Instructional Strategies: Teacher-Centred vs Student-Centred Approaches

An approach is the overall philosophy about how learning happens (e.g. constructivist approach). A method is a planned, orderly way of presenting content (e.g. demonstration method). A strategy is a broader plan that combines methods to reach an objective (e.g. cooperative learning). A technique is a specific classroom action (e.g. think-pair-share, wait time).

A good teacher selects methods according to the objective, the learners' age and level, the nature of content, available time and resources, and class size.

The teacher is the main source of knowledge and controls content, pace and activities. Students mostly listen, note and reproduce.

• Lecture method – economical for large classes and for giving an overview; risk of passive learning and poor retention for young children.
• Demonstration method – teacher shows a process or skill step by step (e.g. using a microscope, drawing a bisector). Best for skills and procedures.
• Direct instruction – explicit, structured teaching: review → present → guided practice → independent practice → check.

Strengths: covers syllabus quickly, good for factual knowledge, easy to control the class.
Limitations: little active participation, ignores individual differences, weak development of higher-order thinking.

The learner is active; the teacher is a facilitator who plans experiences, asks questions and gives feedback.

• Discussion method – students exchange ideas under the teacher's guidance.
• Inquiry / discovery method – learners investigate questions and discover principles (associated with Jerome Bruner).
• Project method – purposeful, real-life activity carried out by students; introduced by W. H. Kilpatrick (follower of John Dewey). Steps: providing a situation, choosing, planning, executing, evaluating, recording.
• Heuristic method – "to find out"; students act like discoverers; associated with H. E. Armstrong (science teaching).
• Problem-solving method – identify problem → collect data → hypothesise → test → conclude.
• Activity-based learning, role play, field trips and games.

Strengths: deeper understanding, retention, motivation, communication and thinking skills.
Limitations: needs more time, planning and resources; harder in very large classes.

• Inductive: specific examples → general rule. E.g. students measure angles of many triangles and conclude the sum is 180°. Develops reasoning; slower.
• Deductive: general rule → specific examples. E.g. teacher states the formula for area, students apply it. Quick; risk of rote learning.

Good teaching often combines them: induct the rule, then deduce applications.

• From known to unknown
• From simple to complex
• From concrete to abstract
• From particular to general
• From whole to part (gestalt view) and back to whole
• From easy to difficult
• From observation to reasoning
• From psychological to logical (follow the child's interest first)

Example: teaching fractions using a cut chapati or pizza before writing ½ follows concrete to abstract.

1. Preparation – link to previous knowledge, motivate.
2. Presentation – present new content.
3. Association / comparison – connect new ideas with old ones.
4. Generalisation – draw rules or principles.
5. Application – use the rule in new situations.

Herbart's steps are the basis of the traditional lesson plan used in many B.Ed programmes in Pakistan.