ZQMS-ARC-REC-002

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

ASSIGNMENT COVER
REGION: MASVINGO________________________________________________________

PROGRAMME: POST GRADUATE DIPOMA IN EDUCATION______ INTAKE: 1.1____

FULL NAME OF STUDENT: JULIAN MBIRE ____________ PIN:_P2349026K_______

MAILING ADDRESS: P2349026K@students.zou.ac.zw_______________________________

CONTACT TELEPHONE/CELL: _0783704990__ID. NO.: 14-168836-H-83________________

COURSE NAME: _PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION______________

COURSE CODE: PGDE102_________

ASSIGNMENT NO. e.g. 1 or 2: __1_____________ DUE DATE: __15-04-2023___________

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Discuss how Brunner's approach to discovery learning can be applied
to teaching students between the ages of 11 - 16____________________________________

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Discuss how Brunner's approach to discovery learning can be applied to teaching students
between the ages of 11 - 16

There are many approaches to teaching that one may employ in their bid to impart knowledge
to students. In these scenarios, the teacher is tasked with designing the best way applicable in
the scenario they have and as such, teachers therefore need to be innovative. Teaching
methods also differs with regards to the subject one teaches. In this sense, when one is
teaching English subject, their preferred method of lesson delivery will always differ from when
one is teaching mathematics or other subjects.

One of the teaching methods that one may employ is the Brunner's approach to discovery
learning and in this essay the application of the same with regards to teaching children
between the ages of 11 - 16 will be analyzed.

Brunner's approach to discovery learning is a teaching method discovered by Brunner in which

he suggested that children learn much better and faster when they are taking learning as
solving of problems rather than the traditional lecture way of learning (Krisnawati, 2015).
Through Brunner's approach, the teacher has to create problems and give them to children
who will discover a lot of things including how to solve the problems and there by learning new
things through their own discovery (Bruner, 1966).

Children between 11 and 16 are usually in the upper primary level and lower secondary level
children whom the teacher will be aiming to built strong background and once such a strong
background is achieved, some problems in the subject or related subjects will be easy going for
them.

Discovery leaning as postulated by Brunner uses problem solving technique as a way of

imparting knowledge to children. The duty of the teacher in there scenarios will be to create
scenes that when the children attempts to solve, they will be learning something new.

In these early ages of life, the children will be aiming to be good problem solvers and basic
problems will be thrown at them. Once the children masters such, they will be in a position to
solve similar problems. The teacher should also be bringing back yesterday problems in a bid to
create memories for the children as they will need to remember some areas. Such throwing up
of old problems therefore entails revision like situation and the things will stick in the mind of
the children for longer periods thereafter.

In addition to the above, Brunner's theory acts as a tool of quick potential identification
amongst kids in a class (Bruner, 1966). As the kids reach the ages of 11 to 16, they will not have
undergone any much testing and as a result, their potential has not been brought up. Through
Brunner's approach, the teacher will be able to give problems to them and their ability to
quickly bring solutions up as well as their ability to see the different set of problems and solving
them will be key in long term bringing up of the child's future going forward (Hedge, 2003).

The theory also entails that the teacher will also be repeating concepts and see if the young
adults will be able to recall how they solved the previous same set of challenges in that regard.
The theory is therefore great in unearthing the hidden potential in these children graduating
into adulthood.

The use of discovery theory also entails the setting up of clear questions which encourages kids
to challenge status quo through asking so many questions that they have to find answers
themselves (Cohen, 1988). In these circumstances, the kids will be able to answer questions
such as how, what and why something is happening the way it is happening and also how they
can then manage obtaining situations (Krisnawati, 2015). As they will be taking through these
questions after questions, the children will be able to bring out their full capabilities and
therefore the teacher will know the deficiencies each student have. The duty of the teacher
therefore will be to facilitate the students get the questions which they are later required to
find solutions. The duty of the teacher will therefore be to facilitate the students learning and
guiding them through as they learn and not necessarily teaching them.

However Brunner's approach to teaching maybe somehow difficult to implement in subjects

such as English. The subject itself is a linguistic one whose thrust is to converse and not much
into situations that are into problem solving. The subject has very little interms of practical
situations and therefore maybe difficult to manufacture situations to give children to work on
for them to manufacture solutions (Hedge, 2003). This challenge is also applicable to all
linguistic subjects which include Shona and Ndebele subjects though its somehow applicable to
little areas like word to sentence construction. The approach by Brunner is therefore applicable
to subjects such as Agriculture which offers a more practical side.

In conclusion, the theory by Brunner is so helpful in directing learning especially to children

developing. Their ability to generate questions and thereafter answering them on their own is
very critical in development of a long lasting ability in one. The approach is however more
applicable to subjects that offers some practical episodes though they can be used in linguistics
though with less effective rate when compared to those that have some practical aspects.
References

1. Balim, A. G. (2009). The Effect of Discovery Learning on Students’ Success and Inquiry
Learning Skills. Eurasian Journal of Education Research

2. Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

3. Bruner, J. (1983). Child’s Talk: Learning to Use Language. New York: Norton.
4. Cohen, A. D. (1988). Assessing Language Ability in the Classroom (2nd Ed.). Boston, Heinle
Publishers.
5. Hedge, T. (2003). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. New York: Oxford
University Press

6.Krisnawati, Eli. (2015). The Implementation of Teaching Writing Using Discovery Learning to
the Eighth Grade Students