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Methods and Strategies of Teaching Social Science
Methods and Strategies of Teaching Social Science
A teacher has to make use of various kinds of methods, devices and techniques of teaching.A teacher
has to make use of a suitable method for making his teaching meaningful, purposeful, interesting and
effective. A good method of teaching can bring out good results even from a weak curriculum.On the
other hand a bad method of teaching can make a mess of a good curriculum. Therefore,it can rightly be
said that success or failure of teaching depends on its methods. The methods of teaching should be
according to the needs and interests of learners.
o It should provide a group of related experiences and activities, arranged on an individual as well as
group basis.
o It should give scope for the creative expression of the child’s individuality.
o It should shift emphasis from verbalism and memorization to learning through purposeful, concrete
and realistic situations.
o It should train the students in the techniques of self-study and the methods of acquiring knowledge
through personal effort or intuition.
o It should awaken an interest in the materials and techniques used by social scientists.
a) LECTURE METHOD
Ø Lecture method is for imparting authentic,systematic and effective information about some events
and trends
Merits
§ A well prepared and a well delivered lecture can make social studies interesting
§ Lecture gives the teacher an opportunity to come into immediate contact with the pupils
§ Lecture gives the pupils training in in listening and taking rapid notes
Demerits
· An average students may not be able to fix up their attention to a lecture of 40-45 minutes
Ø In this method the learner is required to solve a problem, making use of his previous knowledge.
Ø According to Dewey ‘the problem fixes the end of thought and the end controls the process of
thinking’
· The problem should not be entirely unfamiliar to the learners it should be related to their previous
experience
· The problem should have the potential to create interest among in the specific problem in
particular and problem solving in general
MERITS
DEMERITS
o The problem solving method can easily lead to the selection of trivial and untimely topics
o This is appropriate for developing cognitive competencies,but not for bringing about affective
changes
c) PROJECT METHOD
Project method is based upon the ideas of the great American educationalist, Mr. John Deway. The
credit of developing these ideas into a method goes to Mr. William Kilpatrick.According to him ‘A project
is a whole hearted purposeful activity,proceeding in a social environment’
According to Stevenson : “A project is a problematic act carried to completion in its natural setting”.
According to Deway, Children should be given education to satisfy their needs of life and the school
should function like a mini society in which and through the students would acquire education by
engaging themselves in a variety of group projects nothing is forced upon children .The teacher acts only
as a guide.
1. Providing a situation
Merits
Demerits
Ø It is an expensive method
d)Source Method
Source method is that method of teaching in which original sources of information are used to
explain a point or variety a fact or establish a principle or describe an event.This method involves activity
on the parts of the teachers as well as pupils.
Sourcemethod can be used in the beginning of the lesson to motivate the pupils. While
teaching the topic Mugalempire,he may show them the pictures of Red fort, Tajmahal or Juma masjid
This method can be used during the course of the lesson to develop it and correlate the facts
events or principles involved in the lesson.
Merits
· The original sources serve as an effective means for creating a right type of atmosphere
Demerits
· It is not always possible for the teacher of school to have easy access to the sources
· Use of sources is not easy for the teachers and they are not trained in their use
Arthur C Binning and David H Binning describe that “by supervised study we mean the supervision
by the teacher of a group or class of pupils as they work at their desk or around their tables”
v development of skills
Limitations
v It is a costly method
v bright people is not helped under this method and in some cases is even hindered by the method
v It requires the lengthened school day,which is not possible due to various pressures of co-curricular
activities.
f) Dramatization Method
Dramatization has been described as a ‘synthetic art’,involving the purposive co-ordination and
control of the delicate organs of speech and muscles of the body combined with a sense of rhythm, with
a view to free and intelligent expression of emotions and ideas.
· It is a co -operative enterprise and develops the qualities of co-operation and social understanding
· There are many activities in a drama,and as such students of diverse aptitudes get chance to
choose items for which they are best suited and satisfy their urges, e.g.: self-expression through the
various activities of a drama
Selection of play
F Debate
§ After this ,the rest of the class is encouraged to ask question from the debaters or engage in a brief
discussion with them
§ A debate has a moderator in order to get significant results, the teacher should work both with the
debaters and the class
Merits
g) Role Play
§ Role playing can be defined as an attempt to make a situation clear or to solve a problem by
uncharged dramatization
§ To culminate units
§ To change attitudes
§ To teach values
§ To develop citizenship skill by showing both the successful and unsuccessful methods
I. Preparing
Ø Discussion
Ø Re-enactment
Advantages
Disadvantages
· Pupils who are not well prepared for role playing may not take it seriously
· Role playing will not work unless the atmosphere in the classroom is supportive
· Pupils find it difficult to enter the roles properly,especially if they are not well briefed on the
assignments
· Role playing does not always take the direction one hopes
· For role playing to work well, one needs a group of sensitive,imaginative,open minded pupils who
know each other well enough to be at case with each other.
Co-operative Learning
Is an approach to organize classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences.
It differs from group work, and it has been described as "structuring positive interdependence.
Cooperative Learning involves structuring classes around small groups that work together in
such a way that each group member's success is dependent on the group's success.
ü Students who engage in cooperative learning learn significantly more, remember it longer, and
develop better critical-thinking skills than their counterparts in traditional lecture classes.
ü Students enjoy cooperative learning more than traditional lecture classes, so they are more likely to
attend classes and finish the course.
ü Cooperative learning helps students develop the skills necessary to work on projects too difficult and
complex for any one person to do in a reasonable amount of time.
v Is a method of instruction that has students working together in groups, usually with the goal of
completing a specific task.
v This method can help students develop leadership skills and the ability to work with others as a team.
v However, gifted students are often placed in groups with non-gifted children, sometimes with the goal
of having the gifted student help the others, either directly or by example.
v In these instances, the gifted student is not likely to learn anything new, while the non-gifted students
are not likely to develop any leadership skills.
Collaborative Learning
· Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn
something together
· Unlike individual learning, people engaged in collaborative learning capitalize on one another’s
resources and skills,asking one another for information, evaluating one another’s ideas, monitoring one
another’s work, etc..
· More specifically, collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created
within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences and take on asymmetry
roles.
Multimedia refers to content that uses a combination of differentcontent forms. This contrasts with
media that use only rudimentary computer displays such as text-only or traditional forms of printed or
hand-produced material.
Importance
§ Multimedia approach uses a number of media, devices, and techniques in the teaching learning
process.
§ Multimedia approach can convey vast information and provide many sources from which student can
access the information
§ Multimedia approach is not restricted to a single type of learning style. It can provide the support of a
wide range of activities.
§ Multimedia approach aims at providing meaningful learning experience via a mix of media in order to
achieve predetermined objectives.
§ Multimedia approach provides the opportunity to gain mastery of competencies and skills
ICT is often used as an extended synonym for information technology(IT), but is a more specific term
that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications, computers
as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable
users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.
The role of ICT in education is to empower the technology into present educational activities. ICT allows
open source learning rather than manual source, hence encouraging students to learn new ideas. ICT
also brings about active learning, collaborative, creative, integrative and evaluative aspects to the
education sector.
DEFINITION
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a generic name used to describe a range of technologies
for gathering, storing, retrieving, processing, analysing, and transmitting information
General benefits;
Ø Communication channels are increased through email, discussion groups and chat rooms.
Ø Regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a beneficial motivational influence on
students’ learning.
· Access to up-to-date pupil and school data, any time and anywhere.
· Students are generally more ‘on task’ and express more positive feelings when they use computers
than when they are given other tasks to do.
· Computer use during lessons motivated students to continue using learning outside school hours.
· Higher quality lessons through greater collaboration between teachers in planning and preparing
resources .
· Improved pastoral care and behaviour management through better tracking of students
ICTs can enhance the quality of education in several ways: by increasing learner motivation and
engagement by facilitating the acquisition of basic skills, and by enhancing teacher training. ICTs are also
transformational tools which, when used appropriately, can promote the shift to a learner-centered
environment.
· Motivating to learn. ICTs such as videos, television and multimedia computer software that
combine text, sound, and colorful, moving images can be used to provide challenging and authentic
content that will engage the student in the learning process. Interactive radio likewise makes use of
sound effects, songs, dramatizations, comic skits, and other performance conventions to compel the
students to listen and become involved in the lessons being delivered.
· Facilitating the acquisition of basic skills. The transmission of basic skills and concepts that are the
foundation of higher order thinking skills and creativity can be facilitated by ICTs through drill and
practice.
· Enhancing teacher training. ICTs have also been used to improve access to and the quality of
teacher training.
Disadvantages of ICT
Ø One of the major barriers for the cause of ICT not reaching its full potential in the foundation stage is
teacher’s attitude.
Ø According to Hara (2004), within the early years education attitudes towards ICT can vary
considerably. Some see it as a potential tool to aid learning whereas others seem to disagree with the
use of technology in early year settings.
Ø Blatchford and Whitebread (2003:16), suggests that the use of ICT in the foundation stage is
“unhealthy and hinders learning”.
Ø Other early years educators who are opposed to offering ICT experiences within the educational
settings take a less extreme view than this and suggest that ICT is fine, but there are other more vital
experiences that young children will benefit from, (Blatchford and Whitebread, 2003).
Ø In theory some people may have the opinion that the teachers who had not experienced ICT
throughout their learning tend to have a negative attitude towards it, as they may lack the training in
that area of the curriculum.
Ø Another important drawback to using ICT in schools is the fact that computers are expensive.
Ø According to the IT learning exchange (2001), in most schools ICT will be the single largest curriculum
budget cost. This may be seen as a good thing but on the other hand there will be little money left over
for other significant costs.
Reference
* www.wikipedia.org
* www.ncert.nic.in
* www.air.org
* www.ask.com
* www.cooperation.org
* www.literacybridge.org
* www.collaborativelearning.org
* www.preservearticles.com