Direct instruction is a teaching method where the teacher provides structured lectures and exercises to students, without encouraging exploration or group work. It is suitable for teaching math and basic science, but less appropriate for subjects like history. The method is systematic and easy to measure progress, but may not be suitable for all types of learning. Teachers may use a combination of instructional techniques, and some schools rely on direct instruction to provide structure for at-risk students.
Direct instruction is an approach to teaching in which an instructor provides a detailed, highly structured series of walkthroughs and lectures to students, rather than encouraging students to explore and understand concepts on their own. The teacher interacts face-to-face with the students, leading the class, and the class is not involved in group work and other independent activities. Direct instruction can be very suitable for teaching certain types of topics, such as math and basic science.
In direct instruction, the teacher lectures the class to provide students with the basic building blocks of knowledge and develops them in a series of steps. An advantage of this teaching method is that it is very easy to set goals and measure progress. In a math class, teachers can set goals such as mastery of specific concepts and test students to see if they understand the topics covered so far to see if students are learning.
Direct instruction relies on tools such as lectures, repeated exercises, front-of-class demonstrations, and homework to reinforce the skills discussed in class. Interaction between students and exploration of topics through private inquiry and discussion sections is not part of direct instruction. Students may choose to work independently outside of the classroom setting in study groups, but this is not integrated into the teacher’s approach to the classroom.
This method is very systematic, with a rigid roadmap and very focused objectives. For some types of learning, it is less appropriate. For example, in a history class, teachers might want students to explore historical topics and think about social issues and attitudes when evaluating historical events. Students can learn more from the material if they have access to discussions and other opportunities to investigate the events they learn about. Topics like math, where teachers want students to understand a range of concepts, can often be covered very well through direct instruction.
Educators may choose to use a combination of instructional techniques to reach their students, tailoring the approach to the class and topic. Many teachers learn about different approaches to pedagogy while receiving their training, including a variety of direct instruction methods. School districts may emphasize a specific type of teaching, expecting their staff to use that method in their work. Schools for at-risk youth, who often have difficulty concentrating and completing tasks, can rely on direct instruction to provide a very clear structure in the classroom to facilitate student success.
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