Teaching Aptitude Test - 5

The first thing that is expected from a teacher is to create situations and opportunities for encouraging learning for each and every student in the class.

• The classroom environment should be such that each and every student feels comfortable, joyful, and feel encouraged to use his potentials in a maximum way for learning.

Key Points

•  The teacher by using a democratic teaching strategy provides that type of learning environment where students get choices in their learning and incorporate shared decision-making to promote increased engagement and improved learning outcomes for students.
• This is a completely child-centered teaching strategy. It develops affective and cognitive domains.
• Maximum interaction between teachers and students is seen in this type of teaching strategy.
•  It is important for the all-round development of students.
• An example of a democratic learning environment for the classroom teaching-learning process is - Students are provided with opportunities to investigate a problem, search for possible solutions, make observations, ask questions, etc.  
  • In this example, the students will have the choice to search for solutions by following their own path of discovery.

Thus, it is concluded that the students are provided with opportunities to investigate a problem, search for possible solutions, make observations, ask questions, etc. is an example of a democratic teaching strategy.

Hint

•  To instruct the students to follow strict discipline is an example of an autocratic teaching strategy where the students become passive learners and remain quiet during most of the learning process.
• In the Autocratic teaching strategy, the teacher decides the nature of the experiment, the nature of activities, time place, and students have to follow their instructions.
• Basically, the teacher is the center of all learning activities in autocratic teaching strategy.

There are three different levels of teaching and teaching takes place at three levels progressively- memory level of teaching, understanding level of teaching, and reflective level of teaching. Teachers must keep in mind the developmental stage of the learners so that desired educational objectives can be achieved.

There are three levels of teaching effectively:

1. Memory level: At the memory level of teaching, the teaching-learning process is just a stimulus-response based on memorization. The stimulus, i.e. the subject is grasped. It is then memorized by rote learning. The response is the memorized content.

• ​It involves memorizing factual information.
• It is the least thoughtful method since it encourages rote memorization.
• The teacher focuses on the recall, recognition, and retention of learning.
• It is mostly employed by the teachers at the primary classes to teach basic skills such as rules of grammar, arithmetic, spellings, etc.

2. Understanding level: ​This level focuses on comprehension and understanding of the meaning of the topic being studied. It involves breaking down complex topics into a logical sequence of steps.

3. Reflective level: It implies the highest level of thoughtfulness on the part of the learners. It involves the method of the scientific method of understanding of a problem. It makes use of the ‘problem-solving approach to find a solution to a difficult problem. This level of teaching is usually employed at the college/university level.

 

Hence, we can conclude that in-memory level of teaching, the teaching-learning process is stimulus-response.

Approaches to learning describe and explain the conditions under which learning does and does not take place. Generally, there are two types of approaches prevailing in the world of learning Surface approach, and the Deep approach. The proposed dynamic approach is a new one.Key Points

Dynamic approach:

• A dynamic approach to learning implies that the students are active, are involved in what they are learning.
• This implies adopting a whole new approach to a lesson so that they are not just waiting, not just listening but they must actively participate in different ways
• it is the best way to teach  by this is to get actively involved in the activities and the teaching should not be passive and it is more open
• This implies adopting a whole new approach to a lesson so that the pupils are not just waiting, not just listening.
• On the contrary, they must actively participate in different ways.
• The pupils must read, write, discuss and take part in activities that force them to think.
• Roleplay and simulations, etc. can also be introduced.

The dynamic approach to the teaching-learning process means that teaching should emphasize student participation through learning activities.

Teaching Resources are very necessary for effective teaching and should be used to facilitate the teaching-learning process. Accurate and realistic teaching-learning resources encourage healthy classroom interaction and are helpful in meeting individual needs. The following are the few teaching-learning resources:

• Newspaper: It is a media resource which is in printed form. It gives important information going on in the world. It can be a purposeful teaching resource for students.
• Picture: It is a resource which is used in both print-media and television media. It can be used to refer to a study topic.
• Exhibition: It a large-scale showing in which objects and products are kept open. It can help learners to learn about objects, models and art.

Hence, we conclude that all the above resources are helpful in the teaching-learning process.

computers are one of the most valuable devices in a classroom.

Key Points

• Computers have changed the teaching profession in a variety of ways.
•  ICT has the potential to help teachers and students achieve a variety of goals in the learning process.
• It delivers accurate information in a thorough manner with numerous instances.
• Learners can interact with teachers from remote locations. 
• It assists students in expanding their knowledge base.
• ICT allows for a range of information presentation styles allowing students to learn at their own pace.
• It aids in better comprehension and long-term memory of knowledge.

Thus, In the teaching-learning process computer is used to support the instructional process and support learning and interaction from remote. 

Additional Information

• Teachers utilise computers to keep track of grades, averages, and attendance, as well as to get data on student performance.
• Teachers can incorporate technology into their courses to keep students engaged while appealing to a range of learning styles.

John Dewey is a great philosopher, educationist, and thinker of the modern age. John Dewey’s concept of education is based upon the Philosophy of Pragmatism. He has proposed the concept of 'learning by doing'.

• It emphasizes that reality must be experienced and students must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn.
• It promotes self-learning and self-assessment and gives a real experience of solving real-life problems.
• It is a way of combining thinking and reasoning with the practical act of manipulating objects for solving a problem.
• He advocates that learning by doing ensures the development of self-learning skills, emotional growth, physical coordination, and cognition as they gain knowledge by engaging with the contents and objects and gains real experience in real-life situations.

Hence, the learning by doing method increases the active participation of the students in the teaching-learning process.

A teacher not only acts as a source of knowledge, but also acts as a role model, mentor, caregiver, and advisor. Teachers can actively and wisely have a sage effect on their students' lives. Primarily, teachers' role in a classroom is to impart knowledge to their students which will help them gain and learn new things about a specific or general subject.

Key Points

Role of Facilitator: 

• The teacher finds new ways of understanding and supporting their student's learning style, keeping in mind that young minds are individual on their own so they tend to have different paces and speeds. The role of the teacher is to inspire, motivate, encourage, and educate learners.
• The teacher is a facilitator, not a dictator, so to assist their student to acquire and re-organize knowledge.
• Being a source of knowledge - the teacher is responsible for having accurate and up-to-date knowledge concerning the subject matter he or she is in charge of. Nevertheless, it is also expected from the teachers to be well informed about the current affairs and new-development happening around the world. 
• Watchful of student's progress- teacher's role is not limited to just imparting the knowledge but he or she has to make sure that the students grasp it accurately and remember it( for the purpose of exams mainly).

Additional Information

The different roles of a teacher:

Counsellor	The teacher gives advice to the students. The teacher senses the problem, gives help, and solves it or the students can also seek help from their teacher.
Co-creator	National curriculum framework-2005 sees teachers as co-creator of knowledge and sometimes referred to as the "knowledge partners of learners". They motivate and encourage students to become active members of the teaching-learning process.
Leader	A teacher leads the students and guides them for a better learning experience through various activities. The teacher should create a democratic environment in the class so that every student will get an equal opportunity to learn and improve themselves. That's why a teacher should be a leader in the classroom, not a dictator.
Planner	A teacher has to do the planning of lessons, assessments, teaching aids and teaching methods to be used, and to set up the aims and objectives to be achieved.
Manager	The role of a teacher as a manager is more concerned with the managing of the activities that have to be organized in a teaching-learning process,

Teaching-learning materials (TLMs) also known as instructional aids, facilitate a teacher in achieving the learning objectives formulated by her/him prior to teaching-learning activities start.

Key Points

One of the ways of categorization of TLMs is based on the audio and visual effects produced by the materials. 

Accordingly, there are three types of TLMs:

• Audio Aids: The materials or devices which call upon the auditory senses and thus help the individuals to learn through listening e.g. Radio broadcasts, Cassette and CD player. 
• Visual Aids: The aids which call upon the visual senses and thus help the learners to learn through viewing. The important and under this head are Blackboard, Charts, Pictures, Graphs, Models, Film strips, Slides, Puppet, Flashcards, Games etc.
• Audio-Visual Aids: The devices which require the auditory as well as visual senses and helping the students to learn through listening as well as viewing. Examples of such aids are television, films and computer-assisted instruction.

Hence, we can say that graph is not an audio-visual aid, but a visual aid.

Individualized learning, or individualized instruction, is a method of teaching in which content, instructional technology, and pace of learning are based upon the abilities and interests of each learner.

Key Points

• Individualized instruction refers to the use of strategies, resources, and assessments to meet the needs of one particular learner.
• Individualized Instructions are required because:
  • Each student learns differently.
  • All students are talented in different ways.
  • Educating children with special needs.
  • It is to meet the unique educational needs of the child.
  • Teaching requires differentiated and individualized instruction to reach all students.
  • Careful and continuous assessment of individual progress can be carried out.
• Steps to Individualized Instructions:
  • Assessment of the student’s background, needs, and interests.
  • Selection of appropriate subject matter.
  • Determining the teaching strategies to meet the needs and interests.
  • Constant monitoring of progress.
  • Undertaking revisions/alternatives wherever needed.
  • Comprehensive education including qualitative and quantitative records.

Hence, we can conclude that Individualized Instruction is necessary for the classroom teaching-learning process because Classroom is heterogeneous; students learn at different rates.

Competency is the essential skill, knowledge, attitude, and behavior required for the effective performance of a real-world task or activity. For attaining competency, mere acquisition of skill is not sufficient, one has to perform at a prescribed level of efficiency.

 Key Points

• The teacher must have competency in instructional delivery, along with classroom management, soft skills, and assessment.
• It is important for a teacher to be proficient in classroom management as a teacher has to manage the different activities in the classroom i.e., conduction of the learning process, providing the learning materials, and giving feedback, etc.
• He must be aware of the instructional delivery which is the effective way of delivering lectures including demonstrations, activities, or using any other method of teaching. 
• If a teacher is not compatible with instructional delivery then the teaching-learning process will not be successful as the concept will not be taught appropriately which may lead to confusion among students.
• The teacher must have soft skills i.e., the personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. 
• Soft skills will help a teacher to communicate effectively with students.
• Also, it is necessary for a teacher to assess the students so that the further learning process can be planned according to their needs. So, assessment is also one of the important competencies a teacher should possess.

Hence, it is clear that option "4" is correct.