Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

Teaching Social Studies in Intermediate Grades-Geography and Culture (ESC 17)

Topic III - Teaching Approaches and Methods

“A THOUSAND TEACHERS, A THOUSAND METHODS.”

-Chinese Proverb

Teaching approach – it is a set of principles, beliefs, or ideas about the nature of learning which
is translated into the classroom.

Examples of Teaching Approaches

1. Teacher-centered Approach – the teacher is perceived to be the only reliable source of

information in contrast to the learner-centered approach.

2. Learner-centered Approach – in which it is premised on the belief that the learner is also an
important resource because he/she too knows something and is therefore capable of sharing
something.

3. Subject matter-centered Approach – subject matter gains primacy over that of the learner.

4. Teacher dominated Approach – in this approach, only the teacher’s voice is heard. He/she is
the sole dispenser of information.

5. Interactive Approach – in this approach, an interactive classroom will have more student talk
and less teacher talk. Students are given the opportunity to interact with teacher and with other
students.

6. Constructivist Approach – the students are expected to construct knowledge and meaning out
for what they are taught by connecting them prior experience.

7. Banking Approach – the teacher deposits knowledge into the “empty” minds of students for
students to commit to memory.

8. Integrated Approach – it makes the teacher connects what he/she teaches to other lessons of
the same subject (interdisciplinary) or connects his/her lessons with other subjects thus making
his/her approach interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary.

9. Disciplinal Approach – it limits the teacher to discussing his/her lesson within the boundary of
his/her subject.

10. Collaborative Approach – it will welcome group work, teamwork, partnerships, and group
discussion.
11. Individualistic Approach – it wants the individual students to work by themselves.

12. Direct Teaching Approach – the teacher directly tells or shows or demonstrates what is to be
taught.

13. Indirect Guided Approach – the teacher guides the learner to discover thing for
himself/herself. The teacher facilitates the learning process by allowing the learner to be engaged
in the learning process with his/her guidance.

Other Teaching Approaches Cited in Education Literature

1. Researched-based Approach – as the name implies, teaching and learning are anchored on
research findings.

2. Whole Child Approach – the learning process itself takes into account not only the academic
needs of the learners, but also their emotional, creative, psychological, spiritual, and
developmental needs.

3. Metacognitive Approach – the teaching process is focused on problems. Time is spent on

analyzing and solving problems.

In summary, approaches vary in the degree of teacher and learner engagement, focus, number of
learners involved in the teaching-learning process as shown in the diagram below:

Direct/Expository Approach

1. Direct Instruction/Lecture Method – direct instruction is aimed at helping students acquire

procedural knowledge exercised in the performance of some task. Procedural knowledge refers to
skills needed in the performance of a task.

Steps of the Direct or Lecture Method

To employ the methodology in teaching skill/s, follow these steps:

a. Provide the rationale

b. Demonstrate the skills
c. Provide guided practice until mastery
d. Check for understanding and provide feedback
e. Provide extended practice and transfer
f. Assess learning at the end (summative assessment)

Summative Assessment

The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit
by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value.

Examples of Summative Assessments

a. Midterm Exam
b. Final Project
c. Paper

If you teach facts, principles, or laws, your steps are similar with those of teaching skills.

a. Give a short introduction by providing the rationale

b. Present your lesson
c. Develop the lesson by explaining, illustrating it with diagrams if appropriate and/or giving
concrete examples
d. Give application of the lesson
e. Check for understanding and provide feedback (formative assessment)

Formative Assessment

The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that
can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.
More specifically, formative assessments:

a. Help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work.
b. Help faculty recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately.

Formative assessments are generally low stakes, which means that they have low or no point value.

Examples of formative assessments include asking students to:

a. Draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of topic

b. Submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of lecture
c. Turn in a research proposal for early feedback
Instructional Characters

a. The strategy is teacher-directed

b. The emphasis is on the teaching of skill. Each step must be mastered; hence the students gain
“how” rather than “what”. It is termed procedural knowledge.
c. Taught in a step-by-step fashion, it ensures the learning of the entire procedure with no step
missed.
d. Lesson objectives include easily observed behaviors that can be measured accurately.
e. This is a form of learning through imitation, sometimes termed “behavioral meaning”.
f. This can also be used to teach facts, principles, and laws.

Guidelines for its Effective Use

Teaching Skill

a. The students must be given ample time for practice.

b. They must be included in the planning stage since this technique is highly task-oriented and
aimed at mastery of every step. The lesson objectives are student-based.
c. Describe the testing situation and specify the level of performance expected.
d. Divide complex skills and understanding into subskills or into its component steps so they can
be taught easily and with precision.
e. Design own strategy in teaching each skill which will eventually contribute to the learning of
the entire skill.
f. Before the demonstration, carefully rehearse all steps. The steps should be observed and
followed.
g. Assign practice for short periods of time, then continue learning by imitating others.
h. Provide feedback and encouragement through praises. Positively motivated, the students will
never get tired practicing.
i. Be able to construct good performance-based tests.

Teaching Declarative Knowledge – Facts, Principles, and Laws

a. Be sure the facts, principles, and laws are correctly, clearly, and adequately explained.
b. Use visual aids to concretize abstract principles and laws.
c. Illustrate laws and principles with concrete examples.
d. Present facts meaningfully by citing their significance and by connecting them with everyday
life.

2. Demonstration Method

As the name implies, in the demonstration method the teacher or an assigned student or group
shows how a process is done while the students become observers.

The demonstrator is knowledgeable in preparing the apparatus needed according to the steps to be
followed. The rest of the class becomes focused on the activity and concentration on the subject is
assured.
Guidelines for its Effective Use

Before

a. the demonstrator/s must be well-selected. He/she/they must be skilled in operating modern

equipment and proficient in undertaking scientific investigations.
b. When planning the activities make sure that the materials are easily available. Likewise, get
prepared with possible substitutes.
c. Get ready with the equipment and tools to be used. Demonstration should be scheduled as to
day and class period.
d. The demonstrator must try the activity several times before the real demonstrations for smooth
sequencing of the steps as well as accuracy of the result.
e. The observers must be prepared and motivated to ensure concentration throughout the activity.
f. The demonstrator must be ready with on-the-spot revision/s such as alternative steps or substitute
materials when needed.
g. Arrange the observers around the demonstration area or at a distance where they will be able to
observe fully what is going on.
h. Depending on the kind of demonstration to be undertaken, pointers or questions may be given
to focus students’ attention and avoid irrelevant observations.

During

a. The place must be quiet in order to sustain the observers’ attention and interest during the
activity.
b. Extreme care must be taken in performing some delicate steps.
c. The activity must not be interrupted by unnecessary announcements or noise in the surroundings.
d. They are allowed to take down short notes or record some date which may be analyzed after.

After

a. Allow some questions which bothered them during the demonstration.

b. An examination of the observed data and all information records follows.
c. Have an analysis of trends, patterns or uniform occurrences that can help in arriving at a
conclusion.
d. The solution summary must be cooperatively undertaken by the whole class.
e. Assess learning by way of a short test, an oral evaluation or a performance test.

Advantages

a. The demonstration method follows a systematic procedure.

b. The use of expensive equipment and machines will be maximized.
c. Possible wastage of time, effort and resources will be avoided since the demonstration is
supposed to be well-planned in advance.
d. it will not result to trial and error learning as what happens with unplanned learning activities.
e. Findings are reliable and accurate since the procedure has been tried before.
f. The value of confidence is developed among the demonstrators such hands-on demonstration.
g. Curiosity and keen observing ability are instilled among the observers.

Indirect/Guided/Exploratory Approach

Indirect instruction method is best used when the learning process is inquiry-based, the result is
discovery and the learning context is a problem. This can come as:

1. Inquiry method/discovery method – we will never be able to help children learn if we tell
them everything they need to know. Rather, we must provide them with opportunities to explore,
inquire and discover new learning. The core of inquiry is a spontaneous and a self-directed
exploration.

Steps in the Inquiry Method

a. Define the topic or introduce the question.

b. Guide students plan where and how to gather data and information.
c. Students present findings through graph, charts, PowerPoint presentation, models, and writing.

Instructions Characteristics

The following are commonly observed characteristics of the discovery/inquiry method:

a. Investigate processes such as inferring, hypothesizing, measuring, predicting, classifying,

analyzing, and experimenting, formulating conclusions and generalizations are employed.
b. The procedure in gathering information is not prescribed by the teachers.
c. The children are highly motivated to search; hence active participation is the best indicator of
inquisitiveness.
d. The answers arrived at are genuine products of their own efforts.
e. Focused questions before, during and after are critical ingredients that provide direction and
sustain action.

Outcomes of Inquiry Teaching

a. Its emphasizes is on the process of gathering and processing of information.

b. Its dependence on firsthand experience with objects and phenomena occurring in the
environment is certainly in agreement with the most often cited theory of Piaget on intellectual
development.
c. The inquiry approach which predominantly allows some degree of freedom develops initiative
and divergent thinking.
d. A deep sense of responsibility is developed when learners are left to manage their own learning,
be it in pursuit of answers, mastery of content or simply solving a problem that confronts them
instantly.
e. Educators strongly believes the facts and concepts that learners discover by themselves become
stored as part of their permanent learning.
f. Experiencing success in inquiry-based/discovery lessons build up the learners’ felling of
confidence.
g. Participation in inquiry activities strengthens learners’ intellectual capabilities.

How to Facilitate Inquiry Teaching?

a. Arrange for an ideal room setting.

b. Choose tools and equipment that can easily be manipulated.
c. The materials to be used or examine must lend themselves easily to be employed and the end
product desired.
d. The questions/problems to be answered should originate from the learners, followed by the
formulation of hypothesis.
e. The procedure should likewise be planned by them.
f. At the completion of the activity, require an evaluation of the steps undertaken as to its
effectiveness and the clarity of the results.
g. Above all, the teacher himself/herself should internalize his/her changed role to that of guide,
facilitator, and counselor rather than the traditional authority who not only determines the material
to be learned but also dictates how it should be learned.

2. Problem solving method – is a teaching strategy that employs the scientific method in searching
for information. The five basic steps of scientific method or investigatory are:

a. Sensing and defining problem

b. Formulating hypothesis
c. Testing the likely hypothesis
d. Analysis, interpretation and evaluation of evidence
e. Formulating conclusion

Advantages

a. This method is effective in developing skill in employing the science process.

b. The scientific method can likewise be used effectively in other non-science objects.
c. The student’s active involvement resulting in meaningful experiences serves as a strong
motivation to follow the scientific procedure in future undertakings.
d. Problem solving develops higher level thinking skills.
e. A keen sense of responsibility, originality and resourcefulness are developed, which are much
needed ingredients for independent study.
f. The students become appreciative and grateful for the achievement of scientists.
g. Critical thinking, open-mindedness and wise judgement are among scientific attitudes and
values inculcated through competence in the scientific method.
h. The student learns to accept the opinions and evidence shared by others.

Effective Use

a. Provide sufficient training in defining and stating the problem in a clear and concise manner.
b. Make sure that the problem to be solved fits the age, interests and the skills of the students.
c. Group the students and allow each one to share in the tasks to be performed.
d. Guide them at every step by asking leading questions in case of snags.
e. Get ready the substitutions for materials which may not be available.
f. The emphasis is on the procedure and the processes employed rather than on the products.
g. The development of skills and attitudes takes priority over knowledge.
h. Involve the students in determining the criteria with which they will be evaluated.

3. Project Method - it is one of the modern method of teaching in which, the students point of
view is given importance in designing the curricula and content of studies. This method is based
on the philosophy of Pragmatism and the principle of ‘Learning by doing’. In this strategy pupils
perform constructive activities in natural condition. A project is a list of real life that has been
imparted into the school. It demands work from the pupils.

Characteristics of Project Method

-It takes the student beyond the walls of the class room.
-It is carried out in a natural setting, thus making learning realistic and experiential.
-It encourages investigative learning and solution of practical problems.
-It is focused on the student as it enlists his/her active involvement in the task set.
-It encourages the spirit of scientific enquiry as it involves validation of hypothesis based on
evidence gathered from the field through investigation.
-It promotes a better knowledge of the practical aspects of knowledge gained from books.
-It enhances the student’s social skills, as it requires interaction with the social environment.

Project Based Learning

-Teacher plays a facilitative role rather than the role of an expert.

-It allows the students a great degree of freedom to choose from among the options given them;
hence it provides a psychological boost.
-It encourages the spirit of research in the student.