REFLECTION 2: TEACHING PEDAGOGIES

Hello everyone. In my last post, I have shared about the schools of thoughts and today I'm going to share a little bit about teaching strategies that I would apply to teach Mathematics for Form 4 students. There are many strategies that can be used to teach mathematics but I prefer to use direct learning, inquiry based-learning and cooperative learning.

DIRECT LEARNING

Direct learning is the use of straightforward and explicit teaching techniques which usually used to teach specific skills. It is a teacher-directed method meaning that the teacher will stand in front of the class and disseminate knowledge and information.

I choose this method to teach mathematics is because it is not easy to make the students understand what is the teaching. For example in Trigonometry, I will give an introduction to this topic as the students did not learn this topic before. Then, I will give clear explanations and examples on how to solve the question. After that, it comes to guided practice whereby some task is given to the students to be completed after teaching the particular topic. In order to make sure the students understand topic, I will bring the lesson to a conclusion by highlighting (revising) what was covered. At the end of class, homework is given to the students based on the topic taught and it is being collected by me on the next day. The homework is then checked by me and will evaluate how far do the students understand the topic taught.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that focuses on students investigation and hands-on learning. In this method, the teacher acts as facilitator by giving guidance and support for students through the learning process. This method falls under student-centered approach in which the students play an active and participatory role in their own learning process.

 Inquiry-based learning works best after the direct learning approach. As i said earlier, the students are given some question to be answered after teaching a particular topic. Inquiry-based learning takes place when the students do not understand what is taught by the teacher. The students tends to seek for help to solve question in which the student will ask the teacher personally how to answer the question or will ask their peers to teach them. Through this learning, the students will discuss some question together and this will ensure they understand that topic. This approach also will bring understandings among their peers.


COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative learning is a teaching method that uses small groups to maximize the learning of each of those group members. In this approach, I will give the students some problems to provide them with opportunities to practice or review mathematics skills or concepts. When the students are given question to be solved, they will discuss in their groups and come out with some solutions for the questions. A research has done on this teaching method and have demonstrated positive result for improving high-order mathematics concepts . So, this method proved that it gives a positive outcomes to the students.


All the above are the teaching methods/strategies that I would practice in future for my students.
Will be back soon with another post. 
Thank you.