Chapter 4: Teaching methods and strategies
Chapter 4: Teaching methods
and strategies
Chapter 4:
Teaching
methods and
© VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS
strategies
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Learning outcomes
You should be able to:
•Distinguish between direct and indirect instruction
•Apply direct teaching methods such as the direct telling -,
demonstrating- , question and scaffold methods.
•Create and apply scaffolding methods to improve learners’ academic
performance
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Direct and indirect instruction
Direct (deductive) Instruction
Indirect ( inductive) instruction
Start with the known and
move to the unknown
Start with the unknown and
move on to the known
example: facts, rules,
sequences
example: seek patterns,
analyse, predictions
Direct teachercentered (deductive)
methods
Direct (whole class instruction) telling method
The advantages of the direct telling method
•to guide learners on how to apply, analyse and evaluate or
create what they have learned;
•to teach learners basic skills and information;
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
The disadvantages of the direct telling method
Do not always provide for the needs of all learners in the
lesson;
Learners can become bored with
one way
communication;
Learners are passive receivers of knowledge;
Learners can become demotivated;
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
The Demonstration Method
A demonstration is executed step by step so that
learners will be able to develop the skills they
need to conduct a similar task on their own. For
example a experiment
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Advantages of the demonstration method
•Allows learners to personally relate to the
instructed information.
•Improves learners’ interest and
•Reinforce memory retention by connecting and
applying facts to the real-world
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Disadvantages of the demonstration method
•If a teacher is not familiar with the activity that
he/she wants to demonstrate the outcome will be
unsuccessful;
•can be time consuming;
•resources to demonstrate and practice with might
not always be available and
•in large classes not all learners are always able to
observe the demonstration.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Questioning method
You should be able to:
Define and explain curriculum
Distinguish and compare five broad theory models
of learning
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Questioning method
Teachers who use questions in a lesson are more successful in
achieving the lesson outcomes than those not questioning
Direct teacher-centered (deductive)
methods

Questions based on Bloom’s
taxonomy
– Examples of lower-order questions

Remembering

Understanding
– Examples of higher-order questions

Applying

Analysing

Evaluating

Creating
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Lower order questions include
Remembering
What’s the symbol for lead?
What happened when we heated the chlorophyll
mixture?
What’s the formula for working out volume?
Understanding
Which words indicate that the actor was afraid?
What happened to the copper when we heated it?
Why can a plant not grow without water?
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Higher order questions include:
Applying: Calculate how many litres of water can
be filled in a two meter wide and one meter deep
water pool.
Analysing: Why is this advertisement more
successful than the other one?
Evaluating: Which calculations work the best to
determine area?
Creating: Create a one minute video/audio to
explain how recycling can sustain our environment.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Scaffolding methods
Scaffolding can be described as the process by which a
competent person or a peer assists learners to perform
an activity beyond their current ability
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Advantages of scaffolding methods
•Can support learners to successfully perform
activities and assignments that will enable them to
progress to more complex activities.
•Scaffold learners, can develop into more
independent, motivated and successful learners
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Disadvantages of scaffolding methods
•Require good lesson planning
•The preparation of scaffolding methods can be
time consuming as teachers need to prepare
different scaffolding methods that will be based on
the learners’ language proficiency, culture,
learning environment.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Instructional scaffolding methods
A. Visual scaffolding methods
Graphical presentations and drawings
Chart Title
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Instructional scaffolding methods ( continue)
B. Interaction between English second language
speakers and English speakers
C. One-minute paper
D. Concept map
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Instructional scaffolding methods ( continue)
E. Differentiated assignments
F. Assessment
G. Feedback
H. Reflection
I. Use hands-on activities
J. Mother tongue
K. Motivation
L. Culturally relevant texts
M. Do research and write about the topic
N. Class discussions in small groups
Learner-centered (inductive)
methods

Cooperative/collaborative teaching methods
– What is cooperative/collaborative learning?

Example: group projects and discussions
– What are the advantages of using
cooperative learning?
Figure 4.4 The
advantages of
cooperative learning
(Textbook page 55)
Learner-centered (inductive)
methods
Cooperative/collaborative
teaching methods continued
 Roles that can be allocated to each group member
 Facilitator/encourager
 Timekeeper
 Reflector
 Leader/Editor
 Recorder/Secretary
 Checker
 Spokesperson
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Group activity in class:
In groups of four brain storm and decide how you will support
learners by using the following scaffold techniques when teaching
new content. Describe how you will scaffold the lesson using the
techniques below:
•Demonstrate and show learners exactly what they are expected to do
•Ask learners to share their own prior experiences and ideas about the
content or concept taught and let them connect it to their own lives and
new concepts.
•Allow learners to discuss the new concept verbally with their peer.
•When introducing new concepts and vocabulary allow learners to create a
symbol, model or drawing of the concept or word.
Possible answer
• Demonstrate and show learners exactly what they are
expected to do
• Ask learners to share their own prior experiences and
ideas about the content or concept taught and let
them connect it to their own lives and new concepts.
• Allow learners to discuss the new concept verbally
with their peer.
• When introducing new concepts and vocabulary allow
learners to create a symbol, model or drawing of the
concept or word.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Possible answer
(a) Demonstrate and show learners exactly what they are expected to
do. Graphic organisers can be used as tools to demonstrate complex
activities to learners. Concept maps and graphic organisers can provide a
framework for summarising, gathering, sorting, discovering patterns and
relationships of content. Learners learn by doing, and with the support
of the teacher construct and interpret charts, maps, graphs, and other
visual presentations (tables, drawings, diagrams, flow charts, timelines,
editorial cartoons, photographs, posters, videos, etc.) that can be used to
supplement the learning content. The reason for using graphic organisers
to demonstrate activities are that images are more likely to be coded, by
the learner both visually and verbally, whereas words are less likely.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Possible answer
(b) Ask learners to share their own prior experiences and ideas about
the content or concept taught and let them connect it to their own
lives and new concepts.
The teacher can divide learners in small groups and allow them to
brainstorm, discuss, or complete a quick writing activity. The activity is
based on prior experiences and ideas about the content or concept
taught and learners are requested to connect it to their own lives and
new concepts. This will help them to understand new concepts, while
communicating with their peers and learn to respect each other’s
views.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Possible answer
(c) Allow learners to discuss the new concept verbally with their
peer.
Allow English second language-speakers and English
speakers learners to discuss the topic by grouping them
together and involve them in activities where small group
discussions or whole group discussions can be applied.
Discussion groups can promote learners’ communication
skills and the development of their respect for different
views of various cultures within the group.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Summary
Direct and indirect instruction were defined and direct
teacher cantered methods discussed: such as the direct
telling method, demonstration and questioning
method. Scaffold methods were defined and various
examples such as visual, graphics , one-minute paper,
hands-on activities and others discussed
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Homework
Describe three scaffold methods and explain how
you will apply it during differentiated instruction.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Answer
Visual scaffold together with text can be used for
hearing impaired learners and learners who learn
by connecting visual images to abstract concepts
to retain information. Make use of colours such as
yellow and enlarged images and texts for visually
impaired learners.
A drawing activity can be used for learners who
find it difficult to express themselves in a language
and in writing.
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Humanities
Compiled by T de Jager
Answer
Drawings can be used by learners to express their
understanding of a concept, generate ideas, get feedback
from others, to reflect what they have observed and
facilitate problem solving. Differentiated assignments:
Allow learners to choose between different assignments
based on the same lesson content, that will enable them
to complete an activity successfully. For example, the
second language learner can read an article written in
simpler English to grasp the content, while another article
written in more advanced English with the same content
can be read by the English speaker
Reflection
Write down:

Which part of the lesson was the most
interesting?

Which concepts do you not understand?