In the formal
classroom setting the task of teaching carried out by the teacher along with
his pupils.
Bigge (1967)
-
According to him, can be performed at various levels
ranging from the least thoughtful to the most thoughtful behavior or mode of
action.
Psychologists
and Educationists
-
Have clearly
identified three such levels of teaching learning act , namely
i.
Memory Level
ii.
Understanding Level
iii.
Reflective Level
· Hierarchal order
of the levels of teaching
Memory
Level of Teaching
|
“which supposedly
embraces committing factual materials to memory and nothing else.”
Morris
L. Bigge
|
Teaching-learning act at the memory level represents the involvement of the least thoughtful behavior. In such type of act memory plays a key role. The teacher represents the factual information before the learner. The learner tries to mug up the least involvement of his thinking and reasoning power without any care of the understanding of their meaning and application.
Underlying Psychological
Theories and Ideas
-
Memory-level teaching is influenced by the following
psychological theories and ideas:
1.) The theory of
mental faculty or mental discipline.
2.) The Herbartian
theory of apperception
3.) The Thorndike’s
connectionism
4.) The Theory of
conditioning.
Objectives
-
The teaching act performed at
the memory level is confined to achieve the knowledge
Objective in the
following way:
1.) Acquisition of the presented facts through rote learning
2.) Retention and reproduction of the acquired factual information as
and when needed.
Nature of the
subject-matter and its Presentation
-
Memory level teaching is
predominantly subject centered. Its sole objective is effective memorization of
the presented material by the learner.
-
It should carefully attend to
the quality of presented material and its way of presentation it should be elected very judiciously,
presented in a very systematic manner and definite as well as fixed order to
facilitate its proper retention and easy recall.
The Role of
the Teacher
-
Teacher plays a very dominant
and authoritarian role in the memory level teaching. It is he who he decides
about the methodology for the presentation of the subject material before the
learner.
-
He organizes and systematizes
the presented material, presents it merely through his initiatives. In this
way, teaching-learning process becomes too much teacher centered at the memory
level teaching.
The Role of
the Learner
-
The learner has a passive role
in the memory level of teaching. His mind is considered as a big storehouse of
information or knowledge regarding the various subjects.
-
The teacher pours knowledge and
he is there to receive it through mechanical memorization.
Nature of
Motivation
-
As the students play the
passive role in the teaching act performed at the memory level, the nature of their
motivation is largely extrinsic.
The Methods
Employed
-
The methods employed at the
memory level are exclusively teacher centered or subject centered rather than
the learner or situation centered. Consequently, these are mostly
non-psychological in nature.
The Testing
Devices Used
-
The teaching learning at the
memory level is primarily designed for attaining the knowledge objective
through the process of mechanical memorization. T prepare the students to have
mastery over the subject matter in terms of their adequacy or retaining and
reproducing the material presented to them at the time of teaching.
The Merits of
Teaching at Memory Level
-
The teaching-learning carried
out at the memory level his many advantages.
These are:
1.) Such type of teaching-learning may be found to suit the very nature
of the small children to a great extent as their memory at the younger age is
the rote memory.
2.) The task carried out at the memory level in the form of acquisition
of so many memorized facts prove quite helpful in the teaching-learning
activities performed at the understanding and reflective levels.
3.) The memory of teaching-learning gives full freedom to the teacher
for realizing his goal.
The Demerits
and Defects of Teaching at Memory Level
-
Teaching-learning at the memory
level is denounced on account of its demerits and defects as follows:
1.) It is carried out at the lowest level of the students thought
processes and provides no scope for the development of understanding and other
essential cognitive of a student.
2.) The emphasis here is on the acquisition of factual knowledge
imparted by the teacher through rote learning and mechanical memorization.
3.) Despite the best efforts in such teaching-learning, there is no
guarantee of good retention and good reproduction of the memorized material by
the learner.
4.) Since the teaching-learning process is too much dominated and there
is no proper interaction, between the teacher and learner it leaves no scope or
the proper personality development of the learners.
5.) The memory level of teaching-learning poses a problem of class
control and securing attention of the students for classroom-teaching.
6.) Here the total burden of handling the teaching-learning process
falls on the shoulder of the teacher.
Conclusion
-
With all that what has been
said about the defects and demerits of memory level teaching, it should not be
interfered that memory level teaching is absurd and useless and therefore
should be abandoned. However, things are not as such. For the children at the
elementary level, as emphasized earlier, It may prove quite beneficial.
Understanding Level of Teaching
-
Understanding level of teaching
represents relatively a high level in the teaching process as compared to
memory level. It calls for the use of one’s thought processes and cognitive
abilities in the form of reasoning and thinking powers, power of imagination,
analysis, etc.
Meaning and
Definition
-
In his book, Learning Theory
for Teachers, Morris L. Bigge has defined understanding level teaching, the one
“that seeks to acquaint and solitary facts-and which shows he use to which the
principles may be applied.”
An analysis of
the above definitions may reveal the following characteristics of the
understanding level teaching:
1.) It does not stop with the acquisition of facts or information by the
students as done at the memory level but takes them ahead for generalizing the
rules or principles out of these acquired facts.
2.) The students can identify the relationship between the individual
facts and the principles generalized out of these facts.
3.) It helps the students use the generalized rules or principles as a
tool or instrument in the acquisition of new facts or applying in their
practical life.
The Underlying Psychological Theories and Ideas
-
The teaching act at the
understanding level is said to involve the following psychological grounds.
1.) The Herbartian theory of appreciation and its famous Five steps of
teaching
i.
To understand individual facts
ii.
To move from particular facts
to generalized principle
iii.
To use generalized principle to
acquire new facts
2.) Theory of insight or gestalt field theory
i.
To perceive the situation
ii.
To identify the relationship of
the common elements
iii.
To gain generalized insights
Objectives
-
the teaching act performed at
the understanding level is aimed to achieve the following:
1. Knowledge objective
2. Understanding objective
i.
To see
ii.
To comprehend
iii.
To identify
iv.
To seek generalization
v.
To apply
Nature of the
Subject Matter and Its Presentation
-
The subject matter for the
understanding level teaching is quite structured in terms of planning
sequential and organized presentation and meaningful learning.
The Role of the
Matter
-
The memory level teaching the
teacher plays a quite dominant and authoritarian role at the understanding
level of teaching.
The Role of the
Learner
-
The learner does not have a
passive role here as in the case of memory level teaching.He has to remain
active in acquiring the desired understanding of the learned facts.
Nature of
Motivation
-
Although purpose is always
involved in any understanding level of teaching, yet the nature of the
motivation here is largely extrinsic as in the case of memory level teaching.
The Methods
Employed
-
The methods employed at the
understanding level of teaching, on one hand, they may work as teacher and
subject centered and on the other, may help in realizing simultaneously both
the knowledge and understanding objectives.
The Testing
Devices Used
-
The teaching task carried out
at the understanding level requires a more comprehensive evaluation programme
than the memory level of teaching which is largely confined to the testing of
recall or recognizing ability.
Transfer of
Training or Learning
-
Since understanding level of
teaching emphasizes on seeing relationship between the facts and acquired
generalized insight in the form of generalized rules, and theories, it gives
greater scope for the proper transfer of the acquired training or learning from
one situation to another.
The Merits of
Teaching at Understanding Level
-
The teaching at the
understanding level has the following advantages:
1.) Understanding level teaching helps the students in the acquisition
of the facts or information more effectively than the memory level.
2.) It helps students to learn generalized rules principles or theories
built up on the basis of individual facts or special examples.
3.) Understanding level teaching trains and equips them for acting more
intelligently in proceeding on the path of learning.
4.) Understanding level teaching through the generalized insight equips
the student.
5.) It provides opportunities for organized and systematic teaching and
learning, best suited for the existing schools situations of our country.
Demerits and
Defects
-
The disadvantages with the
understanding level of teaching are as follows:
1.) The teaching at the understanding level is more or less teacher
centered and subject centered rather than being child centered.
2.) The motivation is largely extrinsic in nature and the student’s ego
is hardly involved in such type of teaching.
3.) The result of such teaching are always judged in terms of the fixed
specific responses to highly specific knowledge and skills acquired through
mechanized repetition and drillwork or as taught by the teacher in the rigid
and controlled teaching-learning situations.
Conclusions
-
The understanding level
teaching, performed at more advanced thoughtful modes of operation than the
memory level, has many advantages. It provides meaning to what is being taught
or learned in a learning situation.
Reflective Level
of Teaching
-
Teaching at reflective level
represents the highest level of the teaching act that can be carried at the
most thoughtful modes of operation
providing the desirable quality of teaching learning situation and experiences
to the learner for utilizing and enhancing their cognitive abilities to the
maximum.
Meaning and
Definition
-
The word reflection stands for
the act of reflection(turning back),contemplating or paying serious consideration.
-
Morris L. Bigge : “careful,
critical examination of an idea or supposed article of knowledge in the light
of the testable evidence which supports it and the further conclusions towards
which it points.”
Underlying
Psychological Theory and Ideas
-
Reflective level teaching has
it roots in the cognitive field theory of learning. This theory also called
goal insight theory, opposed the traditional mechanical and meaningless
understanding of the facts.
Objectives
-
The teaching at reflective
level may be said to act for the attainment of the following:
1.) To make use of the learned facts and acquired understanding or
insight for learning reflectively.
2.) To help the learner build up an enlarged store of the tested insight
s of generalized character.
3.) To enhance the learners ability to develop and solve problems at
their own initiative.
Nature of the
Subject-Matter and its Presentation
-
The subject matter is not
presented in the highly structured form as done and understanding levels. It is
almost open ended in the form of problem raising and problem solving.
Role of the
Teacher
-
At the reflective level of
teaching, the teacher does not play a dominant and authoritarian role like in
memory or understanding le el teaching.
Merits and
Advantages
-
The reflective level of teaching
has the following advantages:
1.) It involves learner centered approach
2.) The process off teaching-learning act is carried out at a more
advanced mode of operation than a memory or understanding level.
3.) In life, what we mostly need is the proper identification of the
felt problems and the way of facing and solving these problems.
4.) Teaching at reflective level is helpful in making the classroom
environment quite democratic, healthy, lively and exciting.
5.) The outcomes of reflective level teaching automatically involve the
fruits of memory and understanding levels of teaching.
6.) The reflective level teaching, suits the very need of the
present-day fast developing age.
7.) The reflective level teaching makes possible the maximum transfer of
learning or training which is otherwise missing at the memory and understanding
level.
8.) Teaching at reflective level have enough flexibility to be employed
for the teaching in all subjects.
Demerits and
Limitations
-
The reflective level teaching
is used to be suffering from the following limitations and defects:
1.) The teaching situations are organized in a flexible way.
2.) The freedom and flexibility enjoyed by the students in the unstructured
teaching-learning situation may drift students from the learning path.
3.) Despite the wider claims of its application in the learning of all
school subjects at all levels.
4.) It requires more effort on the part of the teachers.
Conclusion
-
Shortcoming and defects
outlined above about the teaching act at the reflective level do not count
towards any genuine difficulty in carrying out with the desired degree of
success.
-
They learn how to identify and
analyze a problem, think about possibilities, discovering proper solution and
testify and generalize
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