method of teaching that enables the teacher
to relate his teaching to real-life situation. In this method pupils learn
through independent activities through under the guidance of a teacher. With
the help of a teacher pupils/student should plan and execute a project in a
logical sequence.
When using this method, the teacher should refrain
from doing the work for the pupils because all the experiences connected with a
given period with obtaining and using the knowledge required to carry it out properly,
constitute the project. Through this method, students learn to work together on
selected plans.
The learning experience is the problems to be
solved whether they are theoretical or practical, whichever way they are, the
teacher and his pupils have to work cooperatively to adverse to desired goal.
Project work can be undertaken by each member of a
class, by groups working in cooperation in either case, it should involve every
student in active learning and in taking some responsibility for his own work.
Working in groups can also give pupils opportunities for developing
leadership/fellowship organizing ability.
Scholars hold the view that project method
requires technical and organizational competence of the teacher to be a success.
The
play/dramatic method
As the name goes, the play/dramatic method of
teaching involves learners dramatizing or acting of idea or events in order to
ease learning. The importance of play in life of growing child in and out of
school cannot be over emphasized. One form of play is dramatization. It has
been observed that children are fond of playing parts during which imagination
leads them to act in the capacity of known or of imagination individuals.
Facts and skills can be converted into play or
drawn by a teacher just by making process of learning such facts and skills
more interesting and meaningful. Topics in some subject areas can be
reorganized and dramatized by the students in the classrooms in order to make
them cleaner and easier to understand and make learning a pleasurable venture.
In English literature for example Wedlock of the
Gods by Zulu Sofola can be acted in the class to enhance its understanding. The
process of contracting marriages and marriage ceremonies in social studies can
also be dramatized. In health education, way of treating burns and first aid
treatment of broken arm can be dramatized.
This method is a shared activity with others; a
happy activity that is helpful in achieving socially desirable end. It can also
foster team spirit. If the teacher can plan and apply it properly in the
classroom, students are likely to learn without strain because play can
stimulate interest and provide variety in the classroom.
One major limitation of this method is that it can
be time consuming.
A topic that could be taught in one or two periods
may take four or five period or more periods or more using the play or dramatic
method.
