CHAPTER 2

Teaching Approaches and Methods

Summary

                Teaching approaches and methods are essential in an instruction as it embodies the ways of how a teacher delivers his or her lesson. The learning and the understanding of the lesson depends on how suited and organized these approaches and methods a teacher is using. Approaches as defined is a set of opinion that reflects the beliefs about the nature of the learner or in what way you are going to handle the learners. The K to 12, as a new curriculum,  includes fifteen (15) approaches for their students that is based on the principles cited in an Act. These are: 1.) Learner-centered wherein the students are its primary consideration; 2.) Inclusive where the students are treated equally and no one  is excluded from the class; 3.) Developmentally Appropriate where the tasks required for the students are suited on their developmental stages; 4.) Responsive and Relevant which means making the teaching meaningful by connecting the topic to real life situations and experiences; 5.)Research-based which is a more interesting and updated approach as it integrates research findings and gives the students the opportunity to discover things; 6.) Culture-sensitive which is anchored for the respect for the variation of culture; 7.) Contextualized and Global puts a certain lesson in a context which connects to a broader context as the learner’s level of schooling progresses. It may also contain local and global contexts.; 8.) Constructivist wherein the students learn to discover things and be responsible for their  own learning through experiences; 9.) Inquiry-based  is an approach on where the students will learn to formulate questions as well as to write researches;  10.) Reflective Approach; 11.) Collaborative wherein a  group of students, can be with the teacher, works together to complete a certain task; 12.)Integrative, this can be in different discipline. It combines real life events to a certain lesson or combines subject to another subject; 13.) Mother-Tongue Based, in which the instruction is done with the use of mother tongue as its medium;  14.) Spiral Progression wherein it deals with the concepts that can be added by another concept as the students progress. It is commonly used in the topics of science and math and; 15.) flexible, indigenized localized.

                If there are Approaches, there must also be Methods because those are essential partners that work together in an instruction. Method is an overall plan of a presentation of a lesson and it must be logically arranged. It is more on procedures. In teaching, there are two commonly used methods, the Deductive and the Inductive Method. If you start with a generalization or a rule and then ends with examples and illustrations, it is a Deductive way of teaching. On the other hand, the Inductive method starts with a concrete example and details then ends with a generalization or conclusion. The effectiveness of the method relies on the readiness of both teacher and learner, the nature of the subject matter and the time allotment for a subject. Techniques which also can be found and involved sometimes are the specific activities done in the classroom that is based on the method and in line with the approach as well.

Reflection

                The lesson made me realize that Approaches must be parallel with the Methods and Techniques to achieve a harmonious and proper delivery of the lesson. Also, they must be aligned and connected with each other for the lesson to be effective and productive. There are no better or best method because the students’ abilities and capabilities vary from one another. You can only measure the effectiveness of the instruction if the outcomes are achieved and there are positive changes in the learner’s behavior. The Approaches, methods and techniques must be well planned for the students to gain interest and motivate them to learn more about the topic. If I am going to teach someday, I will use two or more approaches that suits my lesson not only for it to be creative but also to test the multiple intelligences of every learner. I will also think of a new activities and games on my techniques to catch their interest and motivate them. I will also make sure that my methods are well planned, in line with my approaches, organized and well prepared so that my instruction will be on track and logically arranged. I believe that each of us can create and formulate new approaches and methods but it takes lot of experiences and knowledge in order to achieve that. 

What if there is no certain Approach that is used in an instruction?

 What if the teacher just instruct without considering his students?