Teaching methodology is how a teacher explains or teaches material to students. It can include lectures, group discussions, and involving students as teachers. It’s not the same as educational philosophy, but they may be related. Traditional lecture methods are less popular, while student-centered methods are increasingly popular.
A teaching methodology is essentially how a teacher chooses to explain or teach material to students so that they can learn the material. There are many different methodologies that can be used by a teacher, and the methods chosen often depend on a teacher’s philosophy and educational preferences. Also, it is not uncommon for a teacher to use multiple methods within a single lesson or across multiple lessons. A teaching methodology may include the use of lectures, group or small group discussion activities, and involving students as teachers for their peers.
It is important to understand that a teaching methodology is not the same as an educational philosophy for a teacher, even though they may often be related. The philosophy chosen by a teacher usually indicates how the teacher believes students can best learn new material and the ways students and teachers should relate and interact in the classroom. This philosophy often influences the choices a teacher may make about the teaching methodology or methodologies she chooses to use, but they are not necessarily directly related. Teachers usually reference their preferred teaching methods and philosophies together, to give other teachers or students an understanding of their approach to education.
While a teacher may use a number of different methodologies, a common, traditional teaching method is often referred to as a lecture or explanation. It is essentially an approach to instruction that views the teacher as an expert in a subject and provides information for students who are expected to absorb and understand the material. Sometimes derisively referred to as a “stage wise” approach, this teaching methodology has fallen out of favor in recent years with many instructors. Even those teachers who still use this method often integrate it with other methodologies.
Some increasingly popular methodologies focus on the importance of the student in the learning process. One of these teaching methodologies uses group discussions with an entire class or small group discussions with numerous small groups at once. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their education and to be active participants in the learning process.
This can also be used with a teaching methodology where students take on the role of teachers to instruct other students in the class. Small group discussions, for example, are often followed by larger group discussions in which each group presents what they have learned or discussed to the rest of the class. Similarly, individual students can be assigned to research a particular topic and then teach that material to other students in the class.
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