PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING

Philosophy – serves as the very foundation of educational system; a perspective that provides
basis of what the teacher is doing

Principle/Approach – a general law; embraces the entire spectrum of the teaching process;
source of methods

Method/Strategy – plan for orderly presentation of the lesson; systematic procedure

Technique/Style – highly personalized manner of carrying out a particular step of a given

method

Guidelines Involved in the Use of Teaching Methods:

1. Teaching methods are means to an end; they are not the end of teaching.
2. There is no such thing as the “best teaching method”.
a. responsiveness to the psychology of students
b. suitability to the nature of the lesson
c. readiness of the teacher to employ it
d. permissiveness of certain constraints for carrying it out successfully
3. Teachers should not overuse any single teaching method.
4. A change of method should be done with caution.
5. The teacher’s repertoire of methods should provide for all 3 types of learning experiences
( actual, contrived and vicarious )
6. There is parallelism between teaching strategy and learning strategy.
7. The use of any method produces a variety of results.
8. Every method should be directed to the realization of more than one outcome –
cognitive, psychomotor, affective
9. Flexibility should be one of the main considerations in using a method.
10. The teacher should adopt an “experimental attitude” in his methodology.

TEACHING METHODS
Traditional vs Progressive Teaching Methods (self-paced methods, use of
hardware/software, distance learning, online education, telelecture, etc)

Teacher-Centered Methods vs. Student-Centered Methods

Direct Teaching Indirect Teaching
Indirect/Dependent Learning Direct/Independent Learning
Deductive Inductive Transductive

Categories of Teaching Methods:

1. Inductive Method – process of arriving at a generalization; specific cases are studied and
then a general statement/conclusion is given by the class; from concrete to abstract
learning; along with deduction, it is the basis of all the other teaching methods

2. Deductive Method – opposite process but easier to use than induction; a general statement
is given by the teacher and the students cite specific examples/cases as proof ; from general
to specific

3. Lecture Method – teacher-centered method which is aimed at giving as much information

as possible within the period; usually used when subject matter is rather difficult or unfamiliar
to the students

Kinds:

a. Outlining Method – subject matter is presented from general to specific, from broad
to sub-topics; breaking up of the whole into parts.

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 b. Component Method – reverse of the outlining method; ideas are organized from small
to large, hence the process of synthesis is involved here

c. Sequential Method – provides a very logical presentation of ideas

d. Relevance Method – presenting the two sides of a controversial idea

e. Transitional Method – views things at all possible angles; an in-depth study of a topic

4. Discussion Method – teacher gives the students opportunities to express their ideas also;
teacher and student activity with free exchange of ideas; maybe controlled, semicontrolled
or uncontrolled

Kinds:

a. Small Group Discussion – the class is divided into groups and assigned different topics
for discussion while the teacher goes around to facilitate or answer questions about
the topics; topics should be familiar to the students.

b. Socialized Classroom Discussion – involves the entire class; there is a free flow of ideas
and the teacher does not assume authoritarian image in the class

c. Direct Instruction/Classroom Teaching – most common method; combines lecture

and discussion methods; the teacher lectures, then does a follow-up discussion with
the class

d. Panel Discussion – a group of students is assigned to discuss a topic in front; a

moderator is required to guide the discussion; it is a must that the panelists are experts
or knowledgeable about the topic, then an open forum is held to welcome
comments/questions from the rest of the class; talkshow pattern

e. Recitation Method – information is given by the students and not the teacher; maybe
graded or nongraded, announced or unannounced

f. Interview Method – involves an interviewee and interviewer (teacher or a student from

class); interviewee must be knowledgeable about the subject matter; open forum
maybe held afterwards

5. Reporting Method – a direct and uninterrupted method where the teacher assigns students
to discuss topics; afterwards, the teacher should summarize and add other important
information

Kinds:

a. Unit or Morrisonian Method – also called the mastery approach; taking the contents
of a subject as big blocks and not as isolated and fragmented bits of information;
may take several days to finish

b. Individual and Group Reporting Method – reports are assigned by groups or

individually (siempre!); reporters discuss topics thoroughly and then welcome
questions from the class and the teacher

c. Reading and Story-Telling – used in the elementary level where students simply read
the topic or narrate an experience to the class

d. Schematic – reporting while using hardware or instructional materials like projector,

TV, charts, slides, graphs, film, tables, etc; proper explanation and evaluation of the
report should be done, too.

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 e. Symposium – closely identified with school forums; open forum is conducted after the
report

6. Investigatory Method – one of the emerging methods which de-emphasizes the authoritarian
role of the teacher; although it is student-centered,the teacher should provide guidance
and assistance to the students

Kinds:

a. Laboratory - students actively manipulate and study a given situation upon which a
problem lies. The situation is contrived and involves use of materials; may or may not
happen within the walls of a lab

b. Problem-solving – requires the students to work on the solution to a difficult or

undesirable situation

c. Research – a careful and organized study designed to serve a specific purpose. Its
end is to seek the truth.

d. Field Study – the students investigate a given situation by being a part or integral
component of it; it aims at getting a first-hand information to clear up some
uncertainties and doubts.

e. Experimenting – it is an operation carried out under controlled conditions to discover

an unknown effect or law, to test a hypothesis or to illustrate a known law; highly
process-oriented; maybe structured, unstructured or semi-structured

7. Activity Method – students are engaged in a first-hand, direct experience; student

participation is maximized; follows John Dewey’s idea of “learning by doing”

Kinds:

a. Project Method – calls for an activity that is directly planned, controlled, executed
and evaluated by students in order to accomplish a specific goal; a finished product
is submitted at the end of the period/topic; maybe a construction, enjoyment,
problem or learning project

b. Field trip – a well-planned trip to a special location which gives students the
opportunity to manipulate the knowledge they have learned in class

c. Dramatization – acting out on stage a story; maybe directed or undirected

d. Role-playing – unstructured drama; focuses on a problem ; usually shows real life

situations and real life reactions to these situations; more psychological than theatrical

e. Simulation – presentation of a contrived experience; to imitate, pretend, or make-

believe they are in a real situation

f. Brainstorming – students are made to think and speak freely and creatively about the
possible solutions to a problem; there is unrestrained and spontaneous discussion

g. Debate – a formal presentation of arguments of both sides of an issue before an

audience; it follows a standard procedure; one-on-one, panel or class debate

8. Demonstration Method – close observation by the class of how things are done; a skill is
usually developed; the psychomotor domain is emphasized; also called the imitative
method; showing of a model performance; usually used in science, practical arts, home
economics, arts, PE and music

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 Kinds:

a. Teacher-Directed – teacher does the demonstrating: usually used when there is lack
of materials

b. Student-Directed – students (by group or individual) show the rest of the class “how
to”

c. Teacher-Student Directed – teacher demonstrates first then the students try to do it,
too

d. Invited Resource Speaker – an expert is invited to show the class a particular skill

9. Self-Pacing Method – founded on the principle of “individual differences”; provision is made

for the student to set his own learning schedule and to monitor his own progress

Kinds:

a. Programmed Instruction – students learn by themselves with the least interference

from teachers; the students may check her own answers for activities against the
given answer key; entails self-discipline

b. Mastery Learning Technique – pretest-teach-retest-reteach-posttest; involves

grouping of students depending on their abilities

10. Integrated Method – combination of two or more methods in one lesson; what is learned in
one method is further strengthened in the other method, or what one is lacking is properly
compensated by the other

Kinds:

a. Lecture-Discussion
b. Demonstration-Lecture
c. Film-Showing Discussion
d. Reporting-Discussion
e. Inductive-Deductive

11. Traditional Method – undesirable practices that the teacher should no longer use

Kinds:

a. Textbook Method – teacher uses book as basis for lesson plan, students rely on book
for recitations and tests; learning tends to be mechanical

b. Rote Learning – requires the students to repeat what the teacher said without
understanding;

c. Teacher’s Full Directed Teaching – spoonfeeding; the teacher dictates or lets the class
copy word for word the lesson. Whatever the teacher said was accepted hook, line
and sinker; the teacher is very authoritarian;

d. Memorization – emphasis is on facts not insight; does not develop mental processes
like analysis, synthesis and judgment

e. The 2 x 4 x 8 method – sees learning as confined within the following dimensions: the
2 covers of a book, the 4 walls of the classroom, and the 8 hours that the students
spend in the class. Learning beyond these dimensions is impossible.

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