Introduction to Teaching

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior
teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward

Teaching
It is the stimulation, guidance, direction and encouragement of
learning.
It is a communication between two or more persons who influence
each other by their ideas, and learn something in the process of
interaction.
It is to fill in the mind of the learner by information and knowledge of
facts for future use.
It is to cause motivation to learn.

Principles of Teaching
1. USE THE EXPERIENCE ALREADY ACQUIRED.
- EXPERIENCES SHOULD FORM THE BASIS OF TEACHING
- START FROM KNOWN TO UNKNOWN
- CORRELATE OLD EXPERIENCES TO NEW ONES.

2. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE FOR USE, NOT ONLY IN THE FUTURE,
BUT HERE AND NOW, AS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT IN LEARNING.
- INTELLIGENT NOT MECHANICAL
- MEANINGFUL MATERIAL = LONGER RETENTION

3. PROVIDE FOR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

(INTELLECTUAL, SOCIO ECONOMIC, EXPECTATIONS, MOTIVATIONS AND
INTEREST)
- TEACHER-CENTERED TO CHILD-CENTERED METHODS

4. READINESS
- STATE WHERE A LEARNER NEEDS TO ACQUIRE TO LEARN NEW
BEHAVIOR.

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON SHOULD BE SPECIFICALLY DEFINED

- TO KNOW THE LESSONS IN ADVANCE
- MOTIVATION TO LEARN IN THE MINDS

6. FOLLOW PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES:

SIMPLE TO COMPLEX
CONCRETE TO ABSTRACT
GENERAL TO COMPLEX
KNOWN TO UNKNOWN
INDUCTION TO DEDUCTION(OR VICE-VERSA
FREQUENT REINFORCEMENT

Learning
The act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill.
Knowledge or skill gained through schooling or study.

Learning Theories

1. Classical Conditioning
A simple learning process whereby a neutral stimulus is able to evoke a
response because it has been paired with another stimulus (that
originally elicited a response).
Ivan Pavlov (1849 1936). Pavlovs contributions to behaviour therapy
were accidental. He was originally studying the digestive process of
dogs when he discovered that associations develop when pairing a
stimulus (food) that has a response (dog salivates) with a stimulus that
has no response (bell).
The stimulus with no response (bell) eventually develops the same
response (dog salivates) as the stimuli that has the response (food).
This type of learning is known as classical conditioning (Seligman,
2006).
Example: Sally feels comforted by the smell of a certain perfume. Its
the perfume her Grandma used to wear. Sally has paired the feeling of
comfort she experienced around her Grandma, with the perfume she
used to smell whenever they spent time together.

2. Operant Conditioning
A learning process whereby the consequence of any given behaviour
modifies the degree to which that behaviour is likely to occur (also
known as instrumental conditioning).
Edward Lee Thorndike (1874 1939): Thorndike developed the general
procedures for studying operant conditioning (also referred to as
instrumental conditioning) in the late 1800s. Thorndikes experimental
procedure typically involved placing cats inside specially designed
boxes from which they could escape and obtain food located outside
only by performing a specific behavior such as pulling on a string.
Thorndike timed how long it took individual cats to gain release from
the box over a number of experimental trials and observed that the
cats behaved aimlessly at first until they seemed to discover the
correct response as if by accident. Over repeated trials the cats began
to quickly and economically execute the correct response within just
seconds.

It seemed the initially random behaviors leading to release had

become strengthened or reinforced by their positive consequences. It
was also found that responses decreased and might eventually cease
altogether when the food reward or reinforcement was no longer given.
This is called extinction. (source: science.jrank.org)

John B. Watson (1878 1958): Watson has been described as the

father of behaviourism (McLeod, n.d.a.). He used Pavlovs principles
of classical conditioning as well as emphasizing that all behaviour
could be understood as a result of learning. Watsons research involved
the study of a young child called Albert.
Albert was initially not scared of rats. However, Watson paired the rat
with a loud noise and this frightened Albert. After this was repeated
numerous times, Albert developed a fear of rats. He also developed a
fear of things similar to a rat such as men with beards, dogs, and fur
coats. This fear was extinguished after a month of not repeating the
experiment (McLeod, n.d.a).
B.F. Skinner (1904 1958): Skinner developed the theory of operant
reinforcement theory which is the notion that how often a behaviour is
executed depends on the events that follow the behaviour (Seligman,
2006). For example, if the behaviour is reinforced, the behaviour is
more likely to be repeated. He emphasised observable behaviour and
rejected the notion of inner causes for behaviour (McLeod, n.d.a).
Examples
Ralf, the family dog learns to roll over after being rewarded with
doggie treats (positive reinforcement) each time he performs the trick
correctly.

3. Social Conditioning
A type of learning that occurs when a behaviour is observed and
subsequently mimicked.
Albert Bandura (1925): Bandura applied the principles of classical and
operant conditioning to social learning. Basically, people learn

behaviours through observation of others behaviour, also known as

modelling (Seligman, 2006).
Example:
A young child attempts to throw a ball after observing his older sister
having fun, playing catch with her friends.

THE HOW OF TEACHING.

- STRATEGIES, APPROACH, TECHNIQUES AND METHODS.

Approaches:
1. TEACHER-CENTERED APPROACH it is the primary role of the
teachers to pass knowledge and information to their students.
- Teaching and Assessment are two separate entities.

2. STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH students play an active and

participatory role in their own learning process.
-teaching and assessment are directly connected with each other.

Strategies:
1. DIRECT INSTRUCTION refers to the traditional teaching strategy
that relies on explicit teaching through lectures and teacher-led
demonstrations.

2. INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING - a teaching method that focuses on

student investigation and hands-on learning.

3. COOPERATIVE LEARNING - refers to a method of teaching and

classroom management that emphasizes group work and a strong
sense of community.

Methods:
1. EXPLAINING - Explaining, or lecturing, is the process of teaching by
giving spoken explanations of the subject that is to be learned.
Lecturing is often accompanied by visual aids to help students visualize
an object or problem.

2. DEMONSTRATING - the process of teaching through examples or

experiments by using hands-on instructions or by showing the students
the step by step cycle of the procedure.

3. COLLABORATING - Collaboration establishes a personal connection

between students and the topic of study and it helps students think in
a less personally biased way. It allows students to actively participate
in the learning process by talking with each other and listening to other
points of view.

Techniques:
1. BRAINSTORMING - a lateral thinking process by which students are
asked to develop ideas or thoughts that may seem crazy or shocking at
first but later analyzed and summed up to the best idea.

2. CONCEPT MAPPING - Concept maps can aid in generating ideas,

designing complex structures, or communicating complex ideas.
Because they make explicit the integration of old and new knowledge
concept maps can help instructors assess students understanding.

3. ASSUMPTION BUSTING - An assumption is an unquestioned,

assumed truth. Assumption busting is particularly effective when one is
stuck in current thinking paradigms or has run out of ideas.

4. ROLE-PLAYING - Role plays give the students an opportunity to

practice what they have learned and maximize their knowledge on the
specified role.

Teaching Approaches

Approach
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.

Teaching Approaches
1. Discovery Appoach
It is inductive, proceeding from the specific to general ones.
Freedom is necessary in the discovery approach.
The teacher helps the learners acquire knowledge, which is uniquely
his own because he discovers it for himself.
The end of teaching, using this approach, is the acquisition of
knowledge.
The students and not the teacher should be actively involved in the
process of discovery

The students look at the knowledge that they have discovered as

something new to them.

2. Contextual 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.

3. Precise Approach/ Teaching

Precision Teaching is a teaching method used to accelerate progress
particularly in word reading and spelling skills although it is also used
to increase children's proficiency in number facts.
Precision Teaching is very effective for children struggling to acquire
automatic skills in learning letter sounds, recognizing whole words and
spelling. The principles of Precision Teaching match the good teaching
principles recommended in Sir Jim Rose's report of June, 2009
Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia and
Literacy Difficulties.

4. Unified Approach
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
students learning by making him view things in their entirety or
totality.

Other Approaches:
Inquiry Approach
The concept of inquiry refers to ones attempt to understand
fundamental issues and concerns that may affect ones 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.

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.

Instructional Media
-

Instructional Media encompasses all the materials and physical

means an instructor might use to implement instruction and
facilitate students' achievement of instructional objectives.

Types of Instructional Media

-

Real objects and models

Printed text (books, handouts, worksheets)
Printed visuals (pictures, photos, drawings, charts, graphs)
Audio (tape, disc, voice)
Video and film (tape, disc)
Television (live)
Computer software
The Web

Why use Instructional Media?

Gain attention

Recall prerequisites

Present new content

Provide feedback

Support learning through examples and visual elaboration

Health Education
-

Health education is any combination of learning experiences

designed to help individuals and communities improve their
health, by increasing their knowledge or influencing their
attitudes.