Time-Tested Method

o Having effectiveness that has been proved over a long period of time
o Done or used for a long time and proved to be effective
o Apply methods in preparing lesson plans based on the major subject. The concept of

method is probably as old as education itself. Methods include the use of Jesus
‘parables, the Socratic Method, Abelard’s scholastic method, Comenius’ natural
method of teaching, Pestalozzi’s object-teaching, the Herbartian steps in planning
lessons, and other methods which have withstood the test of time. Generally, time-
tested methods have the following types:

Inductive Method
o Also called Indirect Instruction
o The inductive teaching approach is a sort of discovery learning that focuses on the
student
o The inductive method is used when the rule, concept, truth, principles, facts or
generalization is simple enough such that pupils can state them by themselves after
observing and comparing examples or situations

o The inductive method can also be called the discovery method. Its principal aims are:
o To help learners discover for themselves important rules or truths through careful
observation of enough specific examples that will support the generalizations.
o To make meanings, explanations, and relationships of ideas clear to learners; and
o To enable learners to carry out their own investigation, independent of the
teacher’s.

Deductive Method
In the deductive method, the organization of the subject matter begins with law,
rule, definition, formula or concept. Then, individual cases are studied.
The aims of the deductive method are:
To teach learners to master difficulties by utilizing truths or rules to be established
by other learners;
Also called Direct Instruction
The deductive method is the reverse of the inductive procedure. In the inductive
way, specific cases are studied, and a generalization or rule is arrived at, while in the
deductive way, the lesson starts with a generalization and is tested or applied in
specific cases.

Problem Method
 The problem method maybe used in the study of either a unit or it may be used as
one of the methods utilized in a unit of study.
 Problems are assigned in advance, students use course material to solve the
problem, and the solutions are discussed in class.
  Problem solving removes difficulty or perplexity in learning through a process of
reasoning or reflective thinking.
 3 types: Mental, Symbolic, Real

Study Method
 Also, a deductive method
 Employs skills-building as well as discussion and teamwork between participants.
 Learners are put squarely in the shoes of real people wrestling with real dilemmas
 Interact with their peers through debate, presentations, and ad hoc role plays
 A typical topic is taken for detailed examination. Aims to study a typical topic
thoroughly and in detail so as to make the concept gathered as basis for comparison
in studying similar topics.
 Aims to organize into a coherent whole all necessary and related details

Morrisonian Technique/Unit Method (H.C. Morrison)

 Often used in the teaching of: Geography, History, Government, Economics,
Exploration
 The pupils should be taught: how to express answers in their own words, how to use
references, how to interview people, how to make use of maps, graphs, almanacs,
brochure, etc.
 Advantages: more true to life

Project Method
o A significant, practical unit of activity of a problematic nature, planned and carried
to completion involving the use of physical materials to complete the unit of
experience.

Laboratory Method
 A teaching procedure dealing with firsthand experiences regarding materials or facts
obtained from investigation or experimentation

Expository Method
Exposition means explaining or interpreting. It can be used to advantage when
information can be learned only by explanation like lessons in Math, Science, History,
and even some phenomena or procedures that cannot be experienced.

Lecture Method
Almost same as expository method, not commonly used.

Dramatization Teaching Method

 Refers to collection of teaching tools that include traditional drama techniques, such
as improvisation, storytelling, role playing and games

Developmental Method
Developmental method is the teacher’s application of some theory of educational
experiences and learning principles
 The method should be used only if the teacher has a thorough mastery of the
subject – matter and when the pupils have the ability and experience necessary to
understanding. This method is a reasoning procedure; hence, the teacher must be a
master of the learning situation.

Techniques of Teaching

Education, as with other industries, has evolved in leaps and bounds in recent years.
Traditional pedagogical techniques, based on a teacher explaining a topic and
students taking notes, may still be useful on occasion, but education today revolves more
around encouraging the student to awaken their curiosity and desire to learn.
A number of different teaching techniques have emerged due to this change in education.
Many of these teaching techniques are not actually new! The use of technology in the
classroom has simply given education a new lease of life allowing us to approach old ideas
in new ways.
Outlined below are some popular teaching techniques that have arisen from the integration
of technology in education.
Teachers are a completely essential part of our society, but teaching can be a difficult and
stressful job at times. 
Particularly when working with children and teenagers, it can be hard to retain focus,
manage behavior, and encourage active participation. In addition, teaching adults can have
its own challenges – it can be difficult for adult learners to absorb new things and change
old thinking patterns.
One thing that may help you deal with some of these challenges is learning about the
different teaching methods available. You don’t need to pick one method and stick to it, but
you may find that certain methods and styles are perfect for different learning
environments. 

Flipped Classroom (Inverting your class)

The Flipped Classroom Model basically involves encouraging students to prepare for the
lesson before class. Thus, the class becomes a dynamic environment in which students
elaborate on what they have already studied. Students prepare a topic at home so that the
class the next day can be devoted to answering any questions they have about the topic.
This allows students to go beyond their normal boundaries and explore their natural
curiosity.
GoConqr’s free online learning tools can be integrated into the Flipped Classroom teaching
model. Using GoConqr, you can easily share resources with a group, in this case a class,
allowing students to study these resources from home and prepare for the next class.

Design Thinking (Case Method)

This technique is based on resolving real-life cases through group analysis, brainstorming,
innovation and creative ideas. Although “Design Thinking” is a structured method, in
practice it can be quite messy as some cases may have no possible solution.
However, the Case Method prepares students for the real world and arouses their curiosity,
analytical skills and creativity. This technique is often used in popular MBA or Masters
classes to analyze real cases experienced by companies in the past.
Ewan McIntosh, an advocate of Design Thinking, created The Design Thinking School as part
of his “No Tosh” consulting group. No Tosh harnesses the creative practices of some of the
best media and tech companies in the world to coach teaching methods to implement the
concept. Design Thinking for Educators also provides teachers with an online toolkit with
instructions to explore Design Thinking in any classroom.

Self-learning
Curiosity is the main driver of learning. As a basic principle of learning, it makes little sense
to force students to memorize large reams of text that they will either begrudgingly recall or
instantly forget. The key is to let students focus on exploring an area which interests them
and learn about it for themselves.
A perfect example of a teaching technique based on self-learning is outlined by Sugata
Mitra at the TED conference. In a series of experiments in New Delhi, South Africa and Italy,
the educational researcher Sugata Mitra gave children self-supervised access to the
web. The results obtained could revolutionize how we think about teaching. The children,
who until then did not even know what the internet was, were capable
of training themselves in multiple subjects with unexpected ease.
A common technique for exploring self-learning is the use of Mind Maps. Teachers can
create a central node on a Mind Map and allow students the freedom to expand and
develop ideas. For example, if the focus is the Human Body, some students may create
Mind Maps on the organs, Bones or Diseases that affect the human body. Later the students
would be evaluated according to the Mind Maps they have created and could collaborate
with each other to improve each others Mind Maps and come to a more comprehensive
understanding of the Human Body.

Gamification
Learning through the use of games is one of the teaching methods that has already been
explored especially in elementary and preschool education. By using games, students learn
without even realizing. Therefore, learning through play or ‘Gamification‘ is a learning
technique that can be very effective at any age. It is also a very useful technique to keep
students motivated.
The teacher should design projects that are appropriate for their students, taking into
account their age and knowledge, while making them attractive enough to provide extra
motivation. One idea may be to encourage students to create quizzes online on a certain
topic. Students can challenge their peers to test themselves and see who gets a higher
score. In this way, students can enjoy the competition with peers while also having fun and
learning.

Social Media
 A variant of the previous section is to utilize social media in the classroom. Students today
are always connected to their social network and so will need little motivation to get them
engaged with social media in the classroom. The ways you can use teaching methods are
quite varied as there are hundreds of social networks and possibilities.
A good example is the initiative carried out by the Brazilian Academy of Languages “Red
Ballon”, which encouraged students to review the tweets of their favorite artists and correct
grammatical errors that they committed in an effort to improve their English language skills!

Free Online Learning Tools

There is an array of free online learning tools available which teachers can use to encourage
engagement, participation and a sense of fun into the classroom. Teachers can create an
interactive and dynamic classroom environment using, for example, online quizzes to test
student’s knowledge.
If you haven’t used GoConqr’s free online learning tools yet, sign up now to create Mind
Maps, Flashcards, Quizzes, Course and even Flowcharts. Encourage your students to sign up
to GoConqr too so that you can create a Group and invite each of your students to become
a member. This means you can share study resources directly with each student online and
even apply the Flipped Classroom Model to your teaching methods.

Online learning
Teaching online may not have been the norm for most teachers before the COVID-19
pandemic, but there have always been some teachers who prefer to work online. Online
tutors often enjoy the freedom of working from home, choosing their working hours, and
being their own boss.
But what exactly does teaching online consist of? Essentially, it is the process of educating
others using the internet, whether that’s through individual or group video calls, webinars,
or messaging platforms. Normally it will be a combination of things to keep students
engaged.
If you’re thinking about teaching online, or your current job requires you to teach online,
you’ll need to be comfortable with technology and the internet. This is because all of your
communication will be online, and you’ll need to create digital resources for your students.
These resources might be presentations, lesson plans, worksheets, videos, or audio lectures.
The great thing about online learning is that it’s accessible to many people. Not everyone is
able to go to school, but more people have access to the internet. Of course, technology can
be a barrier to education too, but as the years go by, this barrier is, fortunately, breaking
down.
The best place to start if you want to learn how to be an excellent online teacher is our
highly rated How To Teach Online: Providing Continuity for Students course. You’ll learn
how to successfully move from face-to-face teaching to online teaching so that you and your
students get the most out of learning.

Experiential learning
If you haven’t heard of experiential learning before, it’s the idea that learning is a product of
experience. If it sounds like something that you might be interested in, we have a whole
article that explores how to apply experiential learning in the classroom and beyond.

We can only gain experience from interacting and engaging with the world and people
around us. This learning theory comes from David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and
considers the role of all our experiences in learning, from emotions and cognition to our
environment. 
Kolb’s 1984 theory suggests that there are four main stages in the learning cycle:
 o Concrete experience. This is when the learner has a new experience, such as riding a
bike for the first time.
o Reflective observation. After the concrete experience, the learner must reflect on
their actions and watch others perform that action.
o Abstract conceptualization. The next step involves the learner making sense of their
reflections and making a plan for going forward. They might come up with next
steps and seek insight from experts.
o Active experimentation. During the final stage, the learner will consider their
reflections and previous lessons and then retry the original experience to see if any
progress has been made. This will lead to a new concrete experience, and so the
cycle restarts.
Experiential learning is a great teaching method because it encourages creativity, helps
students learn from mistakes, fosters reflective thinking, and prepares students for future
experiences. It can be effective for several subjects, especially during science experiments,
sports coaching, and group projects. 

Some simple ways to encourage experiential learning in your classroom include encouraging
students to assess themselves regularly and reflect on what they’ve learnt. As a teacher, you
might want to record yourself teaching or keep feedback journals so that you can reflect on
previous lessons. 

Differentiation
Differentiated learning is a teaching method that tailors instructions to students depending
on their individual needs. This method could be a great option if you’re teaching mixed-
ability classes and want everyone to get the most out of each lesson. To become a pro at
this teaching method, you can join our Differentiation for Learning course by STEM Learning.

This is a fairly traditional approach to teaching mixed-ability classes, but it can be successful
if managed sensitively. For example, some teachers may choose to teach entirely different
content depending on student ability. However, this can cause students to feel embarrassed
and teachers to feel burned out from trying to do too much at once. 

On this note, it’s important for teachers to ensure that they create an inclusive
classroom where students of all abilities are welcome, regardless of gender, race, sexuality
or disability. Differentiated learning should never be used to make some students feel
inferior to others.

A better way to approach differentiation is to teach in a variety of ways, including books,

films, images, and verbal presentations. This gives different students the opportunity to get
involved and understand the lesson content. You can even go further than that and offer
differentiated class activities and assessment styles.

For example, if the class topic is a Shakespeare play, you could allow students to
demonstrate their understanding in a number of ways. They could write an essay, give
an oral presentation, create an illustration or comic, or play to any other strengths they
have.
Blended learning
The next teaching method we’ll be exploring is blended learning. Essentially, blended
learning is a combination of traditional face-to-face learning and technology-based learning.
Although blended learning did exist before the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become more
popular with schools and universities in the two years. You can read all about it in
our blended learning blog post.

Using a blended learning model can be great for both students and teachers because it
forms a middle ground between traditional and technology-based methods. It uses enough
technology to keep students focused and interested, but it also provides opportunities for
students to talk in-person to teachers and fellow classmates, which can be invaluable. 
Some great examples of blended learning include:

 Station rotation. Students rotate around different ‘stations’ during lessons, with

these being a mixture of online and hands-on activities.
 Flex learning. Students are in class with teachers, but they primarily use online
learning methods. Teachers are there for support and instruction whenever needed.
 Virtual Reality. Students are in a physical classroom but are able to use Virtual
Reality (VR) to immerse themselves in an environment. This could be a historical
landmark, art gallery, or natural wonder, with the aim of capturing their attention
and furthering their learning.
 Enriched virtual learning. Activities and coursework are completed online using
digital technologies, but students can arrange face-to-face sessions when required.

It’s likely that blended learning models will become more predominant as time goes on and
our physical and digital lives become increasingly interlinked.

Game-based learning
If you want to focus on making your lessons more fun, engaging and interactive, then look
no further. Game-based learning, also known as gamification,  is a great way to engage
students, particularly those in primary and secondary education. 

The definition of gamification is a strategy that implements game-like elements into non-
gaming activities to enhance motivation. Since children are very interested in games,
from video games and mobile applications to simple playground and board games, this can
be a great place to start. 

As we explore in our blog post about gamification in education, playing video games has
been linked to dopamine production. So, incorporating some ideas from video games into
education can actually have positive effects on the mood of students, making them more
determined to succeed.

However, it is worth mentioning that gamification shouldn’t necessarily be used in every

context. Sometimes, lessons require more serious discussions. In addition, too much game-
based learning is likely to remove some of the fun and increased motivation that children
feel.
Here are some of the ways you can incorporate game-based learning into your lessons:
 Points systems
 Levels and progress bars
 Challenges and competitions
 Unique rewards
 Learning badges

Student-centered learning
You can probably guess what this approach focuses on – your students. While the success
and happiness of students is always a high priority for teachers, student-centered learning is
different to more traditional teaching methods. 

Teacher-centered learning, which is more common, requires the teacher to give classroom
instructions and lead the class for the majority of the time. With student-centered learning,
students are given more opportunities to choose what they want to learn and how they
want to learn it. This is also known as personalized learning.

In student-centered learning approaches, students are encouraged to take an active role in

the classroom, rather than taking part in more passive activities like listening to a lecture or
writing an essay. They will have lots of discussions with their peers and teachers, and they
will also be encouraged to ask questions, which is linked to inquiry-based learning.

Some great examples of this kind of approach include students taking part in debates, small
group projects, and fun roleplay scenarios together. As a teacher, it is your job to be an
excellent facilitator. You should encourage open communication, curiosity, creativity and
exploration. At the end of a classroom activity, the teacher should urge students to reflect
on what they have learned.

Approach

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 behaviors
are based.

Teacher-centered Approach
The teacher is perceived to be the only reliable source of information in contrast to
the learner-centered approach.

Learner-centered Approach
In which it is belief that the learner is also an important resource because he/she too
knows something and is therefore capable of sharing something.
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 student 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 demonstrates 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 engaged in the learning process
with his/her guidance.

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 or connects hi/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, partnerships, and group discussion

Technique
 A technique is implementation-that which actually takes place in a classroom. It is a
particular trick, procedure to accomplish an immediate objective. It must be
consistent with the method and harmony with approach as well.
 A technique is a detailed 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 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 a group centered interaction method. The brainstorming technique

describe a way of collecting ideas or information in a creative and uninhibited way
Examples:
System of rewards and punishments
If classroom become distracted a teacher may use the technique of silent reading.
A quick physical activity to distract or divert their attention.