PEDAGOGY of Teachers in the Classrooms can CREATE OR DEMOLISH the learners lives!!!!

Pedagogy is the discipline that deals with the theory and practice of teaching. ... The teaching of adults, as a specific group, is referred to as andragogy. In teaching Pedagogy and its Forms refers to the “interactions between teachers, students, and the learning environment and the learning tasks.” This broad term includes how teachers and students relate together as well as the instructional approaches implemented in the classroom.

Effective and appropriate pedagogy

Effective teachers carefully plan and implement appropriate pe-dagogy.

Learning is dependent on the pedagogical approaches teachers use in the classroom. A variety of pedagogical approaches are common in schools, but some strategies are more effective and appropriate than others. The effectiveness of pedagogy often depends on the particular subject matter to be taught, on understanding the diverse needs of different learners, and on adapting to the on-the-ground conditions in the classroom and the surrounding context. In general, the best teachers believe in the capacity of their students to learn, and carefully utilize a range of pedagogical approaches to ensure this learning occurs.

Issues and Discussion

Pedagogy and its Forms: Pedagogy refers to the “interactions between teachers, students, and the learning environment and the learning tasks.”This broad term includes how teachers and students relate together as well as the instructional approaches implemented in the classroom. Pedagogical approaches are often placed on a spectrum from teacher-centred to learner-centred pedagogy; though these two approaches may seem contradictory, they can often complement each other in the realisation of educational goals—for example, a teacher-centred approach may be useful to introduce a new theme, while a learner-centred approach may be necessary to allow students to explore these ideas and develop a deeper understanding.

• Teacher-Centred Pedagogy: Teacher-centred pedagogy positions the teacher at the centre of the learning process and typically relies on methods such as whole-class lecture, rote memorization, and chorus answers (i.e., call-and-response). This approach is often criticized, especially when students complete only lower-order tasks and are afraid of the teacher. However, whole-class teaching can be effective when teachers frequently ask students to explain and elaborate key ideas, rather than merely lecture.
• Learner-Centred Pedagogy: This pedagogical approach has many associated terms (e.g., constructivist, student-centred, participatory, active), but generally draws on learning theories suggesting learners should play an active role in the learning process. Students therefore use prior knowledge and new experiences to create knowledge. The teacher facilitates this process, but also creates and structures the conditions for learning. Considerable research and advocacy has promoted learner-centred pedagogy in recent years for economic, cognitive, and political reasons. Some research suggests this approach can be very effective but it is also difficult to measure consistently. It is often challenging for teachers to shift from teacher-centred pedagogy to learner-centred pedagogy, and so considerable support may be needed if this is an important goal for a given education system.
• Learning-Centred Pedagogy: “Learning-centred pedagogy” is a relatively new term that acknowledges both learner-centred and teacher-centred pedagogy can be effective, but teachers must consider the local context, including the number of students in the class, the physical environment, the availability of teaching and learning materials, etc.It suggests that teachers should be flexible and carefully adapt their pedagogical approaches based upon the school environment.

Effective and Appropriate Pedagogical Approaches: Effective pedagogy can lead to academic achievement, social and emotional development, acquisition of technical skills, and a general ability to contribute to society. Among these varied learning outcomes, academic achievement is the easiest to measure, but the others are also important to consider when trying to reform and monitor ongoing changes to pedagogical practice.

Pedagogical effectiveness often depends on ensuring that the approach is appropriate for specific school and national contexts. For example, certain learner-centred techniques that are effective in classrooms with fewer students may be difficult to accomplish in crowded or under-resourced classrooms (see below). Yet, some strategies have been shown to be more effective than others in a broadly-applicable way. These include the following: 1) strong grasp of pedagogical approaches specific to the subject matter and age of the learners (also called pedagogical content knowledge); 2) appropriate use of whole-class, small group, and pair work; 3) meaningful incorporation of teaching and learning materials in addition to the textbook; 4) frequent opportunities for students to answer and expand upon responses to questions; 5) helpful use of local terms and languages; 6) varied lesson activities; and 7) a positive attitude towards students and belief in their capacity to learn.

Pedagogy and the Education System:

National examinations, curriculum standards, and other education system policies influence teacher pedagogy. For example, national exams that primarily test discrete factual knowledge, rather than comprehension or analysis, discourage teachers from using pedagogy that develops higher-order critical thinking skills. For this reason, if education planners wish to change pedagogical practice, it is not sufficient to simply issue new pedagogical guidelines—they will also have to explore ways to align other policies and practices throughout the system.

Inclusiveness and Equity

Teacher expectations of disadvantaged students: When teachers have a positive attitude towards their students, they are more socially responsive and attentive, they more often tailor their instruction to particular student needs, and they are more successful at drawing on students’ experiences to make lessons meaningful and contextually relevant. Conversely, students from disadvantaged social groups, such as females, minorities, or the disabled often suffer from teacher prejudices, which translate into low expectations of these students’ capacities. Teachers who have low expectations of their students make less of an effort to help them learn, in addition to discouraging them in other subtle ways, with the final result that these students often achieve lower academic performance.

Adapting pedagogy to mixed-level, large, and under-resourced classrooms.

What constitutes effective pedagogy is often context-dependent; therefore teachers need to receive specific preparation in how to make contextual adaptations to their teaching approaches through both pre-service and in-service training. In mixed-level classrooms, teachers need to have a deep understanding of students’ different ability levels in order to alter their instruction and activities to meet the needs of each student. Group work can also be helpful for students of different ability levels. When teaching in large classes it is vital to maintain classroom routines. Many excellent teachers set up routines for group-work, peer review, distributing papers, etc., to help reduce chaos and increase instructional time. There are also specific techniques for effective use of questions and encouraging discussions in large classrooms. In under-resourced classrooms, teachers need to be especially creative about how to use locally-available materials, and how to connect lessons to observations of the social and natural environment. These approaches can, in fact, strengthen teaching even in well-resourced classrooms since teaching and learning materials are most beneficial when they are relevant to students’ lives.

Pedagogies & Strategies

Interactive Lecturing

• An Introduction to Lecturing
• Classroom Response Systems (“Clickers”)
• Digital Textbooks: Working with publisher-provided online platforms
• Flipping the Classroom
• Making Better PowerPoint Presentations
• Podcasting
• Visual Learning

Active Learning

• Active Learning
• Beyond the Essay: Making Student Thinking Visible in the Humanities
• Teaching with Blogs
• Case Studies
• Classroom Response Systems (“Clickers”)
• Collaborative Learning
• Digital Labs and Simulations
• Digital Timelines
• Discussions
• Effective Educational Videos
• Feminist Pedagogy
• Group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively
• Incorporating Research into Science Courses
• Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT)
• Learning and Course Management Systems (LMS/CMS)
• Leveraging Travel Abroad: Collecting and Teaching with Authentic Resources
• Mindfulness in the Classroom
• Office Hours and E-mail
• Service Learning & Community Engagement
• Teaching Outside the Classroom
• Teaching Problem Solving
• Team-Based Learning
• Test-enhanced learning: Using retrieval practice to help students learn
• Visual Learning
• Wikis
• Wireless in the Classroom

Classroom and Pedagogical Techniques

A framework for successful lesson delivery consists of six parts:

1. Gaining the students' attention and establishing expectations.
2. Reviewing relevant, previously-learned material.
3. Presenting the new information by linking it to previous learning.
4. Providing learning guidance or elaboration.
5. Providing time for practice and feedback.
6. Providing for spaced practice to enhance retention.

This page is a one-stop shop for specific instructional strategies to enhance student engagement and learning in the classroom.

Designing Online (and in-class!) Discussions

Determine the role of questions, examine common problems, and motivate students to participate. (Although primarily aimed at online instructors, the information you'll find there is easily adaptable to the face-to-face classroom.)

Teaching Large Classes

Strategies, guidelines and resources for creating interactive environments, successful lectures, and managing the large classroom.

Problem-Based Learning

Engage students in problem-solving activities by employing this strategy.

Team-Based Learning

A highly successful "flipped classroom" technique for engaging students and keeping them accountable for course content.

Writing as a Learning Activity

Written assignments often reveal deficiencies in student writing that, while not specifically related to course objective, can still affect the quality of submitted work. Fortunately, the FSU Reading-Writing Center now provides online, synchronous tutoring sessions for distance students. When giving writing assignments, you may wish to include a link to the center and/or a direct link to their appointment-making tool.

A framework for lesson delivery that is successful consists of six parts:

1. Gain the students’ attention and establish expectations.

2.Review relevant, previously learned material.

3.Present the new information by linking it to previous learning.

4.Provide learning guidance or elaboration.

5. Provide time for practice and feedback.

6.Provide for spaced practice to enhance retention.

• Implement the course plan, creating a learning environment and a community of Learners. After planning the course, it’s time to meet the class and teach, but before you do so, consider the following. First, the purpose of the course and class is that the students learn something. Second, your role as an instructor is to help them learn it. What is the best way for you to help students learn what you want them to by the end of the course?

Revise the plan after assessments and evaluations.

Course evaluation, instructor evaluation, and revisions to the course should be seen as part of the larger picture of instructional design. It is rare that a course or instruction cannot use some improvement. Course revisions involve the collection and interpretation of data for the purpose of improving instruction.

Improving Your Teaching with Feedback offers several methods you can use to obtain information on improving your courses and teaching methods.

Managing Students & the Classroom Climate:

How you manage your students – and at times, yourself –can determine your success or failure in the classroom. This chapter helps you survive in the classroom – through behavioral suggestions, preparation guidelines, and common problems most instructors have encountered.

?Typical Problems

?Here, we list a few typical problems that most instructors have experienced at some point in their teaching.

What if you do not know the answer to a student’s question?

Check with the student to be sure you understand the question. Repeat the question and ask, “Is this what you are asking?” It is not unusual to misunderstand what a student is saying. In addition, students often have a hard time formulating a clear question, so it is entirely possible that what you heard was not easy to understand. If an attempt at Question clarification fails, ask, “Can some one else explain the question to me?” Or, ask the student to talk to you after class when you have more time. Finally, give positive feedback – “That’s a good question! Let me see what I can find and I’ll get back to you,” and then be sure to find an answer for the next class meeting or, if your course has a website, post the question and answer to the website.

What if a student asks for advice about problems beyond your responsibilities?

Students may ask you for advice about their social and personal as well as their academic problems. Many times, just being a sympathetic listener can help the student. You may have had several years of successfully juggling the academic and social aspects of life and genuinely can be of assistance.

Instructor-Student Interactions

How friendly should you be with students?

Lack of friendliness or interest in students’ performance is often cited as a major weakness of poor instructors. Some individuals, consciously or unconsciously, adopt a condescending or stay away attitude toward students. But the instructor plays an important role between the subject matter and the students. Learning is more than making information available. Interacting with the material and with an expert in the discipline is more likely to encourage student learning. There are instances when instructors may be perceived as too friendly with students. To win students’ admiration and friendship, instructors try to become “one of the guys or gals.” If there is little social distance between you and your students, you may create uncomfortable situations. Trying to be a “buddy” is typically an inaccurate reflection of reality...it's time to post your reflections....now....