What teachers need to know about teaching methods - Peter Westwood
Conceptualising teaching & learning
nature of learning - should teachers directly instruct their students or is the role to encourage and support students as they learn and construct knowledge themselves?
Constructivism
In this section he challenges the notion that the constructivist approach is the best approach for teaching in all situations. It is argued that direct teaching can be more effective in teaching basic and fundamental skills and ensures that all learners grasp the basics which they can then build upon. Constructivist approaches assume that all learners "are self motivated and self regulating beings who will acquire the fundamental skills of reading, writing, spelling, calculating and problem solving as by products of engaging in , and communicating about age appropriate activities very day. Drill and skill activities are therefore frowned upon."
Is it true that knowledge cannot be conveyed directly to learners? False - presenting knowledge to the learner does not prevent them from engaging in mental processes of making meaning - can greatly facilitate the process. It is argued that modelling and explanation can stimulate knowledge construction. It is possible that a clear explanation to a group of students helps minimise differences of prior knowledge about the given topic, and thereby reduces the potential for misconceptions or learning difficulties to arise.
Are construcivist methods suited to all areas of learning? requiring a child to actively discover his or her way toward a basic knowledge of literacy and numeracy is to confront the child with tasks of immense difficulty. On the other hand exposure to good direct teaching will enable the child to develop a more substantial knowledge base. (1988 Yates )
Jonassen (1992) three stage model for knowledge acquisition -
stage 1 - initial knowledge acquisition
stage 2 - advanced knowledge
stage 3 - expertise
He support the view that initial knowledge acquisition may well be best served by direct teaching and that advanced knowledge acquisition leading to expertise may benefit most from a constructivist view.
Are constructivist approaches ideal for all learners?
Constructivist approaches that use minimal instructional guidance require that learners be self motivated, capable of thinking and reasoning, and possession of sound thinking and reasoning and in possession of sound independant thinking skills. Many students in schools do not possess these. For many students these activities are very inefficient - they require far longer than it would take for direct explanation. In particular students with learning difficulties, poorly motivated students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds appear to acquire basic academic skills far more rapidly when taught by explicit methods.
It is clear that using a classroom approach based firmly on constructivist principles in no way guarantees that all students in the class will construct identical knowledge about a given topic.
Researchers in Cognitive load theory are suggesting that learning activities with minimal guidance from teachers are less effective than guided instruction because they place unreasonable demands on learners information processing capabilities.
Direct teaching