Teaching methods are usually described as tending towards either ‘teacher-directedness’ or ‘student-centredness’ in their emphasis. Different subject areas in the school curriculum call for different methods of teaching in order to achieve the goals for learning in that subject. Teachers need to select the most appropriate teaching methods to suit the type of subject matter to be taught, the age and ability level of the children, the children’s previous experience and knowledge, and the available time and resources.
Until recently, the method of teaching was rarely investigated as a possible cause of learning difficulty. Teachers seem to assume that if something is taught (which usually means explained or demonstrated), it is
automatically learned; and if it is not learned, then the problem must be due to inadequacies in the child’s own ability, motivation or persistence, not to the effectiveness of the teaching method. Parents also assume too
readily that a learning problem must be related directly to the child’s ability or effort, not to the method of instruction. Researchers in the field of education are now recognising, however, that learning problems arise
if inappropriate methods of instruction are applied. Not all methods are equally effective in achieving particular goals in learning. Let us examine the teaching of reading and mathematics as examples of situations where some popular approaches have proved to be less effective than others.
Direct teaching versus indirect teaching: the case of learning to read
In the past few years, important reports published in Britain, the United States of America and Australia have been highly critical of the way in which literacy skills are being taught in the majority of primary schools in
those countries. Basically, the reports indicate that over the previous two decades the direct teaching of phonic skills – designed to enable a young child to read and spell using knowledge of letter-to-sound correspondences – has been seriously neglected. Instead, teachers have been trained and encouraged to use a popular method called ‘whole language approach’ in which direct teaching of phonic skills and spelling is frowned upon.
Teachers who use whole language approach believe that children will learn to read, write and spell without needing direct instruction if they are given daily opportunities to engage in reading and writing activities, and if they receive positive feedback from the teacher. In other words, these teachers believe that learning to read and write is a ‘natural’ process; all it requires is for children to be self-motivated and active learners in order to discover their way to functional literacy with minimal guidance from the teacher.
The evidence is, however, that some children (particularly in the early stages) simply do not discover the basic principles of reading and writing in an alphabetic language unless they are clearly and directly taught. The absence of direct teaching is the main cause of reading difficulty for most of these children.
Direct teaching versus indirect teaching: the case of mathematics
In recent years, the teaching of number skills and mathematical problem solving has also favoured a ‘discovery’ or ‘activity’ approach rather than direct instruction. It has become unpopular, for example, for teachers to drill children in basic arithmetic processes and multiplication tables because it is claimed that they will easily pick up these skills along the way if they simply engage every day in solving problems that involve counting, measuring, comparing and calculating. But some (possibly many) children do not benefit from this activity-based approach and instead need to have basic numeracy skills taught directly and then practised to the point of mastery. It is clear that some children have significant difficulties learning mathematics because the underlying skills and concepts have not been taught clearly and effectively or practised sufficiently.
Read More : Teaching method as a source of difficulty
