Today, I went to Kolokium Kajian Tindakan Daerah Kuala Terengganu in Dewan Teater, Perpustakaan Awam Negeri Terengganu. In this colloquium, we had the opportunity to see the presentations from primary and secondary teachers. Of all the presentation, there is one that arouse my interest. The presentation was Mr. Khairi's from SMK Bukit Guntong. After the presentation, there was a Q & A session. During the session, Mr Yzel Somarno, senior assistant of one the schools here mentioned that there are differences between method and technique. Indeed, as a teacher, we should realise the difference and understand the concept. Let's see how this explanation can help our understanding...
APPROACH,
METHOD & TECHNIQUE
1. Introduction
A
common error among teachers is to use interchangeably terms like approach,
method, and technique. Such pedagogical weakness may be considered as one
unforgivable act ever committed by teachers. Thus, Lesson 4 will help us
absolutely comprehend these three terms together with the other topic areas
related to teaching procedures.
Specifically.
Lesson 4 contains:
ü Approach, Method and Technique Defined
ü
Teaching
Strategy
ü
Some Leading
Teaching Approaches
Ø
Discovery
Approach
Ø
Conceptual
Ø
Process
Ø
Inquiry
Ø
Unified
Objectives
After completing lesson four, you
should be able to:
a)
compare and contrast approach,
method and technique using the actual classroom teaching as point of reference
b)
discuss the nature and features of the different teaching approaches,
and
c)
discern what makes a good method and eventually, evaluate whether the
methods employed by the teachers are good
You will surely learn so many things on
this lesson (“,) Read now.
2. Presentation
Approach, Method and Technique Defined
The simple diagram found below is an attempt to
distinguish them:
The 'How' Dimension of Teaching (Garcia, 1989)
Based on
the diagram, it clearly shows that approach encompasses the whole orientation
of teaching. Approach is the broadest of the three, making technique the most
specific, and the method found in between approach and technique.
An approach
is an enlightened viewpoint toward teaching. It provides philosophy to the
whole process of instruction. As presented by the diagram, the method and
technique are just parts and parcels of approach. Approach gives the overall
wisdom, it provides direction, and sets expectations to the entire spectrum of
the teaching process. Furthermore, approach sets the general rule or general
principle to make learning possible.
A method,
on the other hand, is an organized, orderly, systematic, and well-planned
procedure aimed at facilitating and enhancing students’ learning. It is undertaken according to some rule,
which is usually psychological in nature. That is, it considers primarily the
abilities, needs, and interests of the learners. Method is employed to achieve
certain specific aims of instruction. To make it as an effective instrument, it
should be presented with certain amount of efficiency and ease. More so, the
teaching method aims to achieve greater teaching and learning output, thus
saving time, efforts and even money on the part of both the teacher and the
learner. It directs and guides the teacher and the students in undertaking any
class lesson or activity.
To appraise
that teaching method is good and effective, the following characteristics would
tell if it is so:
ü
good method
recognizes individual differences;
ü
if it provides
students’ learning;
ü
if it
facilitates growth and development;
ü
if it achieves
the desired results of the teacher as reflected in her instructional
objectives.
One must
remember that there is no such thing as the best method. Thus, there is no
single correct way to teach a class. Instead, there are many good ways of
teaching the students.
The
procedural variation of a method calls for the third term, technique. Technique
encompasses the personal style of the teacher in carrying out specific steps of
the teaching process. Through technique, teachers enable to develop, create and
implement, using her distinctive way, the procedures (method) of teaching.
Teaching Strategy
In due
time, educators and writers started using the term teaching strategy with
reference to the methods and procedures utilized in teaching.
The term
strategy is derived from the Greek word “strategos”, literally translated as “
the art of the general”. As a military term, it appeared in the literature in
the latter part of the 18th century, referring to the larger aspects
of conducting war. In the context, it was defined as “ the efficient
application of resources to the accomplishment of objectives”, primarily the
defeat of the enemy’s armed forces. While the larger aspects of conducting war
were called strategies, smaller movements were referred to as tactics (Levis,
1985).
It was in
the writing of American theorists and researchers such as B.O Smith and Hilda
Taba where the notion of a teaching strategy first appeared. But it was Willard
B. Spalding who used the term strategy earlier when, in 1958, he stated that
the curriculum is the strategy by which the schools attempt to fulfill the
goals of education. Referring to strategy – as applied to curriculum- as a
sound calculation and coordination of the means and ends, Spalding pointed out.
In a paper
entitled “ Toward a Theory of Instruction” Smith (1963) defined teaching as a
“system of actions intended to induce learning”, and strategy as “ a pattern of
acts that serves to obtain certain outcomes and to guard against certain
others”. It is obvious that Smith was adapting military concepts to a classroom
setting.
Another
theorist, Taba (1969) also focused attention on the concept of teaching
strategy. In her view, it was useless to study teaching as a global process;
rather, it was necessary to identify particular teaching strategies required
for particular types of instructional objectives. The main aim of strategies,
she proposed, was the development of children’s thinking skills.
Aber et.al
(1971) defined teaching strategy as : teaching strategy is a purposefully
conceived and determined plan of action. Ideally, the strategy is designed to
facilitate a particular kind of learning in a given situation and in terms of a
specific learning objective. The strategy is selected for use after a
comprehensive assessment of the specific situation prior to the actual
instructional art. The operations of assessing the situation and selecting the
strategy represent the “professional expertise” that the teacher brings to the
instructional setting.
Another
definition of teaching strategy was given by McClosky (1971): teaching strategy
is a teaching approach that is used either in solving a classroom problem or in
improving instruction.
According
to Frankael (1973), teaching strategies represent the combinations of specific
procedures or operations, grouped and ordered in definite sequence that
teachers can use in the classroom to implement both cognitive and affective
objectives.
SOME LEADING
TEACHING APPROACHES
A.
DISCOVERY
APPROACH
B.
CONCEPTUAL
C.
PROCESS
D.
INQUIRY
E.
UNIFIED
DISCOVERY APPROACH
This
approach pertains basically to cognitive aspect of learning; the development
and organizations of concepts, ideas and insights, and the use of reference and
other logical processes to control a situation.
Characteristics:
1. It is inductive, proceeding from the specific to general
ones.
2. Freedom is necessary in the discovery approach.
3. The
teacher helps the learners acquire knowledge, which is uniquely his own because
he discovers it for himself.
4. The
end of teaching, using this approach, is the acquisition of knowledge.
5. The
students and not the teacher should be actively involved in the process of
discovery
6. The
students look at the knowledge that they have discovered as something new to
them.
Centering
on a series of problem solving situations, the discovery approach, therefore,
calls for active student involvement. It is student-centered as well as
self-directed learning.
Roles of the Teacher
1.
Patience is
needed in this approach. He does not pressure his students but he gives them
enough time to formulate the expected generalization.
2.
The teacher
should not answer for the students; he can give clues and hints instead. He
does not generalize for them.
Advantages
1.
The increase
in intellectual potency
2.
The shift from
extrinsic to intrinsic motivation
3.
The learning
of the heuristics of discovery (how to learn)
4.
The aid to
conserving memory
CONCEPTUAL APPROACH
This
approach requires the categorization of content from simple to complex level.
Students need not go into an actual investigation or experimentation, which is
usually required in discovery approach. A simple act of recalling facts will
suffice like asking students to state certain phenomena that they observe.
Roles of the Teacher
1.
The teacher
using conceptual approach should be able to master the cognitive hierarchy of
discipline. He should be able to categorize all knowledge pertinent to his
area; from facts to concepts; from concepts to generalizations; from
generalizations to principles; and all of these should be organized around
conceptual schemes which are pervasive ideas embodying the whole discipline.
2.
The teacher
should help students to gather sufficient data to enable them form the expected
generalization.
3.
The teacher
should not conceptualize for his students. The students should conceptualize
for themselves.
Advantages
1.
Since
conceptualization as process involves an active use of mind, certain
intellectual processes are being developed like classification, discrimination,
synthesis, and judgment. While knowledge is being processed, students have to
think logically and holistically.
2.
One value of
the students’ ability to generalize is that they can make use of the insights
gained in certain problematic situations.
3.
They could see
and realize that bits of information, which seem to be isolated can be organized
and pierced together like a jigsaw puzzle around a context in the broader
fundamental structure of a field of knowledge. Thus, they become aware that
every time the teacher presents a set of facts, the lesson is to be approached
in its totality. Thus, meaning is drawn out and derived from it.
PROCESS APPROACH
The process
approach may be defined as teaching in which knowledge is used as a means to
develop students’ learning skills.
This
approach originated from and used to be a monopoly of science instruction.
Today, it is identified primarily with skill-oriented subjects like practical
arts and home economics and even with knowledge-laden subjects like social
studies.
The essence of the process approach lies on three
major points:
1.
emphasis on process
implies a corresponding de-emphasis on the subject content ( the concern is how
to learn and not what to learn).
2.
it centers
upon the idea that what is taught to students should be functional and not
theoretical (e.g. if you learn mathematics do what mathematicians do; if you
learn science, do what scientists do; and if you learn music, do what musicians
do)
3.
it introduces the consideration of human
intellectual development (produces the consideration of human intellectual
development – processes may refer to intellectual skills).
Advantages
1.
Teaching a man
how to catch fish is must better than giving him fish every time he needs it –
this is the adage recognized by process approach.
2.
By developing
the skills of the students, the teacher is preparing him to be independent,
self-sufficient, and productive person. This gives substance to education as a
process of “preparing one for his own life”.
INQUIRY APPROACH
The concept
of inquiry refers to one’s attempt to understand fundamental issues and
concerns that may affect one’s status in life. From the point of view of
teaching and learning, the concept of inquiry gives premium to the process of
discovering what may be of help in motivating and in facilitating proper
accumulation of knowledge.
Characteristics:
Its
emphasis is placed upon the aspects of search rather than on the mere
acquisition of knowledge. It addresses itself primarily to learning concepts,
although an end product of any inquiry lessons may be production of a new idea
of concept – or a new invention. It is the search for truth, information or
knowledge. It pertains to research and investigation and to seeking for
information by asking questions.
This
approach views a given discipline more as an attitude than as a body of
knowledge or as a method. Emphasizing the affective aspects of learning, it
uses both the content and processes as means toward the development of the
qualities of the mind as curiosity, skepticism, intellectual honesty and the
like.
In using
this approach, the questions should proceed from the very factual to
thought-provoking questions – that is from the what questions to the how
and why questions. More
opportunities should be provided to students to respond to questions that call
for analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and judgment.
The inquiry
approach simply calls for the use of systematic method of studying a problem so
that solutions therefore be equally prepared and implemented.
Role of the teacher:
In the
classroom, the teacher should be an active participant in bringing about
working relationship among learners, which enhances functional interplay of
ideas and actions. Teachers and learners alike should learn to make adjustments
in undertaking activities geared towards the “greatest good for the greatest number”.
This
approach encourages teacher to be open-minded, and to be gracious in accepting
criticisms and challenges with an end in view of insuring the carrying out of
school activities as planned.
ADVANTAGES:
1.
it requires
them to go beyond the knowledge and skills levels of learning toward the
affective dimensions like their attitudes, values, appreciations and the like.
2.
They are
expected to become more analytical and less gullible.
3.
When students
have adopted the spirit of inquiry, they become more curious and observant
individuals.
The inquiry approach
figuratively vibrates a nugget of wisdom:
“In work, every day brings new changes for one to grow, new challenges
to meet, and new mission to pursue. If systematically planned, every new day is
a step towards one’s pleasant dream”.
UNIFIED APPROACH
Teachers by
and large present knowledge in its isolated and fragmented bits, as if each bit
is an independent entity by itself. Once
presented to students, these unrelated bits of information seem to be likely unattractive
and meaningless to them. They might be able to memorize them for sometime but
there is no guarantee that they will retain them. Their tendency is to recite
them by rote, especially when there is an examination scheduled in a day’s time
or two.
But after
the test is given, such bits are surely relegated to oblivion.
The unified
approach is defined as means of treating relationships that exist among the
significant components making up a given body of knowledge. It is a thorough process of weaving and
integrating topics into a general framework or a conceptual scheme. This simply
means that the teacher does not treat each concept as an island by itself but
rather he relates the previously learned concept with the new concept, until
finally the students are able to see the interrelationships among the various
concepts that serve as the mainstays or as the cognitive pillars of an academic
subject. Its primary aim is to enhance the student’s learning by making him
view things in their entirety or totality.
CHARACTERISTICS:
1.
it is highly cognitive
2.
it leads
students toward insightful and meaningful learning
( concepts on comparison, linking up,
ascertaining the cause
and effect, determining prerequisites,
predicting results,
synthesis)
3.
it is holistic in treatment
3. Summary
Learning
the various terms presented and discussed earlier would mean a lot in teaching.
Always remember, a good teacher needs as well good strategies of handling and
presenting the lessons. There are various approaches that can guide effective
teaching-learning process. Each requires teachers to perform the tasks expected
of him. Recognizing the importance of these approaches surely put teacher to
better planning, implementing and evaluating his instruction.
(Source: www.openuni-clsu.edu.ph/openfiles/modules/ed710/lesson4.doc)
thanks for such an argumentative article! I think after this I can't mix these notions up! http://bigessaywriter.com/blog/main-difference-between-schooling-and-education will tell you about difference between scholling and education!
ReplyDeleteIts a good article. To make it more meaningful, the author could have taken an example and and shown the relationship among an approach, method/s, technique/s and strategies.
ReplyDeleteGreat explanation
ReplyDelete😊
The write up contains useful information by correcting certain misunderstanding may of us hold about the concepts of approach, methods and techniques.
ReplyDeleteIt is very helpful article,make me understand about those terms
ReplyDeleteHi. About TPR (Total Physical Response), which Approach does it belong?
ReplyDelete