Instructional Strategies

 Instructional Strategies

There are many different instructional strategies that teachers can chose from to use in the classroom.  These strategies are: lecture, discussion, activities, storytelling, independent study, small group instruction, and peer instruction (Cooper & Simonds, 2011).  It is up to the teacher to decide which strategies best fit the needs of her class, depending on the composition of students that make up her classroom.  The teacher should chose which strategy is appropriate for her and her class based on the objectives that she is teaching, the various learning styles of her students, and the environment in which the teaching is taking place.

A lecture is an instructional strategy in which the teacher does most, if not all, of the talking.  The teacher presents a vast amount of information in an efficient manner.  During this strategy teachers are giving direction, providing information, and conducting evaluations.  There are many advantages to giving lectures: they are flexible, easily adapted to a particular group of students, it covers a lot of information in a short amount of time, and it provides reinforcement for students.  Lectures have disadvantages as well: they are very impersonal, which can affect learning, students can become easily confused with the amount of information being covered, it is difficult to maintain students' attention since they are not actively engaging, it is difficult to gear the information to the needs of each student.  Teachers need to know when lecturing is appropriate and when it is inappropriate and use it accordingly.  Teachers using the lecturing strategy should make sure their lecturing is engaging, and uses visual aids.  Teachers also need to ensure they are giving students enough time to process all of the information they are teaching when lecturing.

Leading a class discussion is another instructional strategy used by teachers.  The advantages to leading a class discussion are: giving students practice in expressing themselves, helping students gain experience in defending their views.  The disadvantages of using a class discussion are: it takes a lot of time, teachers and students must posses discussion skills.  Teachers that lead a class discussion must be very prepared.  Teachers should have questions ready to prompt the discussion, and should be prepared to help the discussion flow.  Teachers must also give up some of the "control," and step back to allow students to do most of the talking during the class.  Class discussions are very beneficial to students if the teacher is prepared well enough.

Storytelling is another type of instructional strategy.  Teachers and students use storytelling everyday in the classroom when they share about their lives and experiences.  Stories can help explain difficult concepts, and because they are appealing, they can help in teaching certain objectives.  Storytelling is entertaining, and can be a very effective teaching strategy when used appropriately.

Independent study is another type of instructional strategy.  In independent study, a student works independently to accomplish the assignment given by the teacher.  In using this strategy, the teacher must know that her students are capable of completing the objectives on their own.  The students need to be given clear guidelines, and directions.  They need to understand what they are to accomplish.  It is important when using this instructional strategy that the students know that the teacher is there to assist them if they need help.  When used appropriately, independent study can be very effective for student learning.