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Have you ever thought about how each classroom teaches things differently? In this article, we answer what are teaching styles, why
are
there multiple teaching styles, what are the different styles, and
which style works the best today?
Why different teaching styles?
Everybody learns different ideas at different times at different paces. Some people can learn
something on the first try after being told what to do whereas others
might need to have hands-on experience in order to learn and possibly
repeat
it a few times to really get the hang of things.
Different teaching styles are necessary because the students need to be able to learn what the teacher is teaching.However, the choice of teaching styles used can also depend on the
school mission statement, the classroom demographics,
the educational
philosophy of the teacher, and most importantly, the subject area.
Types of teaching styles:
It is helpful to think of teaching styles according to the three Ds: Directing, Discussing, and Delegating. Throughout the last century, traditional teaching methods have
undergone significant changes; brought on by social, cultural and
technological developments.
1-The directing style
It promotes learning through
listening and following directions. With this style, the teacher tells
the students what to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be done. The
teacher imparts information to the students via lectures, assigned
readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, role playing, and
other means.
Students gain information primarily by listening, taking
notes, doing role plays, and practicing what they are told to do. The
only feedback the teacher looks for is “Do you understand the
instruction
Suggestions for using the directing style:
Start with the big picture.
Provide the context before launching into specifics.
Be clear and concise.
Students need to know exactly
what they must do to succeed and by what criteria their work will be
evaluated. Clear goals, specific deadlines, and concise directions
increase student motivation and eliminate confusion. Wordy, sloppily
written, and poorly organized instructional materials confuse,
overwhelm, and discourage students.
Provide sufficient detail.
Communication
breakdowns occur when important details are omitted or instructions are
ambiguous. For example, when I once neglected to specify the font size
students should use, the papers they turned in had font sizes ranging
from 8 to 14!
Don’t sugar-coat the message. There are times when teachers need to be very direct and candid to get through to students.
2-The discussing style
It promotes learning through
interaction. In this style, practiced by Socrates, the teacher
encourages critical thinking and lively discussion by asking students to
respond to challenging questions.
The teacher is a facilitator guiding
the discussion to a logical conclusion. Students learn to have opinions
and to back them up with facts and data.
Suggestions for using the discussing
style:
Prepare questions in advance. Great discussions
don’t just happen. Ask one question at a time. Be open, curious, and
interested in learning what each student thinks.
Don’t allow one or two students to dominate the discussion.
Solicit everyone’s ideas and opinions. Gently draw out students who
seem insecure and reticent to participate. I sometimes start my classes
by saying, “I want to give each of you one minute to discuss your views
on this topic. Let’s go around the room and hear from everyone.” Get
closure by reviewing the key points you want to make.
Have students create questions. I like to have my
students read a case study and formulate three questions to ask their
classmates. We then discuss their answers in class.
Utilize clickers. Clickers are an easy way to get
students involved during class. Pose a multiple-choice question and
their responses are tabulated on the screen. You can then open it up for
discussion as students share why they selected a certain answer.
3-The delegating style
promotes learning through
empowerment. With this style, the teacher assigns tasks that students
work on independently, either individually or in groups.
Suggestions for using the delegating style:
Assign research projects.
In my management
course I require students to interview a manager of a local business to
get answers to questions like the following:
What are the main performance measures your company uses to evaluate each employee’s performance?
What are the key lessons you, as a manager, have learned about conducting effective performance appraisals?
Assign team projects.
Have each team select a
team leader, define roles and responsibilities, and hold each other
accountable for completing the project on time. In my management class, I
have teams of students analyze the management and leadership behaviors
on movies like Remember the Titans and Crimson Tide.
Assign a capstone project. Let students show you what they can do when working independently on a topic that’s important to them.
4-Mix of each teaching style.
I
typically structure each of my classes to include some amount of each
teaching style. However, during the first part of a semester I use more
of the directing style.
In the middle part of a semester I typically
rely more on the discussing style. And in the latter part of a semester I
generally lean more heavily on the delegating style.
Using an appropriate mix of teaching styles helps students learn,
grow, and become more independent. Too much reliance on one style causes
students to lose interest and become overly dependent on the teacher.
5-The Authority Style
The authority style is primarily used in a lecture or auditorium
setting, whereby the teacher will give a lengthy, one-way discussion on a
pre-assigned topic whilst students take notes and memorize key pieces
of information.
Though popular in higher-education when there is a large group of
students present, the authority or lecture style is less common in the
standard classroom setting. This is because the strategy offers little
to no student participation, making it impossible to meet the needs of
each individual pupil.
6-The Delegator Style
For subjects that necessitate group work, peer feedback or lab-based
learning, a delegator or group style of tutoring is often adopted. As a
delegator, the teacher may take an observer role to promote
collaboration and encourage peer-to-peer learning.
Despite becoming increasingly popular, some critics consider the
delegation or group style to be a poor teaching strategy given that it
removes the teacher from a position of authority.
7-The Facilitator Style
Teachers who adopt a facilitator or activity-based style encourage
self-learning in the classroom through increased peer to teacher
learning. Unlike the lecture style, teachers ask students to question
rather than simply have the answer given to them.
In this style,
activities are used to promote self-discovery and develop
problem-solving skills, which can often lead to the student developing a
much deeper understanding of the topic.
There are however, downsides to this technique: as the facilitator,
teachers must actively interact with individual pupils, which can be
difficult in a large classroom setting.
8-The Demonstrator Style
Like the lecture or authority style of teaching, the demonstrator
retains authority in the classroom. However, instead of relying solely
on a verbal lecture, the demonstrator style combines lectures with other
teaching forms, including multimedia presentations, demonstrations and
class activities.
This style is particularly well suited to music, art and physical
education subjects, where demonstrations are required to fully
understand a topic. In other areas of study however, the demonstrator
style may not be suitable. Like the authority style, there is little
direct teacher to pupil interaction, so it can be difficult to
accommodate the needs of all students.
9-The Hybrid Style
Some teachers adopt an integrated teaching style that incorporates
their personality, preferences and interests into their teaching. This
strategy is known as the hybrid style, and is popular in subjects like
English, Science and Religious Studies.
Teachers who use the hybrid
style are able to tailor their tutoring for different pupils,
incorporating extra-curricular knowledge to develop a deeper knowledge
of a particular topic.
10-Student-Centered Approach
In a student-centered approach to
learning, teachers and students share the focus and interact equally
while the teacher still maintains authority. This can be beneficial to
students because group work is encouraged; thus, communication and
collaboration are used and encouraged. However, due to the fact that
students are talking, classrooms may be noisier and may be more
difficult to manage.
One method to use is inquiry-based learning
which makes the teacher more of a supportive figure (rather than
completely authoritative) who can provide support and guidance
throughout the learning process. By being an inquiry-based learning facilitator,
the teacher and student undergo the learning process together with
student learning lightly guided by the teacher.
By being the personal model,
comparable to the personal model in the direct instruction, the teacher
acts as the guide and mentor to help enable students to learn by
observation and copying the teacher’s actions.
By using the delegator
method, teachers act as a support for students, are able to answer
questions and most importantly are there to provide a sense of freedom
and independence for the student.
Another method commonly used is the cooperative learning style where students work in small groups and the teacher can act as the facilitator, where everyone learns together, or as the delegator, where the teacher gives more free-reign to the student while still pointing them in the right direction.
11- Teacher-Centered Approach
In the teaching styles, specifically the teacher-centered approach to
learning, the students put their attention on the teacher, students
work alone, and collaboration is prevented. This is great because
students are, in theory, quiet and paying full attention to the teacher
while being able to make individual decisions.
However, a student may
suffer in their communication skills
and feel unable to ask questions due to the fact they normally work
alone and quietly. Plus, this classic method is sometimes thought of as
dull and uninteresting.
12-High-Tech Approach
Inquiry-based learningcan
involve technology by asking the students a question about the world and
they have to do some research. The findings could be presented in the
forms of a website, self-made videos, or PowerPoints.
Another high-tech learning option is game-based learning which
encourages students to develop a “maery” mindset rather than focus
too much on grades.
Students develop problem-solving skills by working
on accomplishing a specific goal (also known as a learning objective) by choosing actions and different activities and then experimenting with them to achieve the goal
13-Low-Tech Approach
low-tech teaching method is differentiated instruction.
Although this is a student-centered teaching style that aims to meet a
student’s specific needs, it is mostly implemented by the teacher.
Used
commonly with students with special needs, differentiated instruction
became popular in the United States in 1975 when a law was passed that
ensure every child has equal access to an equal education.
Some examples
of differentiated instruction could include having students read books
at their own reading levels or offering different spelling tests to
different students depending on their literacy ability. Due to the lack
of necessity to use technology and the adaptability of the teaching
style, it’s a low-key and traditional teaching style.