The Direct Demonstration Method in Teaching
The Direct Demonstration Method in Teaching
The Direct Demonstration Method in Teaching
defined as giving a demo or performing a specific activity or concept. In other words, the
demonstration method is a teaching-learning process carried out in a very systematic manner.
Demonstration often occurs when students have difficulty connecting theories to actual practice
or are unable to understand the application of theories.
It is a direct teaching strategy as the teacher disseminates information (presentation),
asks the learners questions to check to understand (recitation), and finally asks questions to
integrate knowledge.
It is a teacher-centered strategy as the teacher is the principal provider of information,
relating examples of an abstraction being taught.
The demonstration method is a great way to call for active participation from the students.
Teachers can often ask the students to participate while presenting to the class. This keeps them
interested throughout rather than getting bored as compared to lectures where they have to sit
quietly for hours and listen. It is a practical way of teaching where a complex or difficult topic
can be easily explained with the help of charts, and many other props.
Why should teachers use the demonstration method?
Teachers should use demonstrate method because-
It develops an interest in the learners and fosters active engagement from them.
It helps in involving various senses to make learning permanent.
Any complex topic can be easily explained with this method.
It also involves active participation from the students.
These demonstration methods should often be followed by a group discussion so students
get a chance to revise what they have learned during the class.
Advantages of demonstration method of teaching
The demonstration method of teaching is quite advantageous for students. Given below
are some benefits of this learning method.
It improves the understanding of complex topics and principles.
Students can pay attention easily and follow the learning process.
Knowledge gained during the demonstration method becomes permanent because it
requires different senses.
It leads to permanent learning.
It also accounts for the principles of reflective thinking.
Students are motivated to study and gain the necessary skills.
It is beneficial in achieving a psychomotor objective.
There is no wastage of time because the student sees the process live and understands
how to apply theoretical knowledge practically.
It helps the students in having a deeper understanding of the subject.
It keeps students engaged and active throughout the teaching-learning process.
It helps in the creation of interest among students and imparts maximum learning.
It also helps in arousing the spirit of discovery among students
Deductive Method of Teaching
The deductive method of teaching involves a teacher-centered approach to presenting
new content to students. It begins by providing rules to learners along with examples, which are
followed by specific activities so that they can practice. This method is suitable for slow learners
who need a clear base to start and are also more accustomed to the traditional approach. This
teaching method involves three general initiatives:
1. Activity planning: In this, teachers determine the concept which needs to be taught to ensure
that the point of the lesson is firmly driven home. It will help in covering all the important points
without missing any.
2. Activity execution:
This involves establishing a connection between the concepts that had been taught in the
previous class and what will be taught at present. Teachers can ask students questions related to
the previous class to gauge their understanding before proceeding further.
3. Activity evaluation:
It includes asking questions to distinguish between concepts and questions related to individual
topics taught so far. This can be in the form of multiple-choice questions for making a distinction
or short-answer-type questions to be explained with relevant examples. It will help teachers in
evaluating the individual efforts of students. Anyone who missed a class can also be identified
and special attention can be paid to him/her.
What is an Inductive Method of Teaching?
The inductive method of teaching is a student-centric approach based on the idea that students
are more likely to learn when they are actively engaged in the learning process.
This approach challenges students to formulate their own beliefs or concepts by examining all
the evidence provided and recognizing patterns to arrive at solutions.
Educators often use it to help nurture children's inquisitive nature and foster creativity and group
problem-solving.
Time-consuming
It might lead students to develop incorrect rules.
Provide students with the relevant learning materials. These could be examples, images,
keywords, data, etc.
Instruct students to find something familiar in the material provided.
Instruct them to identify patterns.
Instruct students to identify a problem (from various points of view) that needs to be solved.
Instruct students to generate a range of possible solutions to an issue or problem and then choose
the best one.
Instruct students to organize steps to complete a task and develop their conclusions to formulate
the hypothesis.
What is the Difference between Inductive and Deductive Teaching?
In inductive teaching, the teacher observes his/her students and determines what they require. It
is more hands-on and relies on observation.
In deductive teaching, the teacher has a predetermined lesson plan and teaches accordingly.
Teachers can allow students to share their thought processes while trying to answer and solve
their concerns.
They are encouraged to participate in open discussions. But the teacher is required to be prepared
for questions.
With the inductive method of teaching, students are free to form their hypotheses about what
they are learning and how to learn it. This thinking starts with specific observations or facts and
then works to find a generalized conclusion that explains the facts. It is one type of reasoning
that builds conclusions from observation.
The inductive method can be used in any subject where factual or conceptual knowledge is
gained.
The inductive method assumes that general statements are generated from specific observations
while the deductive method assumes that particular statements are generated from general
observations.
The inductive method of teaching is often used with children because it allows them to discover
the material on their own. It is also used in more informal settings, such as seminars or
workshops.
Inductive teaching is based on an experiment-like approach to understanding the topic at hand
while deductive teaching is typically more of a lecture.
Which Is Better?
When creating a lesson plan before a session begins, teachers have to decide how personalized a
learning experience can be. They have to gauge the depth of understanding students require for a
subject. And they also have to figure out if there is enough time available for them to practice the
inductive teaching method, since it is a time-consuming activity.
Nevertheless, there is no best approach here. Each one has its pros and cons.
It depends on the teacher teaching the subject. The best scenario, in this case, is to use the
inductive approach as well as the deductive approach to teach students different ways of thinking
and understanding.
A person can make the transition from inductive reasoning to deductive reasoning and vice versa,
and can use both at the same time.
Inductive reasoning is more often used in hypothesis generation, and deduction is often used in
testing hypotheses.