Traditional Teaching - Essay Example

rough the lessons, giving clarifications wherever necessary; 2) its adaptability to large classrooms in transmitting a wide body of knowledge to students of divergent skills; 3) efficiency in offering straightforward instructions and explanations; and 4) offering better test results by focusing on likely test questions and administering repetitive drills in order to reinforce memorization of facts and information. The disadvantages of the traditional method of teaching, however are that 1) it turns out more time consuming for students who are slower in digesting information; 2) it does not offer any solution to the students for their difficulties in memorizing and retaining information; 3) the knowledge gained is only basic and limited in scope, as the exploratory stage is entirely done away with; and 4) it is inflexible, putting all students at the same starting point, stuffing them with undifferentiated knowledge, without taking into account their differing capacities and interest in the subject taught.

Therefore, the method only benefits willing and ‘better’ students, and is not found fit to kindle genuine interest for the subject. In a traditional classroom setting, therefore, the teacher becomes the focus of action, with importance being given to the ‘textbook’. The student is relegated to the sidelines, and is a passive pawn in the learning process. Remembering the correct answer is the priority, to which end, they are inundated with information, in which process, their analytical skills remain largely untapped and untrained.

The sequelae or abnormalities of traditional pedagogy lead to several undesirable consequences. This system enshrines Behaviorism as an essential part of education, and does not consider the impact of a student’s mental makeup on the learning process. Looking at the learning process purely as a uni-dimensional phenomenon results in the following abnormalities. First, students are placed in different classes based on their