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M.Ed. FIRST SEMESTER

UNIT II

Theories and Models of Teaching

and Their Implications

Herbart • Oliver • Ausubel • Suchman

Department of Education | North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong

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FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPT

What Is a Model of Teaching?

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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A structured, replicable instructional plan — grounded in theory — that guides how a teacher designs and delivers learning experiences (Joyce & Weil).

1

Syntax

The sequence of phases — what happens, and in what order

2

Social System

Roles of teacher & learner; nature of authority & interaction

3

Principles of Reaction

How the teacher responds to learner behaviour

4

Support System

Extra resources/skills needed beyond usual teaching

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ROADMAP

Four Models We Will Study

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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1

Herbart

Theory of Instruction

Five Formal Steps

2

Oliver

Jurisprudential Inquiry

Public-Issues Analysis

3

Ausubel

Advance Organizer

Meaningful Verbal Learning

4

Suchman

Inquiry Training

Scientific Discovery

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MODEL ONE

Herbart's Theory of Instruction

The Five Formal Steps of Teaching

Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776 – 1841)

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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HERBART · BACKGROUND

Father of Scientific Pedagogy

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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  • Johann Friedrich Herbart was a German philosopher-psychologist who first placed teaching on a scientific, psychological footing rather than intuition or tradition.�

Theory of Apperception: New ideas are understood only by connecting them to the learner's existing stock of ideas — the “apperceptive mass.”

“Instruction must proceed from the known to the unknown — every new idea needs a hook in the learner's mind.”

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HERBART · SYNTAX

The Five Formal Steps

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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1

Preparation

Recall prior knowledge;

arouse interest

→

2

Presentation

Present new subject

matter clearly

→

3

Association

Compare new ideas

with old ones

→

4

Generalization

Abstract a general

rule or principle

→

5

Application

Apply the rule to

new situations

Mnemonic: P – P – A – G – A

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HERBART · EXAMPLE

Teaching “Photosynthesis” — The Five Steps in Action

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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Preparation

Recall how plants get food; arouse curiosity

Presentation

Explain photosynthesis with a diagram

Association

Compare with human digestion / respiration

Generalization

“Green plants make food using sunlight, water & CO₂”

Application

Explain why plants in dark rooms wilt

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HERBART · TAKEAWAYS

Implications & Limitations

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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✓ STRENGTHS

  • Gave teaching its first systematic, scientific structure
  • Anchors new learning to prior knowledge
  • Emphasises interest & motivation
  • Builds general concepts, not rote facts

✕ LIMITATIONS

  • Rigid, mechanical, and overly formal
  • Teacher-centred; little room for discovery
  • Ignores individual learner differences
  • Doesn't suit every subject equally

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MODEL TWO

Oliver's Jurisprudential Inquiry Model

Reasoning Through Public Issues Like a Jurist

Donald W. Oliver & James P. Shaver · Harvard, 1960s

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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OLIVER · BACKGROUND

Thinking Like a Jurist

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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  • Belongs to Joyce & Weil's Social Family of teaching models — helping learners confront real public issues where values genuinely conflict.�

Students are trained to analyse a case the way a judge or lawyer would — identifying the value conflict, taking a stand, and testing it under pressure.

Public Issue

Genuine conflict of values

Stance

A reasoned, defensible position

Qualification

Refining a position with conditions/exceptions

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OLIVER · SYNTAX

The Six Phases

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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1

Orientation to the Case

Introduce facts, events, persons

2

Identifying the Issues

Find the value conflict

3

Taking Positions

State an initial stance

4

Exploring the Stance

Teacher tests it with counter-examples

5

Refining Positions

Add qualifications & exceptions

6

Testing Assumptions

Verify the facts behind the position

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OLIVER · TAKEAWAYS

Social System & Implications

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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Social System

  • Teacher = neutral Socratic questioner & “devil's advocate”
  • Students = active advocates who debate & defend
  • Productive tension is expected and valuable

Why It Matters

  • Builds critical thinking & argumentation for democratic citizenship
  • Ideal for civics, history & social studies
  • Teaches that real issues rarely have a single “right” answer
  • Limitation: demands a highly skilled, neutral facilitator and is time-intensive

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MODEL THREE

Ausubel's Advance Organizer Model

Making Expository Teaching Meaningful

J. David Ausubel · “The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning,” 1963

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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AUSUBEL · CORE IDEA

Meaningful Learning vs. Rote Learning

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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ROTE LEARNING

Arbitrary, verbatim memorisation with no meaningful link to what the learner already knows. Easily forgotten.

MEANINGFUL LEARNING

New information is deliberately anchored to relevant concepts already in the learner's cognitive structure. Durable & transferable.

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AUSUBEL · KEY CONCEPTS

Subsumption & the Advance Organizer

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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Subsumption:

New ideas are learned by anchoring them beneath a broader, existing concept in the learner's cognitive structure.�Advance Organizer: Introductory material presented before the lesson, pitched at a higher level of abstraction — a conceptual “bridge” to new content.

Expository Organizer

Used when material is entirely unfamiliar — gives a wholly new anchor

Comparative Organizer

Used when material is related to prior learning — integrates & discriminates

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AUSUBEL · SYNTAX

The Three Phases

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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1

Present the

Advance Organizer

Build the conceptual bridge before new content

→

2

Present the

Learning Task

Deliver new content in clear, logical sequence

→

3

Strengthen Cognitive

Organization

Relate new material back to the organizer

Two Guiding Principles: Progressive Differentiation (general → specific) | Integrative Reconciliation (relating & comparing ideas)

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AUSUBEL · TAKEAWAYS

Implications & Limitations

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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✓ STRENGTHS

  • Makes lecture/expository teaching meaningful
  • Activates prior knowledge before new content
  • Great for well-organised, concept-heavy subjects
  • Underpins concept maps & chapter previews

✕ LIMITATIONS

  • Assumes some relevant prior knowledge exists
  • Teacher-centred; limited discovery scope
  • Designing a good organizer takes real skill
  • Heavy on verbal exposition

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MODEL FOUR

Suchman's Inquiry Training Model

Teaching Students to Think Like Scientists

J. Richard Suchman · 1960s

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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SUCHMAN · BACKGROUND

Training the Process of Scientific Inquiry

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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Suchman observed that scientists learn best by confronting puzzling phenomena

directly — not by being told facts.�Students are systematically trained in observing, hypothesising, and testing — using a strict “yes/no” question rule that forces logical, strategic thinking.

The Discrepant Event

A metal ball floats when it “should” sink. Students ask only yes/no questions to isolate the real variable at work.

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SUCHMAN · SYNTAX

The Five Phases

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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1

Confrontation

Present the puzzling event

→

2

Verification

Yes/No questions confirm facts

→

3

Experimentation

Test variables systematically

→

4

Explanation

Organize data; form a rule

→

5

Analysis

Reflect on the inquiry process

Key Rule: All data-gathering questions must be answerable only “Yes” or “No.”

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SUCHMAN · TAKEAWAYS

Implications & Limitations

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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✓ STRENGTHS

  • Develops real processes of science, not just facts
  • Builds learner autonomy & curiosity
  • Cultivates metacognition (Phase 5)
  • Aligns with NEP 2020 / constructivist approaches

✕ LIMITATIONS

  • Time-consuming versus direct exposition
  • Needs skilled selection of puzzling events
  • Can frustrate students new to yes/no questioning
  • Less suited to purely descriptive content

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SYNTHESIS

Comparing the Four Models

Unit II | Theories & Models of Teaching | M.Ed. First Semester, Dept. of Education, NEHU

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Dimension

Herbart

Oliver

Ausubel

Suchman

Family

Info-Processing

Social

Info-Processing

Info-Processing

Phases

5

6

3

5

Teacher's Role

Expositor

Socratic questioner

Organizer

Facilitator

Best For

General lessons

Civics / Social Studies

Concept-heavy content

Science / problems

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Every model of teaching turns instruction from an intuitive act into a deliberately structured, theory-driven process.

Thank You

Department of Education | NEHU, Shillong