essay about teaching methods

Teaching Methods and Strategies: The Complete Guide

You’ve completed your coursework. Student teaching has ended. You’ve donned the cap and gown, crossed the stage, smiled with your diploma and went home to fill out application after application.

Suddenly you are standing in what will be your classroom for the next year and after the excitement of decorating it wears off and you begin lesson planning, you start to notice all of your lessons are executed the same way, just with different material. But that is what you know and what you’ve been taught, so you go with it.

After a while, your students are bored, and so are you. There must be something wrong because this isn’t what you envisioned teaching to be like. There is.

Figuring out the best ways you can deliver information to students can sometimes be even harder than what students go through in discovering how they learn best. The reason is because every single teacher needs a variety of different teaching methods in their theoretical teaching bag to pull from depending on the lesson, the students, and things as seemingly minute as the time the class is and the subject.

Using these different teaching methods, which are rooted in theory of different teaching styles, will not only help teachers reach their full potential, but more importantly engage, motivate and reach the students in their classes, whether in person or online.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods, or methodology, is a narrower topic because it’s founded in theories and educational psychology. If you have a degree in teaching, you most likely have heard of names like Skinner, Vygotsky , Gardner, Piaget , and Bloom . If their names don’t ring a bell, you should definitely recognize their theories that have become teaching methods. The following are the most common teaching theories.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is the theory that every learner is essentially a “clean slate” to start off and shaped by emotions. People react to stimuli, reactions as well as positive and negative reinforcement, the site states.

Learning Theories names the most popular theorists who ascribed to this theory were Ivan Pavlov, who many people may know with his experiments with dogs. He performed an experiment with dogs that when he rang a bell, the dogs responded to the stimuli; then he applied the idea to humans.

Other popular educational theorists who were part of behaviorism was B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura .

Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory is typically spoken about at the early childhood level because it has to do with critical thinking with the biggest concept being the idea of play, according to Edwin Peel writing for Encyclopedia Britannica . Though Bandura and Lev Vygotsky also contributed to cognitive theory, according to Dr. Norman Herr with California State University , the most popular and first theorist of cognitivism is Piaget.

There are four stages to Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development that he created in 1918. Each stage correlates with a child’s development from infancy to their teenage years.

The first stage is called the Sensorimotor Stage which occurs from birth to 18 months. The reason this is considered cognitive development is because the brain is literally growing through exploration, like squeaking horns, discovering themselves in mirrors or spinning things that click on their floor mats or walkers; creating habits like sleeping with a certain blanket; having reflexes like rubbing their eyes when tired or thumb sucking; and beginning to decipher vocal tones.

The second stage, or the Preoperational Stage, occurs from ages 2 to 7 when toddlers begin to understand and correlate symbols around them, ask a lot of questions, and start forming sentences and conversations, but they haven’t developed perspective yet so empathy does not quite exist yet, the website states. This is the stage when children tend to blurt out honest statements, usually embarrassing their parents, because they don’t understand censoring themselves either.

From ages 7 to 11, children are beginning to problem solve, can have conversations about things they are interested in, are more aware of logic and develop empathy during the Concrete Operational Stage.

The final stage, called the Formal Operational Stage, though by definition ends at age 16, can continue beyond. It involves deeper thinking and abstract thoughts as well as questioning not only what things are but why the way they are is popular, the site states. Many times people entering new stages of their lives like high school, college, or even marriage go through elements of Piaget’s theory, which is why the strategies that come from this method are applicable across all levels of education.

The Multiple Intelligences Theory

The Multiple Intelligences Theory states that people don’t need to be smart in every single discipline to be considered intelligent on paper tests, but that people excel in various disciplines, making them exceptional.

Created in 1983, the former principal in the Scranton School District in Scranton, PA, created eight different intelligences, though since then two others have been debated of whether to be added but have not yet officially, according to the site.

The original eight are musical, spatial, linguistic, mathematical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic and most people have a predominant intelligence followed by others. For those who are musically-inclined either via instruments, vocals, has perfect pitch, can read sheet music or can easily create music has Musical Intelligence.

Being able to see something and rearrange it or imagine it differently is Spatial Intelligence, while being talented with language, writing or avid readers have Linguistic Intelligence. Kinesthetic Intelligence refers to understanding how the body works either anatomically or athletically and Naturalistic Intelligence is having an understanding of nature and elements of the ecosystem.

The final intelligences have to do with personal interactions. Intrapersonal Intelligence is a matter of knowing oneself, one’s limits, and their inner selves while Interpersonal Intelligence is knowing how to handle a variety of other people without conflict or knowing how to resolve it, the site states. There is still an elementary school in Scranton, PA named after their once-principal.

Constructivism

Constructivism is another theory created by Piaget which is used as a foundation for many other educational theories and strategies because constructivism is focused on how people learn. Piaget states in this theory that people learn from their experiences. They learn best through active learning , connect it to their prior knowledge and then digest this information their own way. This theory has created the ideas of student-centered learning in education versus teacher-centered learning.

Universal Design for Learning

The final method is the Universal Design for Learning which has redefined the educational community since its inception in the mid-1980s by David H. Rose. This theory focuses on how teachers need to design their curriculum for their students. This theory really gained traction in the United States in 2004 when it was presented at an international conference and he explained that this theory is based on neuroscience and how the brain processes information, perform tasks and get excited about education.

The theory, known as UDL, advocates for presenting information in multiple ways to enable a variety of learners to understand the information; presenting multiple assessments for students to show what they have learned; and learn and utilize a student’s own interests to motivate them to learn, the site states. This theory also discussed incorporating technology in the classroom and ways to educate students in the digital age.

Teaching Styles

From each of the educational theories, teachers extract and develop a plethora of different teaching styles, or strategies. Instructors must have a large and varied arsenal of strategies to use weekly and even daily in order to build rapport, keep students engaged and even keep instructors from getting bored with their own material. These can be applicable to all teaching levels, but adaptations must be made based on the student’s age and level of development.

Differentiated instruction is one of the most popular teaching strategies, which means that teachers adjust the curriculum for a lesson, unit or even entire term in a way that engages all learners in various ways, according to Chapter 2 of the book Instructional Process and Concepts in Theory and Practice by Celal Akdeniz . This means changing one’s teaching styles constantly to fit not only the material but more importantly, the students based on their learning styles.

Learning styles are the ways in which students learn best. The most popular types are visual, audio, kinesthetic and read/write , though others include global as another type of learner, according to Akdeniz . For some, they may seem self-explanatory. Visual learners learn best by watching the instruction or a demonstration; audio learners need to hear a lesson; kinesthetic learners learn by doing, or are hands-on learners; read/write learners to best by reading textbooks and writing notes; and global learners need material to be applied to their real lives, according to The Library of Congress .

There are many activities available to instructors that enable their students to find out what kind of learner they are. Typically students have a main style with a close runner-up, which enables them to learn best a certain way but they can also learn material in an additional way.

When an instructor knows their students and what types of learners are in their classroom, instructors are able to then differentiate their instruction and assignments to those learning types, according to Akdeniz and The Library of Congress. Learn more about different learning styles.

When teaching new material to any type of learner, is it important to utilize a strategy called scaffolding . Scaffolding is based on a student’s prior knowledge and building a lesson, unit or course from the most foundational pieces and with each step make the information more complicated, according to an article by Jerry Webster .

To scaffold well, a teacher must take a personal interest in their students to learn not only what their prior knowledge is but their strengths as well. This will enable an instructor to base new information around their strengths and use positive reinforcement when mistakes are made with the new material.

There is an unfortunate concept in teaching called “teach to the middle” where instructors target their lessons to the average ability of the students in their classroom, leaving slower students frustrated and confused, and above average students frustrated and bored. This often results in the lower- and higher-level students scoring poorly and a teacher with no idea why.

The remedy for this is a strategy called blended learning where differentiated instruction is occurring simultaneously in the classroom to target all learners, according to author and educator Juliana Finegan . In order to be successful at blended learning, teachers once again need to know their students, how they learn and their strengths and weaknesses, according to Finegan.

Blended learning can include combining several learning styles into one lesson like lecturing from a PowerPoint – not reading the information on the slides — that includes cartoons and music associations while the students have the print-outs. The lecture can include real-life examples and stories of what the instructor encountered and what the students may encounter. That example incorporates four learning styles and misses kinesthetic, but the activity afterwards can be solely kinesthetic.

A huge component of blended learning is technology. Technology enables students to set their own pace and access the resources they want and need based on their level of understanding, according to The Library of Congress . It can be used three different ways in education which include face-to-face, synchronously or asynchronously . Technology used with the student in the classroom where the teacher can answer questions while being in the student’s physical presence is known as face-to-face.

Synchronous learning is when students are learning information online and have a teacher live with them online at the same time, but through a live chat or video conferencing program, like Skype, or Zoom, according to The Library of Congress.

Finally, asynchronous learning is when students take a course or element of a course online, like a test or assignment, as it fits into their own schedule, but a teacher is not online with them at the time they are completing or submitting the work. Teachers are still accessible through asynchronous learning but typically via email or a scheduled chat meeting, states the Library of Congress.

The final strategy to be discussed actually incorporates a few teaching strategies, so it’s almost like blended teaching. It starts with a concept that has numerous labels such as student-centered learning, learner-centered pedagogy, and teacher-as-tutor but all mean that an instructor revolves lessons around the students and ensures that students take a participatory role in the learning process, known as active learning, according to the Learning Portal .

In this model, a teacher is just a facilitator, meaning that they have created the lesson as well as the structure for learning, but the students themselves become the teachers or create their own knowledge, the Learning Portal says. As this is occurring, the instructor is circulating the room working as a one-on-one resource, tutor or guide, according to author Sara Sanchez Alonso from Yale’s Center for Teaching and Learning. For this to work well and instructors be successful one-on-one and planning these lessons, it’s essential that they have taken the time to know their students’ history and prior knowledge, otherwise it can end up to be an exercise in futility, Alonso said.

Some activities teachers can use are by putting students in groups and assigning each student a role within the group, creating reading buddies or literature circles, making games out of the material with individual white boards, create different stations within the classroom for different skill levels or interest in a lesson or find ways to get students to get up out of their seats and moving, offers Fortheteachers.org .

There are so many different methodologies and strategies that go into becoming an effective instructor. A consistent theme throughout all of these is for a teacher to take the time to know their students because they care, not because they have to. When an instructor knows the stories behind the students, they are able to design lessons that are more fun, more meaningful, and more effective because they were designed with the students’ best interests in mind.

There are plenty of pre-made lessons, activities and tests available online and from textbook publishers that any teacher could use. But you need to decide if you want to be the original teacher who makes a significant impact on your students, or a pre-made teacher a student needs to get through.

Read Also: – Blended Learning Guide – Collaborative Learning Guide – Flipped Classroom Guide – Game Based Learning Guide – Gamification in Education Guide – Holistic Education Guide – Maker Education Guide – Personalized Learning Guide – Place-Based Education Guide – Project-Based Learning Guide – Scaffolding in Education Guide – Social-Emotional Learning Guide

Similar Posts:

• Discover Your Learning Style – Comprehensive Guide on Different Learning Styles
• 35 of the BEST Educational Apps for Teachers (Updated 2024)
• 15 Learning Theories in Education (A Complete Summary)

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Essay on Teaching Methods for Effective Learning Today

In what way are/were you taught and how will you teach? Teaching methods are vital for everyone – we all go or went to a school where teachers try to involve each student in the learning process. Namely, this learning process is identified as effective or ineffective by means of effective or ineffective methods of teaching accordingly. Methods of teaching are one of the primary topics any student undergoing pedagogic training has to deal with. It is no wonder that the majority of questions arising in this field are in this or that way connected with misconceptions or wrong assumptions concerning this topic. That is exactly what explains why a student willing to master knowledge or skills should pay special attention to grasping at least the basic theory of teaching methods and doing a lot of practice: for example, writing an essay about it.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write an essay on the topic “Teaching Methods”. Besides, you are given the list of references you can consult additionally. Make progress in essay writing right now!

3 ‘Teaching Methods’ Issues to Address in an Essay

You as a person who is receiving education don’t think about methods employed in this process. Education is something that just happens to you, and you don’t give extra thought to how it all is organized. Right? It is a common perception among students but the task to write an essay about teaching methods can’t remain unaddressed as it will influence your academic performance that is expressed in marks. You can do your best to get high marks for writing this particular essay. First and foremost, address the key points of the topic. Here you are:

1. Groups of Teaching Methods Differ in Outcomes, But All Are Aimed at Teaching

In reality, teaching methods are a complicated and multi-lateral issue, with many opposing schools of thought. When all’s said and done, however, most teaching methods can be roughly subdivided into two groups: teacher-centric and student-centric.

• Teacher-centric learning approach is also often referred to as the traditional educational model because it is basically what we are all used to associate with teaching and studying. In this model, students are considered to be de-facto “empty vessels”, passive receivers of knowledge and skills. It is a teacher’s job to provide instructions and guidance for them, “filling up” these empty vessels in the process, and students are supposed to learn by listening to lectures, observing and copying the teacher’s actions and in general subjecting themselves to the teacher’s ultimate authority.
• Student-centric learning approach to learning is a much more recent development, placing emphasis on students’ participation in the educational process. This approach considers students to be not just objects but subjects of education as well, and the teacher’s role is viewed as not as that of the instructor but facilitator and delegator. To simplify it a bit, a teacher doesn’t provide one or another method of doing things that are already set in stone but offers guidance and support so that students are capable to figure things out on their own, thus making them active participants of the process.
• Another subtype of student-centric approach, the so-called cooperative learning, emphasizes teamwork: students are encouraged to work in groups and engage in reciprocal teaching. The teacher is not eliminated from the equation altogether, but his role, again, is that of facilitator and delegator rather than that of the one and only authority on every question. This method is based on the assumption that students learn best when they work and communicate with their peers.

It is important to understand that there are no good or bad methods of teaching. One can easily assume that a teacher-centric approach is outdated, anachronistic and generally “bad”, while the student-centric one is progressive and modern. However, they both have their areas of application. For example, teacher-centric methods far outpace student-centric ones in teaching fundamental skills. In other words, both groups of teaching methods have their areas of application and can be used to great effect – if used appropriately.

2. The Areas of Teaching Methods Application Differ as Well

If we start speaking about different areas of using specific teaching methods, it is logical to name them. Don’t omit this point in your essay as well. Today, the educational process differs from that existing several decades ago. Modern teachers have to not only explain a topic and provide the knowledge to students and mentor them, but also to:

• Facilitate learning for students in a classroom encouraging active learning,
• Develop mutual cooperation among students,
• Give prompt feedback to guide students in the right direction to the progress,
• Motivate students to learn new materials and develop essential skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, etc.

In general, a teacher is supposed to prepare a student to deal with the real world. It is possible only when a person is equipped with the relevant theory and practical skills necessary for successful communication in modern society and personal, professional development. Only this gives a competitive advantage in life. For each aim of teaching, there are particular methods. If a teacher needs to simply present the information, he or she uses a lecture method. It is true that sometimes it is boring to listen to a lecturer. For that reason, this way of teaching is extended by the others, for example, interactive and participative methods. It is important to encourage students’ participation and develop discussions that result in gaining hands-on experience.

3. The Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

More and more instructors develop their teaching approach depending on students’ learning needs . They are far from simply going to school, college or university to get knowledge. Unfortunately, the understanding of learning needs differently can cause various learning challenges and pitfalls and problems in the educational system. The result is that it reflects on the professional development of graduating students negatively. What is a doctor whose learning needs aren’t met at university? The medical system is impaired. So the assessment of learning needs should become part of government policy in relation to the continuing professional development of all professionals. Let’s observe what learning needs determine the appropriate use of teaching methods:

• Know about phenomena occurring to various areas of study;
• Finding answers to different questions;
• Define problems that need to be solved;
• Develop and use original ideas;
• Plan and carry out systematic investigations;
• Analyze and interpret data, a lot of data (due to the information overload);
• Use critical thinking;
• Construct solid explanations and design optimal solutions and many more.

All these needs, exactly their fulfillment, influence the effectiveness of using one or another teaching method. The most critical condition applicable to effective teaching in the 21st century is that all the teaching practices need to create personal and social relevance for students. They need to be intellectually and emotionally engaged in their own active learning, in other words, motivated to learn this world and solve some problems. In fact, teaching for success while taking a test is insufficient today. The current education policies that give priority to assessment need to be severely curtailed.

This idea and many other ideas can be mentioned in your essay about teaching methods. However, it is important to always back up all the research ideas. Look at the following references you can also use in your essay:

7 References to Use in the Essay about Teaching Methods

• Arnold, J. (1998). Towards more humanistic English teaching. ELT Journal, 52(3), pp.235-242.
• Bligh, D. (2000). What’s the use of lectures?. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Cullen, R. (1998). Teacher talk and the classroom context. ELT Journal, 52(3), pp.179-187.
• Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Gibbons, M. (2002). The self-directed learning handbook. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.
• Legge, K. and Harari, P. (2000). Psychology and education. Oxford: Heinemann.
• Wiseman, A. and Anderson, E. (n.d.). Annual review of comparative and international education 2014.
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Modern Teaching Methods: An Overview

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”~ Albert Einstein

This article is part of the Innovation in Education Guide . Learn all about Educational Technology , Innovative Learners , and Innovative Classrooms . 

Introduction

The past few years have been a learning curve for everyone, and teachers and students alike had to adapt their learning styles in education. This is how all the modern teaching methods came to be.

Modern teaching methods refer to other ways than the classical in-class method. Students are connected and interact through various tech, and they also form social relationships through different assemblies they are a part of. 

Modern teaching is all about the learner and less about the teaching process. This teaching method lets learners participate actively in the lesson, and the teacher only leads them to where they should focus.

Modern teaching methods use new gadgets such as computers or laptops with Wi-Fi connections, LCD projectors and interactive whiteboards.

The importance of innovative teaching strategies 

Innovative teaching methods help you with

 – Staying connected to learning

 – Engaging in various online classes

 – Helps students with both knowledge and practical skills

 – Emphasises practical knowledge

Advantages of Modern Teaching 

Modern teaching is what is needed in these modern times. The technological revolution helps teaching become innovative and, more than this, get to more students than before. Offering innovative teaching styles helps students stay connected and improve their technical knowledge from the beginning. 

The main advantages of modern teaching styles are:

 – Move from memorising to experimenting

 – Helps students innovate 

 – Develops the interactive side of students 

 – It allows the student to develop different patterns of learning and focusing

 – Develops the cognitive thinking skills 

 – It treats students differently according to their level of understanding.

 – Focus on the understanding of the concepts

Essential skills for a modern teacher 

There are some skills that a teacher needs to be able to transmit the correct information to the students. More than just the right information, there is the way the teacher shares that information that matters. 

Thus a teacher needs to be:

 – Flexible

 – To stay updated with everything new in the education domain

 – Time to get to know the students

 – One-to-one student sessions availability

 – Resourceful 

Characteristics of Modern Teaching Methods 

Learner-centred .

Just as the name describes, the main characteristics of modern teaching can easily be said to be learner-centred. The teacher is the guide that sets the focus, and the learners are those that dominate the class. 

Task-Based or Activity-based 

This characteristic of modern teaching techniques is a great way to engage students and develop their social interactions. The teacher usually gives an activity-based task, and students participate in it and solve it. 

Resource-Based 

Both teachers and students can bring study materials. This characteristic describes very well what modern teaching helps students with. It gives students the independence to think, search, select, and draw conclusions. It means having all the necessary study material for the learners to understand the topic thoroughly. 

Modern Teaching Methods 

Collaborative learning .

Collaborative learning helps students develop their social skills even though they are in an online environment. Teachers choose a topic and form a group where they discuss, debate and solve problems.  

The success of the group is the success of each student that is a part of that group. This modern teaching method helps students develop their communication and negotiation skills; they learn to listen and understand others’ points and work in a group. 

Spaced Learning 

Spaced learning is a teaching method used to help students understand the lesson. It consists of repeating the task as often as necessary until everyone fully understands it. This repetition is done within a 10 minutes break between the classes so that students can grasp what they know. 

It is an excellent method for students to learn the basics before moving on to another chapter. It is also an easy way to make them understand the lesson.  

Flipped Classroom 

A flipped classroom is a beautiful way of teaching. It consists of students studying the lesson at home, understanding it, and then being ready to discuss it. The students can watch videos, search for the topic online or read the classroom material. Whatever fits their needs.  

The innovative students come to school with an entire set of questions and can have discussions on the topics with their classmates and teacher. They have everything covered. It is also suitable for when students are sick, as they do not miss any class with this type of learning. 

Gamification 

This is about using games to excite students about the class and the new materials. It is a great strategy, especially for courses based on a lot of information. 

Children of all ages and adults love games – on the field, or online games are entertaining and provide a great way to keep them engaged. It is used a lot in elementary and preschool but can be used at any age. 

Teachers are responsible for preparing in advance the projects to use in gamification and use methods that will engage students for a longer time. They can consist of online quizzes, puzzles, games, or anything that will be a challenge for students to stay connected. 

Conclusion 

The modern teaching method is now developing and is adopted by more and more schools. However, the majority stick to the old way of teaching as if it did have results till now; they believe there is no way of changing it. The decision regarding the teaching method remains with the child and the parents. Each of the two is good and has the same goal. 

Modern Teaching Methods FAQ 

What is modern teaching .

Modern teaching is the teaching method that puts the learner in the centre. It helps students set the tone of their learning pace; more than this, it does not treat students alike. Modern teaching knows that students differ, and their capacity to understand information is different. 

Why is modern teaching the need of the hour? 

It is the need of the hour as technology evolves, and students access to technology allows them to understand and see more. If teaching were to remain traditional, students would no longer be interested or engaged. Adopting the modern teaching style where students can share and feel listened to will raise engagement and allow teachers to control students’ focus. 

What is the difference between old and new teaching methods?

While in the old teaching methods, teachers used to expect students to listen and learn what they heard without having any extra personal input, in the new teaching method, learners are given the possibility to innovate, create, think, express and argument. 

How do innovative teaching strategies improve students’ performance? 

Innovative teaching strategies are significant for developing students ready for the future. The independence it gives students develops their thinking and lowers their stress levels. 

What are some examples of innovation in teaching and learning? 

Innovation teaching in learning can be:

 – Collaborative learning

 – Self-learning

 – Vak – teaching

 – Crossover thinking 

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Teachings Methods in Modern Educational System Essay

In any modern educational system, the dominant issue is the types of methods used for instruction. The curriculum is usually designed to cater for the educational needs of all students. However, methods of presenting it to students are usually tabled in educational legislation.

Many experts argue that it is necessary for teachers to use different methods of teaching in order to ensure effective presentation of curricula. The major concerns of teachings methods include ways used by learners to obtain information, how to use theoretical knowledge to acquire experience in work situations, and how to use teachings aids effectively in order to achieve positive teaching outcomes.

Good teaching methods equip learners with problem-solving skills and empower them to think critically and creatively. In addition, they empower learners to apply theoretical knowledge in real life situations. The research study was conducted in Jordan, a country in which the learning system is centralised.

The research study aimed to find out the effectiveness of book-centered teaching methods that involve lecturing as the major method of instruction. In addition, the study aimed to develop a relationship between the effectiveness of a centralised educational system and the teaching methods used by teachers in presenting the curriculum to learners.

Book-centered teaching methods discourage the participation of learners in the learning process and as such result in poor academic outcomes. In Islamic educational systems, instructors are free to choose the learning methods they deem appropriate.

However, that freedom is not practiced in the real world of teaching. The study involved 46 schools located in different educational jurisdictions around the country. The researchers collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Data was collected through questionnaires that were issued to 1242 students, 98 teachers, and 8 supervisors.

In addition, 46 school heads and 8 principles of resource centers participated. The study also investigated some of the reasons why teachers failed to use different types of teaching methods for better learning outcomes. Questionnaires and interviews were the main methods of data collection.

The findings of the study revealed that the dominant teaching method used by teachers was lecturing. This was due to unavailability of materials to support other teaching methods, lack of adequate training among teachers, large class sizes, excessive workload, and great pressure of completing the curriculum.

Many schools had inadequate materials that could support other teaching methods. In addition, teachers lacked the pedagogical skills needed for effective application of those methods. Overcrowding in classes was a hindrance to the use of certain teaching methods that involve interactions among students.

Teachers disclosed that they had excessive workload because many of them had several lessons to teach daily. Moreover, the time allocated for a single lesson was inadequate to complete the learning material assigned for that day. Finally, the teachers revealed that they were under great pressure of getting through the textbooks and so chose to use methods that facilitated speedy completion of learning material.

According to the study’s results, the major reasons that caused overreliance on traditional teaching methods were inadequate training and directives from the Ministry of Education that ordered teachers to use textbooks and avoid other learning materials.

Allowing teachers to use other learning materials, improving teacher training programs, reducing the amount of learning content in the curriculum, and increasing the duration of individual lessons could be effective in alleviating the problem.

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The Complete List of Teaching Methods

Teaching Methods: Not as Simple as ABC

Teaching methods [teacher-centered], teaching methods [student-centered], what about blended learning and udl, teaching methods: a to z, for the love of teaching.

Whether you’re a longtime educator, preparing to start your first teaching job or mapping out your dream of a career in the classroom, the topic of teaching methods is one that means many different things to different people.

Your individual approaches and strategies to imparting knowledge to your students and inspiring them to learn are probably built on your academic education as well as your instincts and intuition.

Whether you come by your preferred teaching methods organically or by actively studying educational theory and pedagogy, it can be helpful to have a comprehensive working knowledge of the various teaching methods at your disposal.

[Download] Get the Complete List of Teaching Methods PDF Now >>

The teacher-centered approach vs. the student-centered approach. High-tech vs. low-tech approaches to learning. Flipped classrooms, differentiated instruction, inquiry-based learning, personalized learning and more.

Not only are there dozens of teaching methods to explore, it is also important to have a sense for how they often overlap or interrelate. One extremely helpful look at this question is offered by the teacher-focused education website Teach.com.

“Teaching theories can be organized into four categories based on two major parameters: a teacher-centered approach versus a student-centered approach, and high-tech material use versus low-tech material use,” according to the informative Teach.com article , which breaks down a variety of influential teaching methods as follows:

Teacher-Centered Approach to Learning Teachers serve as instructor/authority figures who deliver knowledge to their students through lectures and direct instruction, and aim to measure the results through testing and assessment. This method is sometimes referred to as “sage on the stage.”

Student-Centered Approach to Learning Teachers still serve as an authority figure, but may function more as a facilitator or “guide on the side,” as students assume a much more active role in the learning process. In this method, students learn from and are continually assessed on such activities as group projects, student portfolios and class participation.

High-Tech Approach to Learning From devices like laptops and tablets to using the internet to connect students with information and people from around the world, technology plays an ever-greater role in many of today’s classrooms. In the high-tech approach to learning, teachers utilize many different types of technology to aid students in their classroom learning.

Low-Tech Approach to Learning Technology obviously comes with pros and cons, and many teachers believe that a low-tech approach better enables them to tailor the educational experience to different types of learners. Additionally, while computer skills are undeniably necessary today, this must be balanced against potential downsides; for example, some would argue that over-reliance on spell check and autocorrect features can inhibit rather than strengthen student spelling and writing skills.

Diving further into the overlap between different types of teaching methods, here is a closer look at three teacher-centered methods of instruction and five popular student-centered approaches.

Direct Instruction (Low Tech) Under the direct instruction model — sometimes described as the “traditional” approach to teaching — teachers convey knowledge to their students primarily through lectures and scripted lesson plans, without factoring in student preferences or opportunities for hands-on or other types of learning. This method is also customarily low-tech since it relies on texts and workbooks rather than computers or mobile devices.

Flipped Classrooms (High Tech) What if students did the “classroom” portion of their learning at home and their “homework” in the classroom? That’s an oversimplified description of the flipped classroom approach, in which students watch or read their lessons on computers at home and then complete assignments and do problem-solving exercises in class.

Kinesthetic Learning (Low Tech) In the kinesthetic learning model, students perform hands-on physical activities rather than listening to lectures or watching demonstrations. Kinesthetic learning, which values movement and creativity over technological skills, is most commonly used to augment traditional types of instruction — the theory being that requiring students to do, make or create something exercises different learning muscles.

Differentiated Instruction (Low Tech) Inspired by the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted to ensure equal access to public education for all children, differentiated instruction is the practice of developing an understanding of how each student learns best, and then tailoring instruction to meet students’ individual needs.

In some instances, this means Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with special needs, but today teachers use differentiated instruction to connect with all types of learners by offering options on how students access content, the types of activities they do to master a concept, how student learning is assessed and even how the classroom is set up.

Inquiry-Based Learning (High Tech) Rather than function as a sole authority figure, in inquiry-based learning teachers offer support and guidance as students work on projects that depend on them taking on a more active and participatory role in their own learning. Different students might participate in different projects, developing their own questions and then conducting research — often using online resources — and then demonstrate the results of their work through self-made videos, web pages or formal presentations.

Expeditionary Learning (Low Tech) Expeditionary learning is based on the idea that there is considerable educational value in getting students out of the classroom and into the real world. Examples include trips to City Hall or Washington, D.C., to learn about the workings of government, or out into nature to engage in specific study related to the environment. Technology can be used to augment such expeditions, but the primary focus is on getting out into the community for real-world learning experiences.

Personalized Learning (High Tech) In personalized learning, teachers encourage students to follow personalized, self-directed learning plans that are inspired by their specific interests and skills. Since assessment is also tailored to the individual, students can advance at their own pace, moving forward or spending extra time as needed. Teachers offer some traditional instruction as well as online material, while also continually reviewing student progress and meeting with students to make any needed changes to their learning plans.

Game-Based Learning (High Tech) Students love games, and considerable progress has been made in the field of game-based learning, which requires students to be problem solvers as they work on quests to accomplish a specific goal. For students, this approach blends targeted learning objectives with the fun of earning points or badges, much like they would in a video game. For teachers, planning this type of activity requires additional time and effort, so many rely on software like Classcraft or 3DGameLab to help students maximize the educational value they receive from within the gamified learning environment.

Blended Learning Blended learning  is another strategy for teachers looking to introduce flexibility into their classroom. This method relies heavily on technology, with part of the instruction taking place online and part in the classroom via a more traditional approach, often leveraging elements of the flipped classroom approach detailed above. At the heart of blended learning is a philosophy of taking the time to understand each student’s learning style and develop strategies to teach to every learner, by building flexibility and choice into your curriculum.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) UDL incorporates both student-centered learning and the “multiple intelligences theory,” which holds that different learners are wired to learn most effectively in different ways (examples of these “intelligences” include visual-spatial, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, musical, etc.). In practice, this could mean that some students might be working on a writing project while others would be more engaged if they created a play or a movie. UDL emphasizes the idea of teaching to every student, special needs students included, in the general education classroom, creating community and building knowledge through multiple means.

In addition to the many philosophical and pedagogical approaches to teaching, classroom educators today employ diverse and sometimes highly creative methods involving specific strategies, prompts and tools that require little explanation. These include:

• Appointments with students
• Art-based projects
• Audio tutorials
• Author’s chair
• Book reports
• Bulletin boards
• Brainstorming
• Case studies
• Chalkboard instruction
• Class projects
• Classroom discussion
• Classroom video diary
• Collaborative learning spaces
• Creating murals and montages
• Current events quizzes
• Designated quiet space
• Discussion groups
• DIY activities
• Dramatization (plays, skits, etc.)
• Educational games
• Educational podcasts
• Essays (Descriptive)
• Essays (Expository)
• Essays (Narrative)
• Essays (Persuasive)
• Exhibits and displays
• Explore different cultures
• Field trips
• Flash cards
• Flexible seating
• Gamified learning plans
• Genius hour
• Group discussion
• Guest speakers
• Hands-on activities
• Individual projects
• Interviewing
• Laboratory experiments
• Learning contracts
• Learning stations
• Literature circles
• Making posters
• Mock conventions
• Motivational posters
• Music from other countries/cultures
• Oral reports
• Panel discussions
• Peer partner learning
• Photography
• Problem solving activities
• Reading aloud
• Readers’ theater
• Reflective discussion
• Research projects
• Rewards & recognition
• Role playing
• School newspapers
• Science fairs
• Sister city programs
• Spelling bees
• Storytelling
• Student podcasts
• Student portfolios
• Student presentations
• Student-conceived projects
• Supplemental reading assignments
• Team-building exercises
• Term papers
• Textbook assignments
• Think-tac-toe
• Time capsules
• Use of community or local resources
• Video creation
• Video lessons
• Vocabulary lists

So, is the teacher the center of the educational universe or the student? Does strong reliance on the wonders of technology offer a more productive educational experience or is a more traditional, lower-tech approach the best way to help students thrive?

Questions such as these are food for thought for educators everywhere, in part because they inspire ongoing reflection on how to make a meaningful difference in the lives of one’s students.

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Teaching Methods

Choosing optimal methods to support learning outcomes.

On this page:

The importance of teaching methods.

Teaching methods are the broader techniques used to help students achieve learning outcomes, while activities are the different ways of implementing these methods. Teaching methods help students:

• master the content of the course
• learn how to apply the content in particular contexts

Instructors should identify which teaching methods will properly support a particular learning outcome. Its effectiveness depends on this alignment. To make the most appropriate choice, an instructor should consider learning outcomes, student needs and the learning environment.

Consider the following example:

• Learning outcome: Solve a complex math equation.
• Learning environment: An in person, upper-level math course with 20 students.
• Teaching method: Guided instruction. First, the instructor facilitates learning by modeling and scaffolding. Students take time to  ask questions and receive clarifications. Next, students practice applying these skills together and then independently. The instructor uses formative assessment to check for understanding.

This example demonstrates alignment of what the instructor wants students to do, and how they are supported in these tasks. If the instructor choses a different teaching method, such as a traditional lecture, students would need to process the lecture’s content and apply principles simultaneously. This is very difficult to do and would lead to less successful outcomes.

Choosing the appropriate teaching method brings instruction to life while encouraging students to actively engage with content and develop their knowledge and skills.

The chart below provides a number of teaching methods to choose from. Teaching methods vary in their approach, some are more student-centered while others are more instructor centered, and you will see this reflected in the chart. Choose methods that will best guide your students to achieve the learning outcomes you’ve set and remember that your teaching approach, teaching methods and activities all work together.

Table adapted from: Nilson (2016)

Choose Your Methods

Using the Course Design Template   explore the aspects that will likely affect your course.

• Step 1: Review your learning outcomes.
• Step 2: Identify the teaching methods that best align to these learning outcomes and fill in the appropriate column.
• Step 3: Consider possible activities which will next be examined in further detail.

Now that you’ve reviewed a variety of teaching methods and considered which ones align with your learning outcomes, the next step is to consider activities.

• Nilson, L. B. (2016). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors (Fourth). John Wiley & Sons.

An introduction to K – 12 teaching methods

Principles, pedagogy, and strategies for classroom management vary from teacher to teacher. However different, all teaching methodology is deeply rooted in traditional styles. Teachers adapt their teaching methods based on educational philosophy, classroom demographics, subject areas, and the schools at which they teach.

During various stages of childhood and development, a student’s success in the classroom is largely dependent upon his or her own motivation, interest, persistence, and ability to understand and manage his or her emotions.

Since the 1980s, experts have identified different teaching methods that speak to the key areas of school readiness and the various stages of students’ cognitive, social, and emotional development. “Approaches to learning,” “executive functioning,” “habits of mind,” “grit,” “soft skills,” and “noncognitive abilities” have been used to describe these considerations of student development in the educational setting.

As Clancy Blair and Adele Diamond state, “In sum, learning occurs through a process of engagement and participation in a relationship with a caring and trusted other who models the process of and provides opportunities for self-directed learning. In acquiring the capacity for self-regulated learning, social-emotional skills that foster the relationship and executive function skills that promote self-regulation are quite literally foundational for learning.”

CATEGORIES OF TEACHING METHODS

It is generally understood that the first step necessary in determining which teaching methods are best for you is identifying your own strengths and weaknesses.

Teacher-Centered Approach vs. Student-Centered Approach

The teacher-centered approach views the teacher as the active party in the teacher-student learning relationship, as the teacher passes information to students, who passively receive it. Students are then assessed in various ways, such as through testing and performing different kinds of tasks. The teacher is the expert and authority of the classroom and teaches directly to the students.

On the other hand, in the student-centered approach, the teacher and student are seen as equals when it comes to the responsibility of teaching and learning. The teacher facilitates the learning and understanding of the material. Measures of student learning aren’t only formal tests but also more informal assessments, such as group projects, student portfolios, and seminar-style participation. Teaching and assessment are closely tied together as a metric of success in a student-centered classroom where cooperation is delegated.

High-Tech Material Use vs. Low-Tech Material Use

The classroom has drastically evolved throughout the past several decades because of technological advances. The high-tech method to teaching takes advantage of the abundance of digital resources available to aid students in their educational progression.

Teachers encourage children to use tablets, computers, and the web to further their studies and completion of assignments. Teachers have much more access to obtain assignments from their students and to learn new ideas for their curriculum. Many teachers even use gamification software for their students to learn new critical thinking skills.

Digital education enables teachers and students to be located anywhere in the world, and it sometimes removes the element of having a physical classroom altogether. Online coursework is one of the many high-tech teaching methods.

A downside of high-tech methods, as opposed to low-tech, is the way that students get used to having technology to bolster their learning. For instance, young kids who learn to write with an automatic spell-checker aren’t as keen to spelling and ultimately may have weaker writing skills than children who learn to read and write in a low-tech classroom.

Though there are many advantages to utilizing technology in the classroom, many teachers opt to stick to traditional approaches to education. There are many studies that show a low-tech teaching classroom a student’s ability to learn.

Students also have a stronger memory if they take hand-written notes rather than typing them out on an online program.

If technology isn’t as heavily emphasized in a classroom, kinesthetic learners may have a higher likelihood to thrive, since there is more flexibility for movement and interaction during learning exercises. Teachers should not only allow but encourage students to speak and move around the room.

Expeditionary learning, also known as “learning by doing,” provides students with hands-on experience and will enable them to better apply what they learn at school to the real world, as opposed to learning a lesson online and in the virtual realm.

TEACHING TO K-3

Kindergarten through third grade is arguably the most critical time during a child’s education, and the way children of this age are taught largely shapes their understanding of the world.

Social-Emotional Learning Method

When a child is in kindergarten through third grade, the child is developing his or her cognitive and social-emotional competencies. “SEL,” or “social-emotional learning,” is a common teaching method applied among this age group. Its core elements include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills. These characteristics that are actively built upon support a child’s progress in subjects such as math, literacy, technology, and social studies.

The level of a child’s SEL skills predicts the level of performance later on in his or her education. For example, a child’s early ability to self-regulate his or her emotions is tied to a higher skill level in math in the later years of the child’s academic career.

Although children have natural tendencies to be more interested in learning and attentive to developing their skills, teachers help build children’s competencies. Teachers can intentionally model enthusiasm for learning, persistence, and interest in subjects in order to evoke curiosity from their students.

They can also allow their students to make decisions that increase their participation in the classroom, which ultimately grows confidence within the children. When students are rewarded not only for their high achievements but also for their hard work, it will likely result in higher levels of work over periods of time.

Pillars of the K-3 “Approaches to Learning” Teaching Method

The “approaches to learning” teaching method derived from experts discussing cognitive and social development in young children in the 1980s. It focuses on tailored learning strategies for each age group and three pillars of specific tactics that serve as guidelines for teachers.

There are three key areas of teaching methods that K-3 grade teachers should focus on to best develop their students:

• Problem-solving
• Initiative and creativity

Methods for Teaching Engagement

engagement A kindergarten teacher, specifically, can do the following to see his or her classroom engaged and flourishing:

• Define classroom routines, responsibilities, and behaviors to set expectations
• Develop individual relationships with students to garner higher engagement
• Provide students with tools to help themselves pay attention
• Model the practice of sustaining focus and resisting distractions
• Create scenarios in which students can make their own decisions and that promote participation
• Set children up for success by doing short lessons, enabling them to focus for the entire time

As children move up through first, second, and third grade, strategies for teachers to encourage engagement and participation among their students are centered around activities that shift their focus from one thing to another, showing students lessons on how to persevere through challenges and difficulties, expanding expectations for focus, and practicing self-evaluation.

Methods for Teaching Problem-Solving

In addition to engagement, problem-solving skill development is critical during this stage of child development. Kids who understand from an early age how to work through the scenarios that life presents are better-suited to face adversity when they’re older.

Language and cognitive skills are closely linked to highly developed problem-solving skills. In the same way, mathematical and logistical thinking stems from being able to predict what is likely going to happen. Most importantly, the ability to plan and solve problems helps individuals to thrive socially. The teaching method of emphasizing problem-solving is connected to the belief that mindsets are grown.

In other words, some education professionals think that one’s mindset is “fixed” and cannot be improved upon, while others disagree and believe intelligence and abilities can be grown and developed through positive experiences in both school and the realm of work. In the growth mindset, failures or disappointments are seen as opportunities to learn and to be more readily prepared in the future. This mindset is preferred when executing the problem-solving method of teaching.

Teachers can apply teaching methods that focus on developing problem-solving skills, such as creating a routine for students to follow that also allows room for students to form their own conclusions on how to execute a task, and emphasizing individual planning in their styles of teaching.

One tactic for fostering impeccable problem-solving skills in a K-3 classroom is allowing time in each day for children to build individual and group plans. This will allow their skillsets to take root and grow in a social setting, which will translate well into logistical topics, such as mathematics. Another method is to provide alternate choices for a student to execute an assignment or task, allowing the individual to take the initiative to strategize accordingly.

Helping children through social problems they encounter at school can also allow them to learn to navigate social settings. This includes both sides of the spectrum: beneficial settings that uplift them and frustrating scenarios that reinforce growth. Posing questions in a game-like fashion can also engage students to access their logistical thoughts and allow them to explore how a scenario can result.

Teachers can observe problem-solving skills developing among their kindergarten students by encouraging students to do the following in their classrooms:

• Plan their own involvement in short- and long-term play, as well as in learning activities
• Apply familiar behaviors in new situations
• Make and follow multistep plans for completing tasks
• Apply different strategies to solve both academic and social problems with adult assistance
• Regulate their own emotional responses to frustrating situations
• Return to learning activities after becoming frustrated or angry

Among first through third-graders, teachers will observe students doing things such as developing new ways to remember information, adapting problem-solving strategies for new situations and contexts, evaluating original plans to make changes as needed, and applying results of previous plans toward future planning.

Methods for Teaching Initiative and Creativity

This area of focus within teaching is to encourage independence among individual students and to trigger creative thinking in new situations. Indicators of a child’s initiative and creativity progress are the challenging of oneself, the commitment to growing one’s learning, and becoming innovative as a learner in the classroom.

What makes the ability to take initiative so important from an early stage in education is how it separates an employee from his or co-workers when the motivation to grow comes from within. Those who have been responsible for society’s greatest leaps and bounds forward are those who have harnessed creativity and initiative, such as in the science, medicine, technology, and business sectors.

Teachers can support the development of initiative and creativity in their educational atmosphere by offering choices and letting children take initiative to circulate thought and arrive at a conclusion. Though rewarding achievement is important for students to understand that they have met expectations, it is also beneficial to reward the attempts made by children to think innovatively and outside of the box.

Children who are fueling creativity and initiative will demonstrate the following:

• Curiosity through asking concrete questions
• Attempts at new things with adult encouragement
• Participation in the classroom and taking on leadership opportunities in group settings
• Frequently bringing concepts from diverse areas of study together
• Complex language to connect ideas

Teaching to 4th-6th

Teachers feel a heavy weight on their shoulders for the curiosity and ambition of fourth- through sixth-graders, particularly as these students enter middle school. A preferred method of teaching among this age group is known as the “differentiated instruction approach.”

This approach addresses student needs and tailors teaching styles to their learning preferences while also conforming to the intense demands of today’s standards of testing and systematic metrics of success. Encompassing process, strategy, and approach, among other elements that are supported by best practice and research, are signature perspectives of the differentiation approach.

Fourth- through sixth-grade teachers favor the differentiation approach because they can use a multitude of processes to meet the learning requirements of a more diverse student body and population. The strength of this popular teaching method is that it provides a variety of ways to meet the needs of many learners.

TEACHING TACTICS OF THE DIFFERENTIATION APPROACH

As a teacher, this teaching method requires planning ahead. In order to drive students to success, you need to set your expectations for your students ahead of teaching a lesson. One easy way to do this is to follow the KUD method: “Know, Understand, Do.” Before starting to teach each lesson, you need to decide what you want your students to know, understand, and do. It is a simple framework to remember the most important aspect of teaching this age group: setting expectations.

Another important tactic is to tier your lessons. In other words, when teachers tier their assignments, they make adjustments in their lessons to meet the needs of multiple students. Tiering lesson plans can challenge students and their ability levels. The tactic here is to make sure that all tasks, regardless of the tier level, are challenging and engaging to all students in the classroom. Assessments can be altered according to the level of complexity, pacing, amount of guidance, number of steps, and level of independence required.

The steps to implementing the differentiation approach are as follows:

• Develop the basis for your tasks, including concepts, skills, and essential understandings that you want all students to obtain and reach.
• Consider how you will cluster group activities among your students. Although you can create multiple levels of tiers, keep the number of levels consistent with your groups of students. It’s best to have the same number of tiers of the exercise as you have groups. For example, if you have two groups working at grade level and one working just below, then you should have three tiers in total.
• Choose which part of your lesson plan you are going to tier. You can choose from challenge level, complexity, resources (e.g., materials and reading levels), process, or product.
• Create the tier for the students who are learning at grade level.
• Next, design a similar task for struggling learners to create a tailored environment to set them up for growth and, ultimately, success.
• Once the first two tiers have been established, develop a third tier for more advanced students who have already mastered the on-grade tier or competency being addressed. This should require a higher cognitive ability to form conclusions.

For children going through a transitional time, such as moving up through elementary school and into middle school, the differentiation approach and its tactics will guide your classroom’s success.

Teaching to 7th-9th

This next transition period for students is just as integral as the previous. Students enter into adolescence and can encounter new emotions, social situations, and intellectual challenges. They also enter a period of their life where their performance has direct repercussions, as colleges are officially watching their grades.

Statics show that ninth grade has the highest number of students who fail among all grades, creating what is known as “the ninth-grade bump.” Being held back can be detrimental to students’ confidence and perception of themselves, viewing themselves as failures. In order to thrive in ninth grade, seventh- and eighth-grade experiences must build students up to be prepared for high school.

With proactive tactics in your teaching toolkit, you can develop a purposeful plan to strengthen students’ skillsets throughout seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. Teachers can isolate both strengths and weaknesses among students in their curricula, identify high-impact instructional and support strategies to keep this age group engaged in their studies, and always be actively creating next steps for their students to achieve goals.

The most important tactic for this age group is to identify weaknesses and tailor your attention to them. This will provide students with the confidence they need to have a smooth transition as they enter adolescence and find themselves in new situations, both socially and academically.

Teaching to 10th-12th

Because this is the last stop for students before beginning their post-high school graduate careers, it is critical that teachers strategize for success in their classrooms.

As the previously mentioned teaching methods can be applied to high school, particularly the differentiation approach, individual strategies that you apply to your educational setting may reap more rewards and see your students succeed.

One of the most important tactics to apply as a teacher of 10th- through 12th-graders is to be enthusiastic about what you are teaching. If you aren’t engaged in what you’re talking about, teenagers will not be either. Their attention spans are also shortening, so having lesson plans and lectures on the lighter side will be in your favor as a high school teacher.

Class discussion, also known as the Socratic seminar method, allows students this age to thrive by being given the opportunity to express their own opinions and thoughts. It also gives them their first dose of public speaking, something they may encounter much more frequently in a university setting. Collaborative work, reading and writing assessments, and problem-solving are all great strategies to implement in your teaching in order to have an engaged classroom of teenagers.

Regardless of your preferred teaching method, the most important thing to do as a new or experienced teacher is to read your classroom and tailor your teaching style to your students and the ways they best learn. Individual students respond better to some methods than others.

What is essential to every child’s development and ability to thrive in his or her education is a positive learning experience. By paying attention to an individual child’s strengths and areas in need of improvement, teachers can ensure progress.

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Every teacher has her or his own style of teaching. And as traditional teaching styles evolve with the advent of differentiated instruction, more and more teachers are adjusting their approach depending on their students’ learning needs.

But there are a few fundamental teaching styles most educators tend to use. Which one is yours?

You’ve Got Style

These teaching styles highlight the five main strategies teachers use in the classroom, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of each.

The Authority, or lecture style

The authority model is teacher-centered and frequently entails lengthy lecture sessions or one-way presentations. Students are expected to take notes or absorb information.

• Pros : This style is acceptable for certain higher-education disciplines and auditorium settings with large groups of students. The pure lecture style is most suitable for subjects like history, which necessitate memorization of key facts, dates, names, etc.
• Cons : It’s a questionable model for teaching children because there is little or no interaction with the teacher. Plus it can get a little snooze-y. That’s why it’s a better approach for older, more mature students.

The Demonstrator, or coach style

The demonstrator retains the formal authority role by showing students what they need to know. The demonstrator is a lot like the lecturer, but their lessons include multimedia presentations, activities, and demonstrations. (Think: Math. Science. Music.)

• Pros : This style gives teachers opportunities to incorporate a variety of formats including lectures and multimedia presentations.
• Cons : Although it’s well-suited for teaching mathematics, music, physical education, or arts and crafts, it is difficult to accommodate students’ individual needs in larger classrooms.

The Facilitator, or activity style

Facilitators promote self-learning and help students develop critical thinking skills and retain knowledge that leads to self-actualization.

• Pros : This style trains students to ask questions and helps develop skills to find answers and solutions through exploration; it is ideal for teaching science and similar subjects.
• Cons : Challenges teacher to interact with students and prompt them toward discovery rather than lecturing facts and testing knowledge through memorization. So it’s a bit harder to measure success in tangible terms.

The Delegator, or group style

The delegator style is best suited for curricula that require lab activities, such as chemistry and biology, or subjects that warrant peer feedback, like debate and creative writing.

• Pros : Guided discovery and inquiry-based learning place the teacher in an observer role that inspires students by working in tandem toward common goals.
• Cons : Considered a modern style of teaching, it is sometimes criticized as eroding teacher authority. As a delegator, the teacher acts more as a consultant rather than the traditional authority figure.

The Hybrid, or blended style

Hybrid, or blended style, follows an integrated approach to teaching that blends the teacher’s personality and interests with students’ needs and curriculum-appropriate methods.

• Pros : Inclusive! And it enables teachers to tailor their styles to student needs and appropriate subject matter.
• Cons : Hybrid style runs the risk of trying to be too many things to all students, prompting teachers to spread themselves too thin and dilute learning.

Because teachers have styles that reflect their distinct personalities and curriculum—from math and science to English and history—it’s crucial that they remain focused on their teaching objectives and avoid trying to be all things to all students.

What you need to know about your teaching style

Although it is not the teacher’s job to entertain students, it is vital to engage them in the learning process. Selecting a style that addresses the needs of diverse students at different learning levels begins with a personal inventory—a self-evaluation—of the teacher’s strengths and weaknesses. As they develop their teaching styles and integrate them with effective classroom management skills, teachers will learn what works best for their personalities and curriculum.

Our guide encapsulates today’s different teaching styles and helps teachers identify the style that’s right for them and their students. Browse through the article or use these links to jump to your desired destination.

• What is a teaching style inventory, and how have teaching styles evolved?
• What teaching method is best for today’s students?

How does classroom diversity influence teachers?

Emergence of the teaching style inventory.

How have teaching styles evolved? This is a question teachers are asked, and frequently ask themselves, as they embark on their careers, and occasionally pause along the way to reflect on job performance. To understand the differences in teaching styles, it’s helpful to know where the modern concept of classifying teaching methods originated.

The late Anthony F. Grasha, a noted professor of psychology at the University of Cincinnati, is credited with developing the classic five teaching styles. A follower of psychiatrist Carl Jung, Grasha began studying the dynamics of the relationship between teachers and learning in college classrooms. His groundbreaking book, Teaching with Style , was written both as a guide for teachers and as a tool to help colleagues, administrators and students systematically evaluate an instructor’s effectiveness in the classroom.

Grasha understood that schools must use a consistent, formal approach in evaluating a teacher’s classroom performance. He recognized that any system designed to help teachers improve their instructional skills requires a simple classification system. He developed a teaching style inventory that has since been adopted and modified by followers.

• Expert : Similar to a coach, experts share knowledge, demonstrate their expertise, advise students, and provide feedback to improve understanding and promote learning.
• Formal authority : Authoritative teachers incorporate the traditional lecture format and share many of the same characteristics as experts, but with less student interaction.
• Personal model : Incorporates blended teaching styles that match the best techniques with the appropriate learning scenarios and students in an adaptive format.
• Facilitator : Designs participatory learning activities and manages classroom projects while providing information and offering feedback to facilitate critical thinking.
• Delegator : Organizes group learning, observes students, provides consultation, and promotes interaction between groups and among individuals to achieve learning objectives.

Although he developed specific teaching styles, Grasha warned against boxing teachers into a single category. Instead, he advocated that teachers play multiple roles in the classroom. He believed most teachers possess some combination of all or most of the classic teaching styles.

How does differentiated instruction affect teaching styles?

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Virginia, is an early advocate of differentiated instruction and a pioneer in the development of learning-based teaching styles. If Grasha laid the groundwork for 20th-century teachers to adopt styles tailored to match their personalities and strengths, Tomlinson has advanced this theme into the 21st century by focusing on differentiated instruction.

In the simplest terms, differentiated instruction means keeping all students in mind when developing lesson plans and workbook exercises, lectures, and interactive learning. These student-focused differences necessitate instructional styles that embrace diverse classrooms for students at all learning levels and from various backgrounds without compromising the teacher’s strengths.

What teaching style is best for today’s students?

Whether you’re a first-year teacher eager to put into practice all of the pedagogical techniques you learned in college, or a classroom veteran examining differentiated instruction and new learning methodologies, consider that not all students respond well to one particular style. Although teaching styles have been categorized into five groups, today’s ideal teaching style is not an either/or proposition but more of a hybrid approach that blends the best of everything a teacher has to offer.

The traditional advice that teachers not overreach with a cluster of all-encompassing teaching styles might seem to conflict with today’s emphasis on student-centered classrooms. Theoretically, the more teachers emphasize student-centric learning, the harder it is to develop a well-focused style based on their personal attributes, strengths, and goals.

In short, modern methods of teaching require different types of teachers—from the analyst/organizer to the negotiator/consultant. Here are some other factors to consider as teachers determine the best teaching method for their students.

Empty vessel : Critics of the “sage on the stage” lecture style point to the “empty vessel” theory, which assumes a student’s mind is essentially empty and needs to be filled by the “expert” teacher. Critics of this traditional approach to teaching insist this teaching style is outmoded and needs to be updated for the diverse 21st-century classroom.

Active vs. passive : Proponents of the traditional lecture approach believe that an overemphasis on group-oriented participatory teaching styles, like facilitator and delegator, favor gifted and competitive students over passive children with varied learning abilities, thereby exacerbating the challenges of meeting the needs of all learners.

Knowledge vs. information : Knowledge implies a complete understanding, or full comprehension, of a particular subject. A blend of teaching styles that incorporate facilitator, delegator, demonstrator, and lecturer techniques helps the broadest range of students acquire in-depth knowledge and mastery of a given subject. This stands in contrast to passive learning, which typically entails memorizing facts, or information, with the short-term objective of scoring well on tests.

Interactive classrooms : Laptops and tablets, video conferencing, and podcasts in classrooms play a vital role in today’s teaching styles. With technology in mind, it is imperative that teachers assess their students’ knowledge while they are learning. The alternative is to wait for test results, only to discover knowledge gaps that should have been detected during the active learning phase.

Constructivist teaching methods : Contemporary teaching styles tend to be group-focused and inquiry-driven. Constructivist teaching methods embrace subsets of alternative teaching styles, including modeling, coaching, and test preparation through rubrics scaffolding. All of these are designed to promote student participation and necessitate a hybrid approach to teaching. One criticism of the constructivist approach is that it caters to extroverted, group-oriented students, who tend to dominate and benefit from these teaching methods more than introverts; however, this assumes introverts aren’t learning by observing.

Student-centric learning does not have to come at the expense of an instructor’s preferred teaching method. However, differentiated instruction demands that teachers finesse their style to accommodate the diverse needs of 21st-century classrooms.

The ‘sage on the stage’ meets the ‘tiger mom’

The objective of blending teaching styles to leverage the teacher’s strengths while meeting the demands of diverse students has become increasingly difficult, as parents take a decidedly proactive role in child-learning techniques.

The traditional authoritative/expert, or “sage on the stage” lecture style, has come under attack by some parents—and contemporary educational leaders—who emphasize that a more diverse approach to teaching is necessary to engage students. This is compounded by the rise of “tiger moms,” a term made popular by parents devoted to improving the quality of education with laser-precision focus on A-list schools and a highly competitive job market.

Age of the proactive parent

Regardless of what style a teacher adopts, it’s important for teachers to develop positive attitudes, set goals, and establish high expectations for students.

“Assume students can excel!” education authors Harry and Rosemary Wong declare. As former teachers with a combined 80-plus years of educational experience, the Wongs emphasize in their best-selling book, The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher and their more recent, The Classroom Management Book that successful teachers share three common characteristics:

• effective classroom management skills
• lesson mastery
• positive expectations

All instructors, when developing their teaching styles, should keep in mind these three goals, as well as the primary objective of education: student learning.

It is abundantly clear that today’s teachers are responsible for students with a diverse range of learning abilities. The 21st-century teacher does not have the luxury of “picking the low-hanging fruit” and then leaving the rest of the tree for experts who specialize in children with behavioral issues or learning disorders.

Today’s teachers must develop instructional styles that work well in diverse classrooms. Effective teaching methods engage gifted students, as well as slow-learning children and those with attention deficit tendencies. This is where differentiated instruction and a balanced mix of teaching styles can help reach all students in a given classroom—not just the few who respond well to one particular style of teaching.

The wonderment of teaching, what author/educator Dr. Harry Wong refers to as “that a-ha moment” when a child “gets it,” is one of the most rewarding and seemingly elusive benefits of becoming a teacher. This transfer of knowledge from expert to student is an art form and a skill. Fortunately, both can be learned and perfected.

Knowing how to engage students begins with selecting the teaching style that’s right for you. And remember, even though you may prefer one teaching style over another, you must find the style that works best for your students! Try different styles to meet different objectives, and always challenge yourself to find ways to reach each student.

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The 5 most effective teaching styles (pros & cons of each), share this article.

Even though every instructor is unique, the prevalent style of teaching has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, along with the new cultural norms and technological advancements.

Educational researchers today define at least five different teaching styles on a spectrum that moves from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered one:

Other teaching methods outside of the core five exist as well. The Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Physical Education defines 11 distinct teaching styles that can be used to coach students in schools and universities.

While most instructors can be described by a single personal model of teaching, the best ones always adjust their teaching strategies to their students and the learning process at hand.

That’s why it’s important to know what the different teaching styles are and have a clear idea of how to use them when needed.

Skip ahead:

Demonstrator

Facilitator, is one style of teaching better than others , how to adapt teaching styles to different learning styles, does classroom diversity influence my style of teaching .

5 different teaching styles to use today

A lot of educators in traditional teaching environments with decades of experience are not aware of their primary teaching style, even though their approach to teaching has a direct effect on student participation and student engagement.

Let’s explore five teaching style examples to show how broad differentiated instruction in classroom settings can be.

The lecturer style (sometimes called the formal authority style) is familiar to anyone who’s sat through long unidirectional lectures in giant university auditoriums. In this teaching style, the teacher takes up a central role and delivers information to a large group of students in a structured and organized manner. The subject matter is usually singular and predetermined. 

Because the students are many, there’s not enough room or time for personalized interactions between the teacher and the students. However, students are encouraged to take notes and ask questions at the end of each lecture. There are usually no activities planned.

An example of the Lecturer teaching style in action is when a guest speaker is invited to a school or an office to give a presentation. After the guest speaker presents the topic for an hour, they encourage students to ask questions if there’s anything they don’t understand or would like to clarify. 

Pros of the Lecturer teaching style

• It’s p ossible to teach large groups of students at once
• It’s easy to prepare lecturers
• It provides a clear structure and organization to the content
• It can be time-effective in covering a broad range of material

Cons of the Lecturer teaching style

• There’s limited student engagement and interaction 
• Students won’t be able to retain information properly because they’re not actively engaging with the lecturer
• This teaching method does not cater to diverse learning styles

Under the demonstrator style, the teacher still retains a lot of authority but is more open to trying a student-centered approach to teaching. You can see the demonstrator encouraging students to come up with problem-solving strategies, ask questions and simulate what they’ve just learned.

The demonstrator often goes beyond lectures and demonstrates concepts or skills to the students using visual aids (presentations, images, and films), hands-on activities, and practical examples. As a result, this method is applicable to more learning styles.

An example of the Demonstrator teaching style in action is when a teacher conducts a science experiment or an art workshop in the classroom. The students huddle around the demonstrator to observe and participate in the experiment or workshop. When the teacher is done with the demonstration, they encourage the students to emulate the processes that they’ve observed to create the same (or similar results). 

As the students work, the teacher is there to provide them with visual aids and multimedia to enforce concepts and principles, and answer any questions they may have regarding the project. The teacher may also encourage peer sharing and feedback, which helps students to actively engage in the learning process.

Pros of the Demonstrator teaching style

• It incorporates a variety of teaching formats
• Hands-on learning can enhance students’ understanding of the subject matter
• Visual aids and demonstrations can make concepts more memorable 
• Students can ask for immediate clarification through examples and practical applications

Cons of the Demonstrator teaching style

•  It doesn’t accommodate the needs of all students
• This teaching style may not be suitable for all subjects or topics 
• This style requires adequate resources and preparation, which can be hard if the teacher is short on time or has a low budget
• During a demonstration, there’s often no time to cover a large amount of content

The hybrid (also known as blended) style strives to strike a balance between teacher- and student-centered approaches. It also tries to integrate both traditional and modern teaching methods, which makes it a great style for adapting to the needs of diverse learners.

Most of the time, the teachers who follow the hybrid style bring their own knowledge and expertise into the class. They still have a structure for every lecture but are able to adjust their flow and come up with the right activities to keep the students engaged. A hybrid teaching style integrates lectures, demonstrations, group activities, and even technology into one learning session. 

For example, a hybrid teacher may assign online readings or videos for students to review before class.  There can also be an online discussion forum where students share insights and questions. In class, the students can build upon the online discussion with hands-on activities, group discussions, or problem-solving tasks related to the material they reviewed. 

While the hybrid approach tends to be quite effective in a variety of settings, it can make covering information-heavy courses difficult due to its slower pace.

Pros of the Hybrid teaching style

• This teaching style uses a variety of methods that cater to diverse student needs 
• It integrates traditional and modern approaches for a balanced learning experience 
• It gives teachers the flexibility to adapt to different learning preferences 
• Students remain active and engaged for longer

Cons of the Hybrid teaching style

• This teaching style requires careful planning and the coordination of different teaching elements 
• Finding the right balance between traditional and modern teaching methods may be challenging
• It’s dependent on the available resources and technology  
• It can be less focused and slow
• It requires a lot of energy from the teacher

Shifting to an even more student-centered approach, there’s the facilitator style of teaching.

Instead of giving one-directional lectures, a facilitator encourages inquiry-based learning. Students learn by thinking critically, asking questions, and discussing real-world case studies. Some other activities might be designed to improve problem-solving skills and help understand the subject matter better through practical challenges.

A great example of the Facilitator teaching style in action is a Socratic seminar, which promotes Socrates’ belief that asking questions, inquiring about things, and engaging in constructive debates are the best ways to learn. 

In a Socratic seminar, students seek a deeper understanding of complex or vague ideas through thoughtful dialogue and divergent thinking. The facilitator provides a specific topic or text for students to read through and ponder upon. Then, the facilitator poses open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking. The students answer these questions, argue civilly for or against a motion, share ideas, and build on each other’s responses to get an all-around understanding of the topic/text.

Another example is a case study analysis, where the facilitator presents a real-life case study related to the subject matter. Then, the facilitator prompts a class discussion where students analyze the case, identify key issues, and proffer solutions. The teacher guides the discussion, encouraging critical thinking and collaboration among students. 

Pros of the Facilitator teaching style

• This teaching style helps students develop self-sufficiency, as the teacher provides guidance and support rather than direct instruction
• It fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills
• It supports student-centered learning and autonomy

Cons of the Facilitator teaching style

• This style doesn’t work well for theory-heavy classes
• It requires a skilled facilitator to guide discussions effectively 
• It may take more time to cover content compared to traditional methods 
• Students may need additional support if they’re not accustomed to this teaching method

The most student-centric teaching style of all is called the delegator style (also known as the group style). Here, the teacher is merely present as an observer, and it’s the group of students who are doing all the work.

Most of the learning in the delegator style happens peer-to-peer, through frequent collaborations and discussions. The instructor is practically removed from the position of authority and only facilitates the discussions instead.

The delegator style works best for lab-based experiments, group tutoring classes, creative writing, debates, and other peer-to-peer activities. In these activities, the teacher divides the class into small groups and assigns each group a project related to the course content. The students are responsible for planning, executing, and presenting their findings, while the teacher acts as a mentor, providing guidance and support throughout the project.

This approach encourages students to take ownership of their education and become self-directed learners.

Pros of the Delegator teaching style

• This teaching style encourages learning and collaboration among students
• It allows for individualized learning experiences
• It promotes the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills

Cons of the Delegator teaching style

• This teaching style can be inefficient since students have to find the right answers for themselves
• It may not be suitable for all subjects or students

These are just five of the most popular teaching styles that instructors can choose from when creating their courses. Depending on the system you look at, there might be even more, as described in a paper titled Teaching Styles and Language Performance by Edgar R. Eslit and Mercedita B. Tongson.

As you can see from the list above, each style of teaching has its pros and cons. So there’s no definitive winner here — rather, you should learn to mix and match based on a situation.

When preparing your course content, you can imagine which teaching style would help your students learn the material best. If you’re not sure, try experimenting with a few different styles for the first few student cohorts to find out.

We’ve written about the seven main types of learning styles before, which are essential for every instructor to understand.

There’s no doubt that different students shine under different teaching approaches.

There’s a famous “empty vessel” theory, for example, which asserts that students’ minds are essentially empty until teachers pour their knowledge into them, lecture-style.

But cooperative learning which requires more group work and would pair well with the facilitator or delegator style of teaching. Check out Cohort-Based Learning for a deeper dive into this kind of teaching style.

Interactive learning can be a great fit for the demonstrator or facilitator style, and so on.

Another reason to have different teaching styles in your arsenal is the diversity of students you might see in your class. As students learn better by different approaches and at a different speed, you should be able to adjust your teaching style on the fly to maximize the learning opportunity for all.

It’s likely that your primary teaching style won’t be purely of the big five discussed above, but rather an ever-changing mix that would be unique to you and the students you teach.

In addition, as teachers lead students and help students become future leaders, you should be aware of the kind of leadership that you want to facilitate through your teaching.

How to create a perfect course online

Do you want to put your teaching style to practice? There’s no better way to do that than creating a brand new online course. The only thing you need is a course-creation platform to do that.

Thinkific is an intuitive and easy-to-use platform for all teachers to create beautiful online courses in no time. The platform adjusts easily to various teaching styles through the use of multimedia materials, from presentations to videos to quizzes to member communities.

Best of all, no coding skills are required. Just pick a gorgeous template and quickly customize it to your need with a drag-and-drop editor.

Get started today for free and see how easy creating an effective course can be.

This was originally published in June 2022, it has since been updated in February 2024 to include new info.

Colin is a Content Marketer at Thinkific, writing about everything from online entrepreneurship & course creation to digital marketing strategy.

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The One Method That Changes Your—and All Students’—Writing

Science-based writing methods can achieve dramatic results..

Posted May 14, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

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• A systematic writing framework offers a method for dramatically improving the teaching of writing.
• This method received only limited uptake, despite high-profile research publications and textbooks.
• A focus on writing style might have limited the method's impacts.

I remember spending hours commenting painstakingly on my students’ papers when I was a graduate student teaching in the Expository Writing Program at New York University. My students loved our classes, and they filled my sections and gave me terrific course evaluations. Yet I could see that their writing failed to change significantly over the course of the semester. I ended up feeling as if I should refund their money, haunted by the blunt instruments we had to teach writing.

As I’ve learned from directing five writing programs at three different universities, methods matter. When I reviewed comments on papers from instructors who taught in my programs, I discovered that the quantity and quality of comments on students’ papers made only a slight impact on writing outcomes. For instance, one notoriously lazy instructor took several weeks to return assignments and only used spelling and grammar checkers to automate comments. But his conscientious colleague made dozens of sharp observations about students’ arguments, paragraphs, and sentences. However, Mr. Conscientious’ students improved perhaps only 10% over Mr. Minimalist’s students. Even then, the differences stemmed from basic guidelines Mr. Conscientious insisted his students write to, which included providing context sentences at the outset of their essay introductions.

Educators have also poured resources into teaching writing, with increasing numbers of hours dedicated to teaching writing across primary, secondary, and higher education . Yet studies continue to find writing skills inadequate . In higher education, most universities require at least a year of writing-intensive courses, with many universities also requiring writing across the curriculum or writing in the disciplines to help preserve students’ writing skills. However, writing outcomes have remained mostly unchanged .

While pursuing my doctorate, I dedicated my research to figuring out how writing worked. As a graduate student also teaching part-time, I was an early convert to process writing. I also taught those ancient principles of logos, ethos, and pathos, as well as grammar and punctuation. Nevertheless, these frameworks only created a canvas for students’ writing. What was missing: how writers should handle words, sentence structure, and relationships between sentences.

Yet researchers published the beginnings of a science-based writing method over 30 years ago. George Gopen, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams created a framework for identifying how to maximize the clarity, coherence, and continuity of writing. In particular, Gopen and Swan (1990) created a methodology for making scientific writing readable . This work should have been a revelation to anyone teaching in or directing a writing program. But, weirdly, comparatively few writing programs or faculty embraced this work, despite Williams, Colomb, and Gopen publishing both research and textbooks outlining the method and process.

Peculiarly, this framework—represented by Williams’ Style series of textbooks and Gopen’s reader expectation approach—failed to become standard in writing courses, likely because of two limitations. First, both Gopen and Williams hewed to a relativistic stance on writing methods, noting that rule-flouting often creates a memorable style. This stance created a raft of often-contradictory principles for writing. For example, Williams demonstrated that beginning sentences with There is or There are openings hijacked the clarity of sentences, then argued writers should use There is or There are to shunt important content into sentence emphasis positions, where readers recall content best. Second, these researchers failed to tie this writing framework to the wealth of data in psycholinguistics, cognitive neuroscience , or cognitive psychology on how our reading brains process written English. For instance, textbooks written by these three principal researchers avoid any mention of why emphasis positions exist at the ends of sentences and paragraphs—despite the concept clearly originating in the recency effect. This limitation may stem from the humanities’ long-held antipathy to the idea that writing is a product, rather than a process. Or even that science-based methods can help teachers and programs measure the effectiveness of writing, one reason why university First-Year Writing programs have failed to improve students’ writing in any measurable way.

Nevertheless, when you teach students how our reading brains work, you create a powerful method for rapidly improving their writing—in any course that requires writing and at all levels of education. Students can grasp how writing works as a system and assess the costs and benefits of decisions writers face, even as they choose their first words. This method also works powerfully to help students immediately understand how, for instance, paragraph heads leverage priming effects to shape readers’ understanding of paragraph content.

Using this method, I and my colleagues have helped students use a single writing assignment to secure hundreds of jobs, win millions in grant funding, and advance through the ranks in academia. However, we’ve also used the same method without modifications in elementary and secondary classrooms to bolster students’ writing by as much as three grade levels in a single year.

Perhaps the time has arrived for this well-kept secret to revolutionizing student writing outcomes to begin making inroads into more writing classrooms.

Gopen, G. D. and J. A. Swan (1990). "The Science of Scientific Writing." American Scientist 78(6): 550-558.

Gopen, George. The Sense of Structure: Writing from the Reader’s Perspective . Pearson, 2004.

Gopen, George. Expectations: Teaching Writing from the Reader’s Perspective . Pearson, 2004.

Williams, Joseph. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace . University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Williams, Joseph. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace . Harper Collins, 1994.

Williams, Joseph. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace . Longman, 2002.

Jane Yellowlees Douglas, Ph.D. , is a consultant on writing and organizations. She is also the author, with Maria B. Grant, MD, of The Biomedical Writer: What You Need to Succeed in Academic Medicine .

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