• It is the most commonly used method of teaching science.

It is a
teacher-controlled and information centered approach in which the
teacher works as a sole-resource in classroom instruction.
• In this method only the teacher talks and students are passive
listeners.
• This method is mostly followed in colleges and in schools in higher
classes.
• Situations where lecture method can be used are :
• In the introduction of a new topic
• Revising and sumarising lessons.
• Covering the syllabus quickly.
• Presenting the history of the topic.
 It is a quite economical method.
 Large number of students can be handled at a time.
 No laboratory equipment, aids, materials are required.
 Using this method the knowledge can be imparted to students
quickly and prescribed syllabus can be covered in short time.
 It is quite attractive and easy to follow and also by this method
teacher can develop their own style of teaching and exposition.
 It simplifies the task of teacher and enhances student‟s listening
skill.
 Some good lectures, delivered by the teacher may motivate,
instigate and inspire students for creative thinking.
 In this method the students participation is negligible and students
become passive recipients of information.
 In this method there is no assurity that the student is concentrating
upon or understanding the subject matter being taught by the teacher
or not.
 This method do not address individual differences, so it is
psychologically unacceptable.
 This method has no scope for „learning by doing‟.
 It is an undemocratic and authoritarian method as students cannot
challenge the verdict of the teacher.
 It does not help to inculcate scientific attitude among the pupils.
 It does not provide for corrective feedback and remedial help to slow
learners.
DEMONSTRATION METHOD

Demonstration means „to show‟. In Lecture method teacher just

tells but in demonstration method teacher shows and illustrates
certain fundamental phenomena.
• Visibility
• One major idea at a time
• Clear cut
• Convincing
• Rehearsal
• Supplemented with other teaching aids
• Asking relevant questions
• Neat, clean and tidiness
• Simple and speedy
• To write observation
• Teacher to act as performer
• Sufficient time
STEPS
• Planning and Presentation
• Lesson planning
• Preparing TLMs
• Subject matter
• Introduction of lesson
• Previous knowledge of student
• Setting congenial environment
• Story telling
• Presentation of the subject matter
• Illustration of facts and principles
• Simple language
• generating interest of students
• Experimentation
• Simple and speedy
• Clear and convincing experiment
• Proper use of apparatuses
• Blackboard work
• Drawing summary
• Making diagrams, sketches etc.
• This method is economical.
• Demonstration method is a psychological method as the students are shown
concrete things.
• This method is especially useful where
• The apparatus is expensive
• The experiment involves some danger
• The apparatus is sensitive to break
• The experiment involves some difficult and complex operation
• Student participation
• Save time and effort
• Helpful to promote useful discussion
• More efficient method
• Activity method
• Useful for all types of students
• Helpful for teacher
 Ignore maxim of education: The maxim of education, „Learning by
Doing‟ and the principles of psychology of learning has no place in
this method.
 Visibility: Visibility is main problem for a teacher because all the
students may not be able to see the details and results of a
demonstration.
 Speed of experiment: Either too fast or too slow speed of
demonstration sometimes may create trouble.
 Ignore individual difference: This method totally ignores the main
principle of psychology.
 Hinder progress: This method somehow hinder the development of
laboratory skills among the students.
 Not useful for developing scientific attitude.
• The basic idea of this method is that the pupil can learn a lot of
things with the help of association and mutual cooperation.
This method facilitates purposeful activities through a group of
pupils and the pupils will work cooperatively. The pupils will
work together by forming small groups according to their
interest and abilities. The main objectives of this method are
learning by doing and learning by living together.
• According to Stevenson,
“A project is a problematic act carried to completion in its
natural setting.”
• In this method the teacher will work as a mere guide for the
pupils and the pupils will play an important role.
• Providing a situation
• Choosing and proposing the topic
• Planning
• Executing
• Evaluation of the project
• Recording of entire work
Merits
 This method facilitates learning by doing and team spirit.
 It promotes self confidence among pupils.
 This method provides the pupils a training in critical thinking
and impartial judgement.
 Dignity of labour is developed.
 It is psychologically sound.
 The correlation of the subject is best sought by this method.
Demerits
 This method is time consuming and very expensive and hence
the courses cannot be covered within a specified time.
 It is not suitable for all topics.
 Only expert teachers can be successful in using this method.
 The whole syllabus cannot be included in the form of projects.
 It requires well-equipped library and laboratory to carry out any
activity.
• This method is nothing but placing the students in the position
of the original investigators. Heuristic means „discovery‟ in
Greek. Henry Edward Armstrong of Imperial College, London
has strongly advocated this method and tried his best to place
his students in the position of the original discoverers.
Laboratory work is a must for every student where they can
discover something new. This method allowed the students to
think individually and independently and to discuss and
suggest modifications. This method supports that the student
should learn independently and there should be no spoon-
feeding on the part of the teacher. The students should learn the
skill of handling apparatus, doing experiments and solving the
problems.
Objective
The main objective of this method is to make the students more
critical, research minded, curious, observant and thoughtful. Also
it inculcates a habit of self-activity, self-dependence and provides
an inspiration to the students to work hard and think logically.

Procedure
In this method each student is given a sheet of instructions
regarding the problem, which is allotted to him. Any difficulty in
the problem can be guided by the teacher. The required apparatus
and devices are supplied to them. They should gather information
from different sources, record the observations and from them
draw inferences. The teacher asks the relevant questions. Thus it
becomes a training in scientific method and thereby the power of
reasoning can be developed. But for the success of this method,
the teacher should havve a heuristic attitude with research
minded outlook and should have the capacity to provide well-
arranged instructions of the objective-type nature as per the desire
of the students.
 This method facilitates learning by doing and thus it is
psychologically sound.
 With this method, students can develop the power of
observation, reasoning and drawing inferences.
 The students will become research minded.
 This will make the students to gain knowledge through self-
activity.
 This method gives training in scientific method.
 It solves the problem of individual differences.
 It is a very slow and long process and the students cannot
complete the prescribed course in time.
 It is difficult to draw conclusions, if the students are immature.
 It is very expensive as it involves a lot of laboratory equipment.
 it is difficult on the part of the teacher to write the book on
heuristic lines.
 It emphasizes more stress on process than on product.
 It is impossible to some extent that small children will discover
everything themselves.