Chapter 6: Instructional Strategies

What are Instructional Strategies?

A strategy is a general plan designed to achieve one or more long-term goals. The plan
includes special steps to be executed to reach the desired outcome.
An instructional strategy, therefore, is a set of techniques employed by a teacher to achieve
the desired learning outcomes in a particular topic or lesson.
The ultimate goal of instructional strategies is to build independent, strategic learners.

Learners will later adopt these

strategies. They select
appropriate ones and use them
effectively to accomplish tasks
and meet goals in different
domains of life.
Instructional Strategies can
✓Motivate learners
✓Focus their attention
✓Organize information presented
✓Monitor learning progress
✓Assess learning

So what do strategic learners need?

✓Step-by-step instruction
✓Varied approaches
✓Varied learning material
✓Appropriate support through modeling, guided practice, & independent practice
✓Opportunities to transfer skills + ideas across different situations
✓Real-life and meaningful connections
✓Opportunities to be independent
✓Encouragement to self-monitor their progress and reflect on it
✓Tools for self-reflection and self-assessment
 Effective instructional strategies apply to all grade levels,
age groups,
subjects/fields,
and learning environments.

Guided
Direct Cooperative Inquiry-Based
Discovery
Instruction Learning Learning
Learning
 Direct Instruction
• A structured form of instruction where students receive information from the teacher
directly.
• In this strategy, the teacher:
✓ sets the purpose of the lesson
✓ explains the content
✓ evaluates learned knowledge and skills based on repetition or replication of
information
So what are the steps of following this strategy?
1. Clearly defined objective: a clear statement of the what the students will be able to do
(skills) or acquire (knowledge)
2. Orientation: telling students where the lesson is going and why they are learning the
information – providing them with the “big picture” – could involve connecting old
knowledge to the new one – should be kept brief (1-3 minutes)
3. Well-organized, sequentially planned lessons: a lesson plan that makes optimal use of
instructional time
4. Input: the specific information (skills or knowledge) the students have to learn
5. Guided Practice: involves having students manipulate information under the
teacher’s guidance and observation
6. Questioning/Probing: techniques used as a type of formative assessment
(during learning) – to check student’s level of understanding
7. Independent Practice: application of what students already know – reinforces
the concept or skill taught
8. Revisit, Review, & Reapply: encountering skills and knowledge in different
situations – ensures growth of understanding and completion of learning
Can you think of examples of
how this strategy is applied?
 Cooperative Learning
• Students work in small groups to complete tasks or projects.
• Tasks are structured so that each group member contributes to the completion of task.
• Success is based on the group performance rather than individual one

• In this strategy, the learner benefits from:

✓ increased respect for others
✓ enhanced understanding of abilities, interests, and needs
✓ enhanced sense of responsibility for learning

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 Cooperative Learning

Forming Groups:
•How should they be formed?
•How should roles be assigned?

Group Achievement Marks/ grades:

•Should group tasks be graded?
•What issues arise because of them? What is the solution?

Group Discussions:
•Why are they important?
•What are the best practices in conducting them?

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So what are the tips of following this strategy?
1. Keeping groups small: 3-5 members is best
2. Creating diverse groups: learning from differences and boosting empathy and tolerance
3. Structuring the group to achieve teamwork success: each group member plays a role, has
a responsibility
4. Grouping students fairly: assigning groups and roles within
5. Teaching basic routines: maintains classroom management as students form groups
quickly and quietly (with low noise level), invite others to group, help them, and
encourage peers
6. Monitoring behavioral expectations: by scanning groups, using friendly
reminders, sitting and watching a group for a while, revisiting expectations (or
reattaching them)
7. Ensuring roles are clear: each student is aware of their role (posting them or
giving students cards)
8. Modeling collaborative skills: listening, allowing others to speak, helping,
respecting allotted time, etc.
9. Allowing students to evaluate the learning process: individually and as a group
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 Forming Groups:
•How should they be formed?
Using a variety of strategies ensures that students have an opportunity to work with many
different group members throughout the year/semester.

Pairing up
partners
(commons)

Find the Pick a

partner(s) slips card/stick

Automatic
group Chalkboard list
generator

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 Forming Groups:
•How should roles be assigned?
Roles depend on the task type. Each requires different roles to be successful. Some require 3;
others require 6.
Checker

•All roles are equally Observer Timekeeper

important and contribute
to the success of the group.
•Students need many
Material manager Questioner
opportunities to work in
small groups to improve
their ability to be part of a
team. Encourager Recorder
The number one reason
people fail at their jobs is
their inability to get along Reporter
with coworkers. 12
 Group Achievement Marks:
•Should group tasks be graded?
•What issues arise because of them? What is the solution?
• Group marks convey the wrong message about one’s performance and progress. Grades could
be out of the students’ control in certain cases, especially when they are partnered with low-
achievers.
• Group marks violate individual accountability. Certain students may find ways to manipulate
situations to their advantage, claiming responsibility for success or blaming others for failure.
• Group achievement marks are responsible for parents’, teachers’ and students’ resistance to
cooperative learning. The pressure it adds makes the student reluctant about it.

•Spencer Kagan suggests providing students with

feedback on their cooperative learning and social skills
in written form. He also suggests asking students to
set their own goals and use self-assessment to
promote learning and improve social skills

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 Group Discussions:
•Why are they important?
Group discussions are an integral part of the life skills classroom. They are
essential for:
• building background on specific issues
• creating motivation and interest
• giving students a medium for expressing and exploring new ideas and
information
• teaching students to articulate their views and respond to opinions that differ
from their own
• helping students consider other people’s perspectives
• developing effective problem-solving skills

Group discussions may involve the whole class or a small group. Groups of two to
six students work well.

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 Group Discussions:
•What are the best practices in conducting them?

• Create an atmosphere of openness, respect, and acceptance.

• Establish ground rules for discussion. Rules should include: − no humiliation or
criticism − no interrupting − everyone has the right to pass.
• Accept silence after a question. Students need to think before they respond.
• Encourage students to formulate their questions. Asking good questions is an
important part of learning.
• Encourage students to express what they think, not simply say what they think the
teacher or other students want to hear. Use “what if” questions to push the discussion
further.
• Offer situations in which people have a variety of opinions or emotions, not right and
wrong answers. Discuss the idea that sometimes the best solution is to agree or to
disagree.
• Ask “What else …” questions to encourage students to go beyond their first responses.
• Be proactive by avoiding inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. Be careful
in situations where students might reveal hurtful or embarrassing information about
themselves.
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Read the following situation. Identify the type of problem.
Suggest best practices.

During recess time, student Jenna visits Mrs. Kassen in her office.
Jenna looks upset. She complains to Mrs. Kassen that she does not like working
in groups. When asked why, Jenna replies that they are “many many things:
Number one: Tony and Sarah make fun of everything I say.
Number two: I am bored with being with same students every day.
Number three: Sometimes it is only Brian and I who do all the work. Tony,
Sarah, Jim, and Casey do not do anything.”

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