Development of Teaching Strategies - Research Paper Example

?Development of Teaching Strategies Introduction Teaching strategies or instructional strategies are the techniques used by the teachers to help the students become strategic and independent learners. Teaching strategies become the strategies of learning when students are able to independently choose the appropriate ones and make effective use of them to accomplish their tasks and achieve their goals (“Instructional Strategies” 67). Some of the underlying objectives of developing effective teaching strategies include motivating the students for learning and helping them focus their attention, organizing the information so that it becomes easy for the students to comprehend and remember it, and supervising and assessing the students’ learning. While developing a teaching strategy, some of the points that must be considered include but are not limited to the objectives of teaching and its learning outcomes, the needs of students, the desires of students, the previous experience of the students as learners and the strategies of teaching that they are used to, the expertise of the teacher, the resources available to the teacher, and the possible impact of the adjustments made in the teaching method on the teacher. This paper discusses the development of teaching strategies. Fundamentals of Effective Teaching Significance of subject in the teaching strategy Developing an effective teaching strategy is integrally linked with the subject that needs to be taught. Learning needs differ from one subject to another. On one hand, there are subjects that are entirely theoretical e.g. history, politics, and philosophy whereas on the other hand, there are subjects that are mathematical e.g. math and physics etcetera. There is also a third category of subjects that are both theoretical and mathematical simultaneously depending upon the course selected for that subject e.g. risk management. To be able to impart maximum knowledge to the students, it is imperative that a teacher assesses the individualistic needs of the subject being taught. For instance, developing a teaching strategy for the subject of “History” might not require a teacher to take the students on a field visit because most of the knowledge is essentially gained merely by reading the books whereas for the subject of “Geology”, a teacher might never consider the job done unless the students have been taken to a field visit and have been provided with an opportunity to see, touch, and feel the rocks, minerals, and metals that constitute a particular strata of Earth. Equal attention While teaching, it is the moral and ethical responsibility of a teacher to provide all students with equal attention. Disparity in the division of attention of a teacher among the students is one of the causes of poor academic performance of certain students; the ones that are neglected or not sufficiently attended to. “In this task, teachers are crucial because of the central role they play in promoting participation and reducing underachievement, particularly with children who might be perceived as having difficulties in learning” (Rouse 1). (McGhie-Richmond, Underwood, and Jordan) carried out a study to investigate the skills required for effective teaching in the elementary teachers in the inclusive classrooms. The researchers’ objective was to find out if the appearance of the constructivist skills follows from or is independent of the mastery of more transmissive behaviors of teaching. The researchers found that the patterns of behaviors of teaching were consistent across the students, though the academically ‘at risk’ students were found to be receiving differentiated instruction and less attention of the teacher as compared to other students. Differentiated teaching The term “differentiated teaching” means planning of ways by the teachers to address differences in such factors as age, culture, profile of multiple intelligences, ethnicity, temperament, personality style, development and possible delays in development, and styles of learning of the students (Schiller and Willis 4). Differences in the learning needs of students on the basis of these factors are more prominent in the primary years of learning as young children develop on very different timetables. The importance of differentiated teaching has increased manifolds in the contemporary society because of such factors as the increasing multiculturalism and diversity in most of the advanced countries of the world. In a classroom setting, different students belong to different races, origins, religions, ethnicities, and cultures. In order to keep pace with the changing needs of the students, a teacher needs to diverse his/her experience with as well as knowledge of different cultures to be able to understand and address the needs of the students. This can be achieved by studying the norms and values of different cultures. Ideally, a teacher of the 21st century needs to be proficient in multiple languages that can be used in the classroom. Promoting practice-based learning One of the most fundamental problems that students encounter as they enter their practical life is the application and use of the theoretical knowledge they gained in the college in the real-life situations. Teachers, that entirely focus their efforts on finishing the coursework rather than providing the students with opportunities to critically think about the subject or apply the knowledge to solve practical problems are quite likely to lead the students to such problems of incompetence in their practical life. “College instructors are often shocked by how little their students understand of a course they just recently completed” (Alters 85). To avoid such situations, teachers should frequently relate the theoretical coursework to the real-life situations. This can be achieved by drawing examples from real life to explain the theoretical concepts. Students should be made to visualize things in context of practical examples so that they develop objective results and are able to apply the knowledge they gain in their professional careers. Evolution of Teaching Strategies There has occurred a revolutionary change in the teaching strategies with the passage of time not only in terms of the environment of classroom but also in terms of the way knowledge is imparted to the students. One of the most fundamental factors that have caused this revolutionary change to occur is the advancement of technology. Almost a century ago and in the time preceding that, schools were far less developed than today. There were hardly any proper classrooms and most of the lectures were conducted in informal and improper settings that were not quite suitable for effective teaching. Nowadays, lectures are conducted in well-furnished and temperature-regulated classrooms to help the teacher and the students focus on the lecture. The advancement of technology in general and the advent of computer and more specifically the Internet in particular has provided the teachers with a whole range of opportunities to diversify and brighten their strategies of teaching. These days, virtual education has become one of the most common means of education. The term “distance education” is also frequently used for virtual education since this kind of education has eradicated the significance of distances as barriers to education. (Watson) conducted a research to study the advantages and limitations of the relationships of mentoring between the practicing and pre-service K-12 teachers. As a result of the research, (Watson) found that online mentoring was an extremely positive experience for the student participants as online mentoring provided them with practical and unique insight into the teaching field. Nevertheless, some of the problems that were encountered with online mentoring included the concern for the way of obtaining the mentors, extent of their questions being answered by the mentors, and timely responses to their questions by the mentors. Although there are certain weaknesses, yet the overall strengths of the virtual education far outweigh its weaknesses. Virtual education has not only facilitated learning among the students as they can access the lectures any time they want as per their convenience, but it has also increased the flexibility for the teachers. Impact of Teaching Strategy on Students The type of teaching strategy adopted by a teacher has immense influence on the ability of students to learn. There is a whole range of factors that depict the quality of teaching strategy and its impacts on the students. Such factors include but are not limited to students’ interest in the subject, teacher’s ability to make the subject interesting, and the value placed by students in the subject. There are certain subjects that students generally do not find interesting. These are typically the subjects that are entirely theoretical. A teacher can revive students’ interest in such subjects by making the teaching style more lively and entertaining. For example, teaching a theoretical subject does not necessarily require the teacher to read out, narrate, or explain things from the books or slides. The teacher can incorporate numerous sources to make the subject more interesting for the students. For example, the teacher may show the students a video on a social media website to let them know how a subject is discussed and perceived by different theorists, educationalists, and professionals. The teacher may also occasionally call an expert in the class and request him/her to share his/her views, opinions, and experiences about the subject with the students. The teacher should try to incorporate such changes frequently so that students’ interest in the subject can be increased. Sometimes, students tend to underestimate the value of a subject because they consider it unimportant as part of their curriculum. For example, a student of Civil Engineering might underestimate the value of studying “Professional Ethics” because the student might place entire emphasis on the design and analysis of structures. In the very beginning of teaching a subject, the teacher should discuss the importance of the subject as part of the curriculum and tell the students why they need to study it. This would provide the students with a reason to study the subject willingly because they would be able to foresee the benefit its knowledge would provide them with in their professional career. Conclusion The quality of teaching fundamentally depends upon the commitment of a teacher to his/her profession, the effort he/she makes, and the extent to which the teacher understands the individualistic and collective needs of the students as well as those of the subject. One teaching strategy cannot work for all subjects, as every subject calls for distinct teaching strategies. However, there are certain teaching strategies that commonly work for all kinds of subjects, including differentiated teaching, and practice-based learning. Teaching strategies have evolved over the decades. Advancement of technology is one of the main factors that has provided teachers with myriad of options to improve their quality of teaching. These days, teaching has become quite flexible and convenient for the teachers and effective for the students with the growing reliance on the virtual education. Works Cited: Alters, Brian J. Teaching Biological Evolution in Higher Education: Methodological, Religious, and Nonreligious Issues. UK: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005. Print. “Instructional Strategies.” Health and Life Skills Guide to Implementation (K–9). 2002. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . McGhie-Richmond, Donna; Underwood, Kathryn; and Jordan, Anne. “Developing Effective Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms.” Exceptionality Education Canada. Vol. 17. No. 1. (2007): 27-52. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. < http://www.canada-ukraine.org/documents/article-mcghie-02-08.pdf>. Rouse, Martyn. “Developing Inclusive Practice: A Role for Teachers and Teacher Education?” University of Aberdeen. N.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Schiller, Pam; and Willis, Clarissa A. “Using Brain-Based Teaching Strategies to Create Supportive Early Childhood Environments That Address Learning Standards.” Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. (July 2008): 1-6. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Watson, Sandy. Virtual Mentoring in Higher Education: Teacher Education and Cyber- Connections. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Vol. 18. No. 3. (2006): 168-179. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Read More