COMNPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONS

A. EMPLOYING REINFORCEMENT
Reinforcement - the process of encouraging or establishing a belief or pattern
of behaior! especiall" b" encouragement or re#ar$
%Reinforcement s&ill is also &no#n as fee$bac&' Reinforcement means
the strengthening the inbuilt force to respon$' Ps"chologicall"! reinforcement
is a techni(ue in strengthening the ps"chological behaiour of the learner to
learn in the classroom! the respon$ing pupils nee$ social approal of their
behaiour' )
PURPOSE* To help the teacher sho# a positie fee$bac& to the stu$ents or to
help communicate the teacher+s approals,$isapproals to#ar$s the
stu$ents! resulting in the stu$ents+ feeling reinforce$ to participate more
actiel" an$ better in the teaching-learning interaction
Components of Reinforcement S&ill*
%The s&ill of reinforcement has the follo#ing behaioural components*)
DESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS
Use of Positie -erbal Reinforcement* It inoles giing erbal or
linguistic e.pressions #hich act as reinforcer! li&e sa"ing /goo$+' It
means the" increase the chances for the pupils to respon$ correctl"'
Praise #or$s
0ccepting pupli+s feeling
Repeating pupil+s response
Use of Positie Non-erbal Reinforcement* 1hen a teacher uses
gestures %#ithout #or$s) to reinforce the stu$ents responses! it is
&no#n as positie non-erbal reinforcement'
No$es an$ smiles!
Moing to#ar$s the respon$ing pupil!
2iing a frien$l" loo& an$
1riting pupil+s responses on the blac&boar$.
Use of E.tra--erbal Reinforcement* This t"pe of reinforcement falls
mi$#a" bet#een positie erbal an$ nonerbal reinforcement'
These reinforcements are such remar&s as /hm-hm+! /Uh-Uh+ or
/0aaah+ etc'
UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS:
Use of Negatie -erbal Reinforcement* -erbal behaiour of the
teachers that brings about negatie reinforcement' It $ecreases the
chance for the pupils to participate in the classroom or respon$
correctl"'
Use of $iscouraging #or$s li&e /#rong+! /incorrect+! /stop
it+! /nonsense+!
Use of $iscouraging cues* li&e /foolish+! /shut up+! Sarcastic
oice!
Use of $iscouraging statements li&e /I $o not li&e #hat "ou
are $oing+! /that is not goo$+ etc
Use of Negatie Non-erbal reinforcement* Negatie nonerbal
reinforcements are those non-erbal behaiours of the teacher that
bring about negatie reinforcement'
%This can be $one through such behaiours li&e)
/fro#ning+!
#i$ening of e"es steering!
/no$$ing the hea$+! tapping impatientl" #ith han$s+
aoi$ing the particular pupil an$ moing a#a" from him'
%3o#eer! this t"pe of reinforcement shoul$ be use$ #ith caution as it lea$s
to $isrupt rapport bet#een pupils an$ the teacher' It ma" also hurt their ego
an$ $iscourage them')
B. ASKING QUESTIONS
%1hile e.plaining! the teacher as&s ealuatie (uestions in or$er to
chec& #hether or not pupils are attentie' Thus! (uestioning helps the
teacher to obtain fee$bac& from pupils about their atten$ing behaiour')
4uestioning is a po#erful $eice of teaching' Through this $eice! the
teacher transacts a lot of learning e.periences' It is essentiall" a teacher-
controlle$ $eice for promoting though! ma&ing appraisal an$ moing
stu$ents to#ar$s $esire$ goals'
o Question:
0 (uestion is $e5ne$ as an" sentence #hich has an interrogatie
form or function'
The" are instructional cues or stimuli that cone" to stu$ents
the content elements to be learne$ an$ $irections on #hat the"
are to $o an$ ho# the" are to $o it
The use of (uestioning s&ills in a s"stematic manner is important
for interactie inestigation in an" sub6ect
PURPOSE OF QUESTIONS
To increase stu$ents+ participation in their teaching-learning
interaction'
To encourage stu$ents to thin& at higher cognitie leel'
To motiate stu$ents to search for ne# information'
To arouse the stu$ents+ interest an$ their curiosit" in the topic of
instruction'
To $eelop the stu$ents+ actie #a" of thin&ing an$ learning'
To gui$e stu$ents in the process of 5n$ing a goo$ an$ correct
ans#er'
To help stu$ents concentrate on the topic un$er $iscussion'
To sere as a gui$e to stu$ents+ learning an$ $emonstration of
learning %e.amination)'
To emphasi7e &e" points'
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Managerial* These are (uestions #hich &eep the classroom
operations moing !i'e'! to moe actiities %an$ stu$ents) to#ar$ the
$esire$ goals for the lesson'
81ill "ou turn to page 9: of "our te.tboo&;!
81ho nee$s further assistance on ho# to $ra# the graph;
etc'
80re "ou all here #ith "our mathematical set an$ four-
5gure table;!
Rhetorical 4uestions* The" are (uestions use$ to emphasi7e a point
or to reinforce an i$ea or statement'
8The green coloring matter in plants is calle$ chloroph"ll!
right<;
8=ast #ee& #e note$ that there are three arms of
goernment* e.ecutie! legislature! an$ the 6u$iciar"!
o&a"<;
%Rhetorical (uestions $o not reall" re(uire stu$ents ans#ers!
ho#eer! stu$ents sometimes respon$ to them')
Close$ 4uestions* 4uestions to chec& retention or to focus thin&ing
on a particular point' The" hae limite$ number of acceptable
responses or 8right ans#ers';
81hat is the chemical formula for #ater<;
8Nigeria got her in$epen$ence from the colonial masters in
#hat "ear<;
8If "ou a$$ N> to N9> #hat is the total sum<;
%Close-en$e$ (uestions can be ans#ere$ in onl" one #or$ or er" short phrase')
Open 4uestions* The" are use$ to promote $iscussion or stu$ent
interaction an$ anticipate #i$e range of acceptable responses rather
than one or t#o 8right ans#ers';
%?ra# on stu$ents+ past e.periences an$ cause them to gie an$ 6ustif" their
opinions! infer or i$entif" implications! formulate h"potheses! an$ ma&e 6u$gments
base$ on their o#n alues an$ stan$ar$s' 1or$s use$ are)
ho#@'! #ho@! #hat@! #hen@! #here@! $escribe@!
e.plain@! in #hat #a"@! coul$ "ou tell us about@'! ho#
$i$ "ou appl" "our training to "our #or&<
EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES
Establish a safe atmosphere for ris& ta&ing b" gui$ing stu$ents
in the process of learning from their mista&es'
Encourage ariet" in the t"pe an$ $iAcult" leels of (uestions'
Encourage stu$ents to as& (uestions at an" time'
Use re$irection option b" re$irecting a stu$ent+s (uestion to
other stu$ents
0$apt (uestions to the leel of the stu$ents
0oi$ tric&" (uestions an$ those that re(uire Bes or No response
Respon$ to ans#er (uestions as&e$ b" the stu$ents as it can
sere as reinforcement for learning'
Use 80PP=E; mnemonics
A sk the Question * 4uestions shoul$ be prepare$ in "our lesson plan in a$ance'
P use * =et the learners thin& about #hat "ou are as&ing' 2ie the learners C->
secon$s in or$er to respon$'
Pi!k* Pic& on a learner b" name to ans#er the (uestion' ?o not al#a"s pic& on
the 5rst learner that raise$ his han$' Bou ma" also pic& on someone that hasnDt
raise$ his han$ in or$er to force participation'
L isten * =isten to the ans#er! ma&e e"e contact #ith the learner! an$ proi$e
eEect #or$sF #hen the ans#er is proi$e$' Mi. "our eEect #or$s! nothing
soun$s more phon" than an instructor that al#a"s sa"s Ger" goo$G #heneer a
learner ans#ers a (uestion'
E "#oun$ n$ E"#%in the %e&ne&'s ns(e&' 2enerate a $ialog base$ on the
learnerDs response' If the learnerDs response #as incorrect! re$irect the (uestion
bac& to the other learners' GThatDs an interesting response! but not the one I #as
loo&ing for! can an"one else proi$e a $iEerent ans#er<G