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What is Pedagogy in Teaching? 

Pedagogy in teaching refers to the various methods and strategies that educators  use to facilitate learning and promote students’ development. It includes the  techniques and approaches which is used to deliver information, engage with  students and evaluate their progress.  

Pedagogy in teaching can be found in various disciplines such as: 

• Pedagogy of English 

• Pedagogy of Mizo 

• Pedagogy of Social Science 

• Pedagogy of Geography 

• Pedagogy of Biological Science 

• Pedagogy of Physical Science  

• Pedagogy of Mathematics 

Pedagogy in teaching can involve a variety of techniques such as – lectures,  discussion, demonstration, dramatization, role play, debate, quiz, group work, problem-solving activities, project-based learning, field trip, etc. It includes all  levels of teaching from nursery and primary, all the way up to higher education.  

Since the students have their own learning styles (Auditory learning style,  Visual learning style and Kinesthetic learning style) and capabilities, here the  teachers focused on presenting the syllabus to the students in such a way that it  is relevant to cater their needs. 

Below are the five (5) Pedagogical Approaches illustrating with examples: 

Constructivist Approach: The constructive approach is a student-centred approach that focuses on active learning. By using this approach, the  teacher acts as a mentor, facilitator to facilitate learning by encouraging the  students to create their own understanding of the world around them and this  understanding is based on experience through their everyday lives as they grow. Example: A teacher presents a class problem to measure the length of the table.  Rather than starting to solve the problem by introducing the ruler, the teacher  allows students to reflect and to construct their own methods of measurement.  One student shares that a Doctor measured him as four feet tall. Another says  she knows horses are measured in ‘hands.’ The students discuss these and  contribute the method that they have heard and decide on one to apply to the  problem.

Collaborative Approach: Collaborative approach in teaching is a  method of instruction where teachers and students work together in a group  setting to achieve learning objectives. Therefore, collaborative teacher helps  the students to - listen to diverse opinions, engage in critical and creative  thinking, and participate in open and meaningful dialogue to achieve a common  goal. Example: Students might have just read a topic on Elections in India and the  teacher asked to prepare a product on the topic. Some students could plan a  video-tape, some could dramatize how the people cast their votes and some  could investigate original sources that support or do not support the textbook  chapter and draw comparisons among them to have a deeper understanding on  the topic. 

Integrative Approach: As the name suggests, an integrative approach in  teaching pedagogy refers to a method of teaching that involves combining  multiple disciplines and teaching strategies to provide a holistic learning  experience for students.  Example: English & Social Studies- A teacher might use the current events and  social issues as the basis for reading and writing assignments. Students can read  articles about the topics such as climate change, social justice, economic issues,  etc., and then write essays or participate in discussions about those issues. The  teacher later then grades them according to their performances.  

Reflective Approach: This approach continuously reflects one’s own  teaching practices to improve and enhance teaching effectiveness. It involves an  ongoing process of self-assessment, self-evaluation and self-improvement for  the quality of teaching. Example: Keeping a journal, gathering feedback from students and colleagues,  and recording class teachings to improve one’s teaching. 

Inquiry-Based Approach: This approach deals with the art of asking  questions. In exercising the craft of good teaching, the teacher must reach into  the learner’s hidden levels of knowing and awareness in order to help the  learner reach new levels of thinking and understanding.  Example: In a science class, students might be asked to design and  carry out their own experiments to investigate a scientific concept, such as how  the pH of water affects the plants to grow. The teacher would encourage  students to generate their own questions, hypothesis and methods, and to collect  and analyse their own data. Exploration of questions leads to more questions resulting from lower to higher order skill of questioning. 

Each teaching pedagogy approach is slightly different, so we can choose which  method is suitable for our learners. Often, a combination of these approaches is  best to apply in our respective subjects. These approaches pave way for students  to think outside the box. As defined in Bloom’s taxonomy, their thinking level  can vary from basic memorization and comprehension to complex learning  processes like analysis, evaluation and creation. 

Conclusion

Having a well-structured pedagogy can enhance both the teaching and learning  process and it can be reflected in student’s performance too by maintaining the  CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation) consistently. No subject can  be taught in isolation. Every subject is connected to other subjects. Therefore,  the teacher has to adopt an inter-disciplinary/integrative approach to make it  applicable in real life situations. It is necessary to reflect on the teaching  methods and strategies during the course and evaluate their effectiveness in  promoting student engagement, motivation and learning. This is done to make  sure that teaching-learning process is working correctly.  

References:

1. The Principles and Methods of Teaching- Bhatia & Bhatia

2. Child Development and Pedagogy- Sarita Sikaria, K.J. Thomas,  Zaibunnesa, Manoj Jain