1 Synopses on Modern Pedagogical Approaches to Classroom Instructions, Lesson Planning and Improvisation of Instructional Materials By Dr. Bello Ahmad Bello Department of Education Bayero University, Kano Phone:
2 Pedagogical Approaches to Classroom Instructions.To some, teaching is the act of imparting knowledge to learners, transfer of knowledge from teacher to learner, transmitting skills, ideas, and attitudes to learners and so on. The above interpretation of teaching has been patronized by a number of educators for a very long time until some recent developments sprang up to repute it vehemently by saying that the idea behind this assumption is looking at the learner as an empty vessel in which teachers would pour their knowledge. Thus a new and perhaps the most popular definition emerged to claim that teaching is an act of guiding people to learn. Thus a teacher is seen as a facilitator guiding students to accomplish learning tasks.
3 Pedagogical Approaches to Classroom Instructions contd.Whatever the dialectics of teaching, inference could be drawn that teaching is an activity aiming at influencing change in the learner’s behaviuor.Van Dalen and Britter contributing to this issue see teaching as the guidance of the pupils through planned activities so that they(Pupils) may acquire the riches learning possible from their experience. The essence of teaching as could be deduced from the above is learning which is generally seen as permanent change in behaviuor which occurs in most cases as a result of influence of teaching.
4 Teaching Methods Teaching method on the other hand, which is otherwise known as teaching pedagogy can be seen as any technique, any means, any process or strategy teachers apply to influence someone to learn. In other words, teaching method is a technique teachers apply to guide students to learn. In this connection, Egunjobi et at (2004) see teaching method as the systematic means of presenting subject matter and learning experience. Teaching method as could be observed is basically influenced by some theories developed by learning psychologists.
5 Teaching Methods Cont. As such teaching method is not just a mere application any strategy but tested and proven process Generally speaking teaching is an activity in which techniques, medium and expertise are applied to affect changes in learner’s behaviour. The methods teachers apply in teaching are generally classified in to two general teaching methods and subject methods. The general teaching methods are methods applicable in teaching any subject, while the subject methods are restricted to teaching specific subject.
6 Traditional Approach to TeachingA number of scholars especially those who have written extensively on teaching methods and their historical evolution have unanimously agreed that the old approach to teaching is what is referred to as “Teacher Centred Approach” in which the teacher dominates classroom activities. As such the teacher in a situation of this nature would be seen busy in the class, talking, explaining, writing on the chalk board and so on and so forth, while at the same time the students would be seen passively listening to the teacher, nodding their heads acknowledging the receipt of what is transmitted un to them etc. .
7 Modern Approach to TeachingThe modern approach to teaching is referred to as learner, pupil or student centred approach which the World Education Project in Nigeria describes as an approach in which students work in both groups and individually to explore problems and become active knowledge workers rather than passive knowledge recipient. Adding that in this sense, students do not merely restate the information; they learn how to learn through discovery, inquiry and problem solving.
8 Modern Approach to Teaching Cond.This modern and widely acknowledged approach to teaching is not merely a strategy but in addition is well articulated procedure which entails designing and shaping all classroom’s teaching and learning activities to suit the learner. Thus learner’s interest and characteristics would be the focal area of concern to the teacher while planning and conducting the lesson. In fact Meyers and Jones (2002) observe that students in the learner-centred approach to teaching construct their own meaning by talking, listening, writing, reading, participation in interactive activities and reflect on content, ideas and concerns.
9 Modern Approach to Teaching Cond.The learner-centred approach to teaching entails total shift of position between the teacher and his students. In the sense that in the traditional approach, the teacher is the center of all the classroom activities, but in the modern approach the learners occupy that position. Thus 75% of the classroom activities should be done by the learners, while the remaining 25% would be for the teacher to guide, direct, correct and supervise the learning activities. The teacher in this respect is to provide the appropriate environment for effective learning.( Balogun 1981). He further observes that while much teaching has traditionally relied on the pupil hearing and so learning, the modern trend emphasizes the use of all the senses-hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and touching.
10 Modern Approach to Teaching Cond.Some teaching Methods under the Learner Centred Approach Educators categorize the following methods under the learner centred approach to teaching; Discovery Method Inquiry Method Games and Simulations Problem Solving Group Method Dalton (Individualized) Method Discussion Method
11 Some teaching Methods under the Learner Centred ApproachDemonstration Method Story Telling Method Dramatization (Role Playing) Field Trip Questioning Method Assignment Method Concept Mapping
12 Some problems and panaceas in Applying modern Teaching MethodsS/N Trouble Suggested Outlet 1. Classrooms over populated Group/Pair work 2. Curriculum/Syllabus too wide Sound Lesson Planning 3. Students not interested in the lessons Application of motivational strategies and sound lesson planning 4. Poor reading culture in the Students Developing positive reading culture in students 5. Inadequacy/ Lack of instructional Materials Improvisations 6. Some of the methods are time consuming Effective Plan and patronizing 3ps lesson planning 7. Language problem Using the approved Instructional Language 8. Lack of Cooperation from school authority Consultations
13 Lesson Planning Lesson planning and preparations of lesson notes are without any doubt part of the essential skills that teachers must possess and appropriately apply. In fact educators are on the view that the secret behind successful teaching is sound planning. Although a plethora of interpretations have been ascribed to lesson planning by many educators, but precisely lesson plan could be seen as a written comprehensive outline of teaching activities prepared by teacher(s) prior to conducting a lesson or lessons. It serves as an instrument which teachers employ to make students learn lessons with ease. It is a road map leading to the effective accomplishment of objectives behind the lesson.
14 Lesson Planning Cont. It is in the light of the above that teachers both old and new are expected to be planning their lessons on daily basis for a number of reasons some of which are: Sound lesson planning enables to be more conversant with the content of the lesson intended to be taught. As such the teacher, while planning the lesson will have time to the content of the lesson and make necessary adjustments where applicable to suit to levels of the learners. Lesson planning allows for effective selection of teaching methods to be applied taking in to account the learners’ characteristics, objectives to be attained and content of the lesson. Sound lesson planning serves as a guide to appropriate selection of instructional materials and making good decisions on the stage at which the materials should be applied and how. Lesson planning allows for effective time management and avoidance of unnecessary waste of time.
15 Lesson Planning Cont. Teachers and students’ activities would be properly guided via effective lesson planning. As such the teacher can decide on how and when the learners should move from one learning task to another. Lesson planning provides teachers with opportunities to think of the learning difficulties the students are likely going to face and settle on possible solutions to them. Lesson planning allows teachers to think of possible questions the students are likely going to ask about the content of the lesson and decide on the right answers. And in case the teacher does not have answers to such anticipated questions; he would then search for them. In case of unavoidable absence of the teacher who planned the lesson, another teacher from the same discipline can make use of the plan to teach. Teaching is made easier via sound lesson planning and hence saving the energy of both the teacher and the students.
16 Components of lesson planAlthough there is no single universally accepted format of writing lesson, but every planning of a lesson is supposed to contain some information which could be divided in to two primary and secondary. The primary components of lesson planning are: Objectives Instructional Materials Development/ Presentation Evaluation
17 Components of lesson planning cont.The secondary components of lesson planning could be: Date Time Subject Topic Entry behavior/ Previous Knowledge Introduction Class Summary and Conclusion Gender of the learners Etc.
18 Improvisation of Instructional MaterialsOne fundamental principle governing effective teaching and productive learning is the application of relevant and adequate media. The term media is the plural of medium which is simply defined as a channel via which message is transmitted to receiver. The medium is termed material in teaching as indicated above. Thus instructional medium could be any object, equipment, tool or material that is used for the purpose of teaching and learning. The nomenclatures describing these materials include instructional media, instructional resources, apparatus, audio-visual aids and so on. So in a nutshell, one can define instructional materials as all sorts of tools, objects and equipment teachers utilize to facilitate learning. These materials are normally classified in to three, Audio, Visual and Audio-Visual Materials.
19 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.Experiments and other empirical studies as well as experiences with teaching, have shown that instructional materials are fundamental in teaching and learning because: Instructional materials can simplify and make easy, learning tasks that are complex and difficult, Through the use of such materials, the interest of the students are aroused to become curios to learn more and more, Despite individual differences among the students, instructional materials can assist all categories of students to attain learning objectives, Instructional materials could provide the students with real life situations which verbal description could not,
20 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.Instructional materials, save the energy of both the teacher and the learners which otherwise would be extended in trying to explain and or learn some points. Thus teaching via application of such materials, is no longer backbreaking, and learning is turning in to fun, Instructional materials can be used in individualized instructions, which apparently promotes independent learning, and could cater for individual needs, interests, abilities and experiences, Instructional media, promote in the learners, sense of inquiry and discovery.
21 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.The exorbitant price of original company-made instructional materials, unavailability of the materials in the places where we can easily locate them, or the inability of a school management to provide such materials should not deter teachers from making sure that adequate and relevant instructional materials are employed in their teaching. Thus an alternative way of getting relevant instructional materials has been provided by educators and instructional technologists. This alternative way is technically referred to as improvisation. By improvisation it means adaptation of materials that are not originally made for usage in the classroom to serve instructional purposes and or using any other available material to design and construct instructional materials.
22 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.To educators such as Tukur et al (2007) improvisation means the making of substitutes from local materials found at home or school premises when the real or original equipment is not available. Such improvised materials should be able to convey special instructional messages just as the original material. So improvisation of instructional materials becomes necessary when one cannot find the original material. However, there are situations in which one can modify a given material that was not originally meant for teaching to suit instructional purposes. This modification is otherwise known as adaptation which is defined by the above source as removing or adding a feature or features to the original materials with the intention of using it for a special purpose (teaching) other than the purpose for which it was meant to serve or using it to teach by retaining its original form only after it must have served its original purpose. Old calendars, pictures extracted from book or News papers, used tin cans and the like are examples of materials that can be adapted.
23 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.Depending on the purpose for which the improvised materials are meant to serve, the teacher can make use of “low cost no cost” materials to make different instructional materials. By low cost it means that such materials are cheap and low priced such as a box of matches. No cost material on the other hand are those materials that could be collected without spending a kobo on them such as stones, pebbles, sticks, bottle tops and so on.
24 Improvisation of Instructional Materials Cont.Skills needed for effective improvisation of instructional materials For successful improvisation of instructional materials, instructional technologists suggest that teachers should possess the following skills: creativity, observation, calibration, designing practical skills
25 Charts ( such as pocket Chart) Pictionary Dictionary Maps Diagrams Examples of instructional materials that could easily be improvised for usage in Nursery ,Primary and Secondary Schools Charts ( such as pocket Chart) Pictionary Dictionary Maps Diagrams Graphics Sketches Models (such as Diorama) Story Mobile
26 Examples of instructional materials that could easily be improvised for usage in Nursery ,Primary and Secondary Schools Word Search (puzzle) Work sheets Puppets Shapes Character Wheel Classroom Clock Autobiography Bulletin Board Story Map etc.
27 Materials needed for improvisationSome of the materials needed for improvisation of instructional materials Depending on the teachers’ needs the following materials and equipment are suggested for improvising instructional materials: Markers Cardboard papers Flip Charts Bottle tops Used cans Empty Cartons Rulers Pencil
28 Materials needed for improvisationEraser Scissors Gum Arabic Biros Masking tape Wire Hanger Twine Hammer and Nails Etc.
29 Materials needed for improvisationFor the purpose of modification and adaptation the followings could be relevant to the teacher: Posters Pictures Models News Papers, Magazines and the like Cartoons& Comics Books Etc.
30 Conclusion