Review

of the
Nature
of the
Teaching
Process
Prepared By:
Paul Ezra T. Eleserio
Krizziah Hernina A. Ismael
Christine R. Ruiz
 Different Views and Definition of Teaching
By: Paul Ezra T. Eleserio

What is teaching?

Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so
that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given.
Our understanding of what ‘teaching’ is, is based on our past experience. Our earliest experience
was in school, where the teacher was also a ‘master’ or ‘mistress’, standing in front of the class,
telling us what to do and what to learn. Some of us experienced the same kind of ‘teaching’ at
college. Others may have experienced teaching where the ‘teacher’ is more of an equal, who
takes account of the learner's experience and even learns from the learner. That is why Abbatt
and McMahon say: ‘Teaching is helping other people to learn’. They go on to say that the job of
‘teaching’ health care workers has four elements:
1. The teacher has to decide what students should learn. The students may take part in this
decision, but all are guided by the same principle: it is the job that people have to do, that
determines what they should learn. They have to learn all the knowledge, skills and attitudes that
they need to perform a specific job. They learn what they ‘must know’ and ‘should know’, not what
is ‘nice to know’.
2. The teacher has to help the learners to learn. This does not mean that the teacher ‘spoon-
feeds’ the students, as if they were babies. It does mean that the teacher's first concern should be
that the students should learn as well as possible. Teaching sessions or classes have to be
planned carefully, taking into account the learning styles, the language, the background of the
students. In short, the teachers must be student centered, not teacher centered.
3. The teacher has to make sure that the students have learnt - s/he has to assess them.
Assessment helps teachers and students to see how well the students are progressing, so that
they can attend to any weaknesses. It sets a standard, so that society is given people who are
competent to practice. Assessment must be carefully planned so that it supports the learning we
want to see- we know that students learn what they believe they need to pass the exams, and
leave out the rest …
4. The teacher has to look after the welfare of her/ his students. Students who are stressed and
unhappy do not learn well. Good teachers try to ensure that the general living conditions and
environment of their students are adequate. They also provide opportunities for personal
counselling for them. Teachers need to cultivate an open and trusting relationship with their
students.

Different Views of Teaching

According to (Miller, 1996), good teaching starts with an operational definition of teaching. There
are three common views of what constitutes teaching: teaching as transmission, teaching as
transaction, and teaching as transformation.
Teaching as Transmission

From this perspective, teaching is the act of transmitting knowledge from Point A (teacher’s head)
to Point B (students’ heads). This is a teacher-centered approach in which the teacher is the
dispenser of knowledge, the arbitrator of truth, and the final evaluator of learning.
A teacher’s job from this perspective is to supply students with a designated body of knowledge in
a predetermined order. Academic achievement is seen as students’ ability to demonstrate,
replicate, or retransmit this designated body of knowledge back to the teacher or to some other
measuring agency or entity.

From this perspective standardized tests are considered to be an apt measure of students’
learning. While there are specific instances when this approach is useful, I find little research
support for this as a general approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching as Transaction
From this perspective, teaching is the process of creating situations whereby students are able to
interact with the material to be learned in order to construct knowledge.
Constructivism is an educational philosophy consistent with this view. Here, knowledge is not
passively received; rather, it is actively built up or constructed by students as they connect their
past knowledge and experiences with new information (Santrock, 2004).
And just as each student’s past knowledge and experiences are different, so too is the
interpretation, understanding, and meaning of the new information that each ultimately constructs.

Teachers are not expected to pour knowledge into the heads of learners; rather, they assist
learners in their construction of knowledge by creating experiences where students’ old
information can transact with new information to create meaningful knowledge (knowledge that is
connected to something students already know).

Academic achievement from a constructivist perspective is seen as students’ ability to use this
knowledge to solve real-world problems or to create products or performances that are valued in
one or more cultural settings.
Teaching as Transformation
From this perspective, teaching is creating conditions that have the potential to transform the
learner on many different levels (cognitive, emotional, social, intuitive, creative, spiritual, and
other). 
Transformational teaching invites both students and teachers to discover their full potential as
learners, as members of society, and as human beings. The ultimate transformational goal is to
help develop more nurturing human beings who are better able to perceive the
interconnectedness of all human, plant, and animal life (Narve, 2001).
Holistic education is an educational philosophy consistent with the transformative view (Miller,
1996).
Learning is said to have occurred when these experiences elicit a transformation of consciousness
that leads to a greater understanding of and care for self, others, and the environment.
Academic achievement from this perspective is similar to self-actualization. That is, it is perceived
as discovering and developing each individual’s unique talents and capabilities to the fullest extent
possible. Academic achievement also involves becoming aware of the multiple dimensions of self
and expanding one’s consciousness.

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION

Learning can take place using all three views or approaches; however, it is my observation that
the most powerful and sustaining learning experiences are created when transactional and
transformational approaches are used predominately.

The transformational view of teaching incorporates the basic elements of constructivism and adds
meaning, consciousness, and interconnectedness. Public schools operating from this perspective
are places of inquiry where questions become just as important as answers. The primary role of
teachers here is to enable students to discover and embrace their inner core and develop their
interests and unique talents to the fullest extent possible; in other words, self-actualization.
Curricula are a means to this end, not an end in and of itself. Academic achievement becomes
closely linked with self-actualization and is highly individualized. Personalized goals as well as
authentic assessment are used to describe learning. Schools and teachers are held accountable
by assessing students’ and teachers’ movement toward personalized goals and by examining the
extent to which students are engaged in meaningful learning experiences.

REFERENCES
https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-teaching/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1764819/
Miller, J.P. (1996) The Holistic Curriculum. Toronto: OISE Press.
Narve, R.G. (2001). Holistic education: Pedagogy of universal love. Brandon, VT: Foundation
for   Educational Renewal.

Santrock, J. W. (2004). Educational Psychology. Second edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-views-teaching-transmission-transaction-andrew-johnson/

Approaches, Methods and Techniques

By: Krizziah Herniňa A. Ismael

Approaches
 It is a set of principles, beliefs, or ideas about the nature of learning which is translated into
the classroom.
 An approach is treating something in a certain way.
 It is our own personal philosophy
 The act of getting close to way path or road. One’s viewpoint toward teaching or refers to
what one believes in, regarding teaching, upon which teaching behavior are based.

Teacher-centered Learner-centered
 Subject-mattered center Learner-centered
Teacher dominated Interactive
“Banking” approach Constructist
Disciplinal Integrated
Individualistic Collaborative
Indirect guided Direct

• Teacher-centered Approach
The teacher is perceived to be the only reliable source of information in contrast to the
learner-centered approach. Taken to its extreme interpretation, teachers are the main authority
figure in a teacher-centered intruction model. Students are viewed as “empty vessels” who
passively receive knowledge from their teachers through lectures and direct instruction, with an
end goal of positive results from testing and assessment.

• Learner-centered Approach
In which it is premised on the belief that the learner is also an important resource because
he/she too knows something and is therefore capable of sharing something. While teachers are
still an authority figure in a student-centered teaching model, teachers and students play an
equally active role in the learning process. The teacher’s primary role is to coach and facilitate
student learning and overall comprehension of material, and to measure student learning through
both formal and informal forms of assessment, like group projects, student portfolios and class
participation.

• Interactive Approach
In this approach, an interactive classroom will have more student talk and less teacher talk.
Students are given the opportunity to interact with teacher and with other students.

• Constructivist Approach
The students are expected to construct knowledge and meaning out for what they are
taught by connecting them to prior experience.

• Direct Teaching Approach

The teacher directly tells or shows or demonstrate what is to be taught.

• Indirect, Guided Approach

The teacher guides the learner to discover things for himself/herself. The teacher facilitates
the learning process by allowing the learner to be engage in the learning process with his/her
guidance.
In summary, approaches vary in the degree of teacher and learner engagement, focus,
number of learners involved in the teaching-learning process.

• Subject matter-centered approach

Subject matter gains primacy over that of the learner.

• Integrated Approach
It makes the teacher connects what he/she teaches to other lessons of the same subject
(intradisciplinary) or connects his/her lessons with other subjects thus making his/her approach
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary.

• Individualistic Approach
It wants the individual students to work by themselves.
• Collaborative Approach
It will welcome group work, teamwork, partnership, and group discussion.

• Teacher dominated Approach

In this approach, only the teacher’s voice is heard. He/she is the sole dispenser of
information

• Banking Approach
The teacher deposits knowledge into the “empty” minds of students for students to commit
to memory.

• Disciplinary Approach
It limits the teacher to discussing his/her lessons within the boundary of his/her subject.

Methods
 A method is a description of the way that information or behavior is carried forward or
consolidated during the instructional process.
 Method is an overall plan or is a way of something is done no part of which contradicts, and
all of which is based upon, the selected approach
 It is a systematic way of doing something. It implies an orderly logical arrangement of steps.
It is more procedural.

Types of method
 Direct method
1. The strategy is teacher-directed.
2. The emphasis is on the teaching of skill. Each step must be mastered, hence the
students gain “how” rather than “what”. It is termed procedural knowledge.
3. Taught in a step-by-step fashion, it ensures the learning of the entire procedure with
no step missed.
4. It include Lesson objectives that can be measured accurately.
5. This is a form of learning through imitation, sometimes termed “behavioral
modelling”.
6. This can also be used to teach facts, principles, and laws.
7. Performance-based subjects such as Science, Mathematics, Music and Physical
Education are taught by this technique.

To employ the methodology in teaching skill/s, follow these step:

a. Provide the rationale,
b. Demonstrate the skill,
c. Provide guided practice until mastery,
d. Check for understanding and provide feedback,
e. Provide extended practice and transfer
f. Assess learning at the end.

Examples
 Sample lessons with step-by-step tasks
 Steps of Mas
 Steps of Maslow Hierarchy
  Steps in preparing a meal
 Writing a letter
 Solving Math problems

Advantages
 Step by step learning
 This method can be usefully employed from the lowest to the highest learning skill or class.
 The teacher must also ensure that the students already possess the prerequisite
knowledge.
 It easier for teachers to create assessment tests of high validity and high reliability.

 Deductive method
 Teacher-dominated approach
 It begins with the abstract rule, generalization, principle and ends with specific
examples and concrete details
 Cover a wider scope of subject matter
 Learning is passive process, the learners do not take part in the generation of
conclusion of generalization
 Drill or exercises come after the explanation of the rule or principle
Examples
 Teacher will present a map of the Philippines. Then study the map with them.
 Teacher explain the rule first: To add similar fractions just add the numerators then copy the
denominators.
Advantages
 Wider scope of subject matter because the instruction is direct by stating at once the rule or
the principle at the beginning of the class.
 Teacher do not have to worry on what questions to ask for learners to generalization or
conclusion.
Disadvantages
 Passive learning. Less involvement on part of the learners
 The learners do not take part in the generation of conclusion or generalization.
 Learners’ involvement will be drill or exercises that come after the explanation of the rule or
principle.
 Lesson appears uninteresting at first. Teacher begin the lesson with the abstract with what
the learners do not know.

 Inductive method
 It begins with specific details, concrete data and examples and ends with an
abstract.
 Learners are more engaged in the teaching-learning process.
 Learning becomes more interesting at the outset because we begin with the
experiences of our students. Begin with what they know.
 It helps the development of our learners’ higher order thinking skills. To see patters
and analyse the some in order to arrive at generalizations requires analytical
thinking.
 It requires more time.
 Teacher serve as guide or facilitator.
  Teaching first provide examples, then have students practice and figure out the rule
themselves.
Examples
 Ask students to find out words starting with Letter “A”
 Making presentation or projects.

Advantages
 The learners are more engaged in teaching-learning process. The learners formulate the
generalization or rule.
 Learning becomes more interesting at the outset because teachers begin with the
experiences of the students. Teachers begin with what they know.
 It helps the development of the learners’ higher order thinking skills.

Disadvantages
 It requires more time and so less subject matter will be covered. Teacher needs much time
to lead students to the formulation of generalizations.
 It demands expert facilitating skills on part of the teacher. Teacher got to ask the right
questions, organize answers and generalizations/principles.

Techniques
A technique is implementation-that which actually takes place in a class room. It is a particular
trick, procedure to accomplish on immediate objective. It must be consistent with the method and
harmony with approach as well.
 Technique is a detail list of rules or a guideline for any (teaching) activity.
 It is based on the description of steps, or a set of do’s and don’ts, and can often be linked to
a method or strategy.
 Technique is a procedure or skill for completing a specific a task. This would be used for
predictable events.

Mind mapping: you apply guidelines for devising content in a holistic way. This is a technique
that can be used in an individual working situation, in a group work, or by the teacher as a means
of demonstrating something.

Brainstorming: is group centered interaction method. The brainstorming technique describes

a way of collecting ideas or information in a creative and uninhibited way.
Examples
 System of rewards and punishments
 If class room become distracted a teacher may use the technique of silent reading.
 A quick physical activity to distract or divert their attention.
Conclusion
 Approach determines method, in turn method determine technique.
 The arrangement is hierarchical. The organizational key is the technique carry out a
method which is consistent with an approach.

Reference:
 http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/sidra-098/teaching-techniques-ppt-61333113

TEACHING AS SCIENCE AND AN ART

By: Christine R. Ruiz

Teaching contains two major concepts of learning, the Art and the Science. In teaching, Art is
defined as “the product of creating human activity in which material is shaped or selected to
convey an idea, emotion or in a visually interesting form”. This describes exactly what a teacher
does. While in teaching, science is defined as, “a study of anything that can be tested, examined
or verified”. The teacher is always studying the situation and examining what they can do.
Teaching is hence both, an Art and Science.

For effective teaching, a teacher must integrate both Art and Science while teaching in the
classroom. The teacher who doesn’t apply scientific knowledge to teach the students, runs the risk
of using the methods and principles of ineffective teaching. If a teacher is able to balance both Art
and Science, it will make it easier for the students to learn and assimilate the information while
keeping their attention. Thus, a teacher cannot be called efficient unless he / she is able to
incorporate both the Art and Science of teaching. To be an effective teacher, one must not only
stay abreast of the latest research and findings in the field of education, but they must also
continually practice the art of applying this information. Hence, it can be concluded from the above
that teaching is both, an Art and Science.

Teaching requires both art and science. They both play a role in each other because if a teacher
demonstrates only one of these types of teaching, they cannot do effective teaching.

Teaching as Science

 Teachers observe their students and create rudimentary hypotheses about the best ways to
ensure their students are learning.  They then test these hypotheses via activities,
assignments, and other kinds of assessments, and evaluate the results
 It is a science in that there are strategies and practices that a body of research has shown
to be effective in enhancing learning. Just like doctors, teachers should use research to
improve their practice.
 On the individual level, teaching is a science because teachers are constantly collecting
data by observing their students in order to see if learning is taking place and how they
learn best. And, like scientists, teachers experiment with new techniques or strategies to
see how they work. 
 In order to be an educator and a good educator, you need to know the formula for
education. It takes knowledge of curriculum, behavior, philosophy, psychology and other
areas to successfully become an educator
 A scientist working in a lab (inside or outside) needs to consistently factor several variables
and constants when doing experiments to successfully reach the desired outcomes.  In
education, we call these outcomes “learning.” We want our students to learn.  We want our
students to grow up and become active members of a society we hope to one day have. 
This is why we have meetings to discuss curriculum, common code, standards, much
more.  We meet with other educational scientists and debate the methods being used in
school districts far and wide to judge our students against those throughout the world. 
When we see that our students are not meeting the same rigors that other students are
meeting, we up the experiment by providing standardized testing.  Some schools get the
testing, and some schools don’t get the testing. This is called the “Scientific Method”.

Teaching as an Art
 Teaching as an Art exhibits ways in which the teacher uses creative ways to teach the
students and so the students find it to be fun and interesting to learn. It is alleged that even
though when using the artistic methodology to teach the students, the teachers must know
the subject themselves and research the material well before they begin to teach.
 As a teacher, they need to determine the methods and strategies that work best for them.
Teachers are not standardized products. What works for one teacher, might not work for
another. Thus, all the teaching strategies a teacher learns should be adopted and adapted
to meet particular teaching situation and their personal teaching style. A teacher must carve
out their own teaching philosophy and discover their own unique talents and learn how to
use them.
 To the degree that teaching is a creative act, it might be said to be an artistic enterprise.  It
is also true that painters or sculptors choose their tools and materials with intention, just as
a teacher might decide upon a range of methods in the classroom. 
References:

https://cte.rice.edu/blogarchive/2015/09/13/isteachingartorscience
https://www.teachercast.net/is-teaching-an-art-or-a-science/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teaching-science-art-craft-andrew-johnson
https://www.queryfloor.com/blog/teaching-is-an-art-or-science