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Name: _____________________________ Contact No.: __________________

TEACHING APPROACH, METHOD, AND TECHNIQUE

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students should have:

1. Analyzed the definitions of teaching approach, teaching method,
and teaching technique; and
2. Compared and contrasted teaching approach, teaching method,
and teaching technique;

I. Teaching Method Defined

A teaching method is an organized and systematic procedure employed by a

teacher in making students learn. It consists of steps which are logically arranged. A
teacher employs it to make the learning process a more directed undertaking and to
make it highly efficient, thus maximizing the teaching output. Without it, learning
becomes cumbersome and a big waste in terms of efforts, time, and even money.

Garison (1973) defined the teaching method as primarily a matter of

organization of materials and effort to get certain definite things done. The
organization of the content to be taught and to be learned is part of this method. He
also categorized such organization into two: logical and psychological. Logical
organization aims to facilitate the recall or location and use of facts, ideas,
materials, procedures, etc. of which the individual is familiar while psychological
organization is designed to facilitate the learning of new things. The former is
achieved by any of the following: (1) associating ones ideas and arranging known
materials like books, letters, and the like systematically; (2) organizing ideas of a
similar nature under an appropriate heading; and using suitable headings for the
major divisions and grouping the related sub-points. On the other hand, the latter is
realized through: (a) understanding how pupils learn things normally; (2) selecting
those that seem to have a definite bearing on the given task; and (3) making free
and controlled associations needed in developing the work. Worthy of mention is the
fact that psychological organization may or may not be logical.

Based on the foregoing discussion, the following generalized assumptions

about teaching method are given:

1. Teaching Method is an organized, orderly, systematic, and well-planned

procedure aimed at facilitating and enhancing students learning.
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2. It is undertaken according to some rule which is usually psychological

in nature. That is, it considers primarily the abilities, needs, and
interests of the learners.

3. It is done to achieve certain specific aims of instruction. To make it as

an effective instrument, it should be presented with certain amount of
efficiency and ease.

4. It aims to achieve greater teaching and learning output, thus saving

time, efforts, and even money on the part of both the teacher and the
learner.

5. It directs and guides the teacher and the students in undertaking any
class lesson or activity.

II. Teaching Method as Different from

Other Related Terms

A common error among teachers is to use interchangeably terms like method,

approach, and technique. Such pedagogical weakness may be considered as one
unforgivable act ever committed by them. It is a fact that three foregoing concepts
are all closely identified with the procedural aspect of teaching but they are
basically different and distinct although related to one another.

An approach is an enlightened viewpoint toward teaching. It provides sound

philosophy and orientation to the whole process of teaching which the selection of
an instructional method is just a part and parcel of. It embraces the entire spectrum
of the process that is specifies what the major goal of teaching is, the given
priorities among the three domains cognitive, psycho-motor, and affective, the
role of the teacher, the expectations from students, the nature of the teaching and
learning process, the kind of evaluative techniques, and suitable teaching methods
and strategies to be employed. In this connection, there are two salient points to
remember: firstly, all approaches of teaching are viewpoints of teaching but not all
viewpoints of teaching are considered approaches of teaching and secondly, the
selection of an instructional method is based on a given approach.

Likewise, a technique has a couple of meanings: first as a procedural

variation of a given method and second as a highly personalized style of carrying
out a particular step of a given method. The first one is illustrated by the teachers
lecture whereby he can employ any of the following: outlining, component,
sequential, relevance, and transitional. Moreover, if he uses the investigatory
method of teaching, he can use any of the following techniques: laboratory,
problem-solving, research field study, and experimenting.
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The second one is shown in a step which is common to almost all teaching
methods motivation. In motivating the students, the teacher can resort to several
techniques like storytelling, presenting a picture, showing a demonstration, asking
students to narrate own experience, and the like.

Allen and Campbell (1975) elaborated the differences among approach,

method, and teaching as:

1. Re-locating in the scheme of definitions are approach, method, and

technique, and arrangement is hierarchical. The organizational key is
that techniques carry out a method which is consistent with an
approach.

2. An approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the

process of teaching. Being axiomatic, it describes the nature of the
subject matter to be taught. It also states a point of view, a philosophy,
an article of faith something which ones believes but cannot
necessarily prove. It is often unarguable except in terms of the
effectiveness of the methods which grow out of it.

3. A method is an overall plan for the orderly presentation of a lesson, no

part of which contradicts, and all of which is based upon the selected
approach. While an approach is axiomatic, a method is procedural.
Within an approach, there can be many methods.

4. A technique is implementational and that which actually takes place in

a classroom. It is a particular trick, stratagem, or contrivance used to
accomplish an immediate objective. It is usually consistent with a
method and, therefore, in harmony with an approach as well. It
depends on the teacher, his individual artistry, and on the composition
of the class.

To further concretize such differences among the three terms, let us consider
the examples below:

Approach:

One acceptable viewpoint in teaching is to help students to discover

knowledge all by themselves. This viewpoint describes the following: (1) teaching
goal knowledge as the end of instruction specifically the formation of a particular
generalization: (2) the nature of teaching-learning process emphasis on the
cognitive aspect of learning, using process-oriented procedure, giving students
much freedom, and centering around problem-solving situations; (3) role of the
teacher abandoning his traditionally directive mode, being patient, resourceful,
creative, and ingenious, and the need for him to structure the learning environment
(learning by discovery cannot occur in a n empty classroom or in vacuum); (4)
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guidelines in the use of discovery approach plan and structure well the instruction,
do not answer for the students, give clues and hints instead, give students enough
time and assistance to discover something, do not expect them to find out all the
expected knowledge inherent in the subject taught to them, and let the next activity
be a surprise to them; and (5) advantages of learning by discovery increase in
intellectual potency, shift from extrinsic to intrinsic rewards, the learning of the
heuristics of discovering learning how to learn, and the aid to conserving memory.

Aside from the foregoing five aspects, the use of this approach suggests
certain methods of teaching.

Method:

Learning by discovery naturally employs the inductive method whereby

students from the expected generalization toward the end of the lesson. It also
recommends the use of the activity method where learning by doing takes place.
Students to be able to find out things by themselves must be actively engaged in
undertakings like experimenting, observing investigating, and the like.

Technique:

A teacher, who decides to make students become discoverers in their own

right, can arrange several kinds of activities like experimenting, observational
study, field exploration, and other research-oriented activities. Each of these
undertakings may represent an acceptable technique in the process of discovery.

Aside from the terms approach and technique, other words like procedure,
strategy, style, and pattern are used in relation to the so-called method of teaching.
The first term, procedure is defined as a series of actions necessary for the
operation of a particular method. Hence, a method necessarily and always carries
with it a suggested procedure. It goes without saying therefore that procedure can
never be divorced from the method of teaching. However, it should be emphasized
that not all known procedures serve as the foundations of the teaching method.
Another term mentioned here is strategy. This term in the beginning is a monopoly
of other disciplines like military science, politics, economics, and even psychology.
Later, it has been adopted in the field of education since it connotes the same idea
something about methodology. Others terms like teaching style and teaching
pattern have been used by contemporary educators in lieu of the word method.
Teaching style connotes the characteristic manner in which a teacher carries out his
instructional function during the teaching-learning process while teaching pattern
serves as a teaching model which he must follow and adopt to guide his actual
interactions with the learners.
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Activity 1
Comprehension Test
Instructions: Determine whether each idea below suggests an approach (A), a
method (M), or a Technique (T). Write letter only.

__________ 1. A procedural variation of teaching strategy.

___________2. A holistic outlook at the teaching process.
___________3. Axiomatic since it elevates teaching into a more acceptable level.
___________4. Guiding students by following an established pattern.
___________5. A highly personalized style of carrying out a particular step.
___________6. Implementational due to its instant classroom application.
___________7. A well-formulated viewpoint on teaching.
___________8. Organizing students efforts aimed at achieving specific goals of
instruction.
___________9. Procedural in nature since it is a series of logically arranged courses of
action.
___________10. Presenting another mode of teaching strategy.
___________11. Guiding teaching from planning to evaluating.
___________12. Making teaching an organized and systematic process.
___________13. Developing the teachers own distinctive way of carrying out some
aspect of instruction.
___________14. Teaching is done following a well spelled-out procedure.
___________15. An example of which is looking at the learner as the center of the
educative process.

Activity 2
Enrichment Question
1. Many teachers have the wrong notion that approach, method, and technique
mean the same thing. If and when they ask you to differentiate these terms, how
will your explanation go?