EDU 458: English Student Teaching Seminar

Rukayah Al Zumai 6068

Reading Reaction Four
Direct Instruction: Effective for What and for Whom?
This article analyzes the direct instruction method. It starts off by explaining
that researchers have spent many years studying the "process-product" in hopes in
finding the method that will result in effective consequences on the students. The
process is the teacher's method in delivering the information, and the product is the
student's results/outcomes of that method. Eventually, researchers concluded that
"direct instruction" would be considered an effective teaching method.
The article compares open classroom approach to direct instruction. It found
out that direct instruction marginally helps students in achievement tests, but lessons
their scores in abstract tests. Whereas in open approach, students do marginally better
in abstract tests, and worsen in achievement tests. It also had a small effect in slightly
increasing the students' view about school and the teacher and empowering their
independence. Since direct instruction requires close and monitored instruction,
students who are normally independent would be disadvantaged. Whereas, students
who rely on extra direction and help, gained from the direct instruction. The reason
for that is, the high ability students benefited from small group approach. That gave
them the opportunity to learn from explaining and demonstrating what they have
learned to other members of the group. On the other hand, low-ability students may
not benefit from small groups and their peers' explanations, they require further
assistance. The article concludes by implying that choice of instructional method
should be relied on the lesson objective, and the type of the student (level/ability).
I agree with the article that the teaching method should depend on the lesson's
objective and the type of the student, which is the standard by how it should be
EDU 458: English Student Teaching Seminar
Rukayah Al Zumai 6068
Reading Reaction Four
determined. However, I don't fully agree that students of low-abilities don't benefit
from small group teaching. In fact, I find it to be the opposite. I think students of low-
abilities would somewhat thrive in small group approaches. Explanations from peers
sometimes could be more understandable that the teacher's instruction. Also, in small
groups, the low-ability student may gain more attention to themselves and live up to
that opportunity.