Teaching Methods and IEC

Materials
By: Abdurezak K.(BSc, MPH)

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 Outline
• What is health education method
• Common health education methods
• Teaching materials/IEC materials/HLMs
• Common IEC materials

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 Learning outcomes
• At the end of this session, you will be able to,
 Differentiate teaching method and IEC materials
 Describe common teaching methods
 Discuss common IEC materials

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 Teaching Methods
• Teaching Methods refers to ways through which
messages are conveyed to achieve a desired
behavioral changes in a target audience
• In health education it is not enough to decide what
will be done; by whom and when, we also need to
decide how it will be done (methods)

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 Common teaching methods
Informal methods Formal methods
• Health talk • Conference
• Lecture • Workshop
Brainstorming • Seminar
Group discussion • Panel discussion
Buzz group
discussion • Symposium
• Role play
• Drama
• Case studies
• Demonstration
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 Informal methods
1. Health talks
• When talks are on health agenda we call it health
talks
• It is the most natural way of communicating with
people to share health knowledge and facts
• Can be conducted with one person or with a family or
group of people or through mass communication

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 Informal methods
2. Lecture
• It is oral, simple, quick and traditional way of
presentation of the subject matter
• Presents factual material in direct, logical manner
• Economical
• In most cases audience is passive

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 Forms of lecture
• Traditional lecture--teacher/health worker is the only
speaker
• Participatory lectures--begins with learner
brainstorming and use pause in between
• Feedback lecture- mini lectures followed by small
group discussion, it gives opportunity to manipulate
lecture content
• Mediated lecture- use of media such as films, slides
along with traditional methods

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 Informal...
• Group discussion
Strength and weakness??

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 Buzz group
• A large group is divided into small group, of not
more than 10 or 12 people in each small group and
they have given a time to discuss the problem
• Then, the whole group is reconvened and the
reporters of the small groups will report their
findings and recommendation

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 Brainstorming

 Strengths
• Allows creative thinking for new ideas
• Encourages full participation because all ideas
equally recorded
• Draws on group's knowledge and experience
 Limitations
• If not facilitated well, criticism and evaluation may
occur, can be unfocused

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 Demonstration
• “Showing how is better than telling how”
• Although basically focuses on practice/skill it
involves theoretical teaching as well
– You remember 20% of what you hear
– You remember 50% of what you hear and see
– You remember 90% of what you hear, see, and do
and with repetition close to 100% is remembered

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 Demonstration
• Explain the idea and skills that you will be
demonstrating
• Do the demonstration
• Give an explanation as you go along
• Do one step at a time
• Ask one person to repeat the demonstration
• Give every one chance to practice

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 Role play
• A type of drama in a simplified manner; it portrays
expected behavior of people
• It is a spontaneous and /or unrehearsed acting out
of real life situations. Script is not necessary
• It is a very direct way of learning; you are given a
role or character and have to think and speak
immediately without detailed planning

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 Role play
• Few minutes for instruction and 5-10 minutes for
them to plan & think
• A role play should last about 20 minutes
• Allow another 20-30 minutes for discussion
• Learning takes place through active experience; is
not passive
• Uses situations that the members of the group are
likely to find themselves during their lives

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 Purpose of Role play
• People can better understand their problem and the
behavior associated with the problem
• To develop empathy

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 Drama
• Drama is a presentation, in which the subject matter
or topic is studied well either written or in words,
and then presented in educative and recreating
manner
• Needs detail planning and script development,
practicing

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 Drama
• Audiences identify with characters and setting in a
serial drama
• For example, if the characters and settings are
familiar to audiences, they can identify with the
situations, and feelings of the characters
• Drama is very effective in behavior change
communication

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 Drama
• Many dramas portray positive, negative and
transitional role models
• Positive characters: model healthy values and
behavior, and they are rewarded.
• Negative characters: model unhealthy behavior and
antisocial values, and they suffer as a result
• Transitional character: audience are uncertain at
first about which behavior to adopt

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 Case Study
• Is an in-depth analysis of real or simulated problems
that help audiences to identify problems and suggest
solutions according to their own contexts

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 Traditional methods
1. Poems
2. Songs
3. Proverbs
4. Dances with songs
5. Fables
6. Games
7. Stories
8. Town criers

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 Traditional methods
• Traditional methods are useful for the following
reasons
• They are realistic and based on the daily lives of
local people
• They can communicate attitudes, beliefs, values
and feelings in powerful ways

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 Traditional..
• They can motivate people to change behavior
• They can show ways to solve problems
• Usually they are very interesting

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 Selection methods for Health Education
• Consider the following things before choosing
health education methods
1. How ready and able are people to change?
2. Your ‘learning’ objectives
3. How many people are involved?
4. Is the method appropriate to the local culture?

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 Selection...
5. What resources are available?
6. What mixture of methods is needed?
7. Subject matter
8. Limitations of time
9. What methods fit the characteristics of the target
group?

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 Selection..
Note that
• It is important thing to remember that effective
health education is seldom achieved through the use
of one method alone
• The best method of teaching combines the
various methods

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 Scientific methods
• Formal methods----Scientific methods
• Seminars are educational events that feature one or
more information primarily via lecture and
discussion
• A seminar is a lecture or presentation delivered to
an audience on a particular topic or set of topics
that are educational in nature
• About an hour for 10-50 individuals

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 Scientific methods
• A workshop: a period of discussion and
practical work on a particular subject in which
a group of people share their knowledge and
experiences
• It is a series of educational and work sessions
• It also means a group working together, on a
creative project, discussing a topic, or
studying subject

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 Scientific methods
• A Symposium: is typically a more formal or
academic gathering, featuring multiple experts
delivering short presentations on a particular topic
• Conference refers to meeting for lectures of
discussion where representative of various
stakeholders participate
• Not limited to academic activities only; beyond
academic where many diverse participants
participate

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 Health Learning Materials
HLMs/IEC Materials
• HLMs: are those teaching aids which give
information and instruction about health
specifically directed to a clearly defined group of
audience

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 HLMs/IEC Materials…
• IEC is the process of working with individuals,
communities and societies to develop communication
strategies to promote positive behavior which are
appropriate to their health setting
• Is providing of information to help people to make a
personal decision

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 Role of IEC materials in BCC
• Can speak to the people without the presence of
communicator
• It serves as transferring of health message or acts as
channel to carry a message to target audiences
• Can enhance the understanding, the credibility and
the believability of health message
• It can remind the public the message they can
received from different sources.

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 Roles…
• It can motivate the public to seek for further
information
• Some IEC materials serve as means of delivering
health message on very sensitive issues. For
example, leaflets

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 Roles...
• Individual Level
– Increase knowledge of health risk/ solution/
services
– Promote attitude change
– Reduce stigma and discrimination
– Create a demand for information and services
– Promote services for prevention, care and
support
– Improve skills and sense of self-efficacy

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 Roles...
• Community/Environmental Level
– Stimulate community dialogue
– Gain support of Community leaders
– Address and change community norms
– Reduce stigma and discrimination
– Advocate for policy development or change

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 Roles...
• To foster positive behavior
• Promote and sustain individual, community,
and societal behavior change
• Maintain appropriate behavior

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 HLMs…
 There are four types of Health learning
materials:
– Printed HLMs
– Visual HLMs
– Audio HLMs
– Audio-visual HLMs

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 Printed HLMs
• It is the production of multiple copies of an original
image usually using ink pressed on to paper.
– It involves the exchange of facts, ideas, and
opinions through a written Instrument/materials
– It can be used as a medium in its own right or
as support for other kinds of media

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 Printed materials
 Example of printed IEC materials
1. Poster
2. Flipcharts
3. Leaflets
4. Booklets
5. Cards
6. News paper etc

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 Printed..

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 Contents of poster
• All words in a poster should be in language the
community understand or in two language
• The words should be few and simple to
understand.max of 7 words
• Put only one idea on a poster
• The poster should encourage practice action oriented
• The symbols should understood irrespective of
educational status

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 Contents
• Colors and pictures should be eye catching and
meaning full
• It is better to use life pictures
• It should attract attention at least 10m away

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 Contents…

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 Purpose of poster
• To reinforce /remind a message the public is
receiving through other channels
• To give information or advice
• To give direction and instructions for actions

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 Leaflets…

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 Flip chart
Purpose
• To give information and instructions
• There should be a single separate idea on a chart
• The arrangement should follow a logical order

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 Cont’d
• Brochure~ leaflets
• But it’s longer than leaflets
• It can explain things in more detail.
• It is useful for long-term use and is less likely to be
thrown away
Content should be CARE
Clear, accurate, readable, have empathy

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 Leaflet or flyer(handbill)
• Leaflet or flyer is usually a short, often urgent,
written message printed on just one side of single a
standard weight paper
• Once there are more than five sheets it is common
to use the term “booklets”

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 Purpose of flyers, brochures
• Are useful reinforcement for individual and group
sessions
• Serve as reminder of main points
• They are also helpful for sensitive subjects
• Can provide people with enough basic information
to encourage them to ask more

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 Visual HLMs
• Include something seen, for example models, real
objects, and photographs.
• Written words are not included under visuals
• Visuals are one of the strongest methods of
communicating messages, especially where literacy
status is low

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 Visual HLMs…
• Real objects-are just those-real
• If your display is on ‘family planning methods’, you
would display real IUCD, Pills
• Models -Are three dimensional objects which look
like the real objects. Models might be used for 3
reasons
1. If the real objects are not available
2. If the real object is too big to display.
3. If the real object is too small to be seen easily

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 Characteristics of HLMs..
• Arouse interest if of high quality
• Provide clear mental picture of the message
• Speed up understanding
• Stimulate active thinking and learning
• Help develop memory

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 Audio HLMs..
• Any thing heard such as spoken word, health talk,
sound
• Radio and Audio cassettes,
• radio spots, radio programs
• Real life history presentation( such as Betegna
radio program)
• Reaches more people

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 Audio visual HLMs
• Audio visuals are multi-sensory materials- combine
both seeing and listening
• They convey messages with high motivational
appeals
• It show real life situation and entertaniable

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