Principles of Teaching: Starting, Guiding and Ending
Principles of teaching: starting, guiding and ending!
In teaching, principles may be classified into three major groups,
namely.
1. Starting Principles:
These involve the nature of the child, his psychological and
physiological endowments which make education possible.
Our native equipment’s have been called by various names. The most
common terms used are reflexes, instincts, capacities, impulses,
temperaments, and the like.
These hereditary endowments are the preliminary concern in all
educational Endeavour. In the language of A vent- “the child’s original
nature is absolutely antecedent and initial to all educational activities
and results”.
It is therefore the function of education to make the best use of these
hereditary tendencies to meet human needs, growth and development.
The primary concern of the teacher is not the subject but the child, not
knowledge of specialty, but knowledge of the laws and principles of
child growth and development.
The process of child growth and development, like all other natural processes, involve laws and principles.
2. Guiding Principles:
These refer to the procedure, methods of instruction, or agglomerations
of techniques by which the pupil and the teacher may work toward the
accomplishment of the goals or objectives of education.
The method of teaching involves the activities of the teacher and the
pupils. It is the method of learning and not the method of teaching that
constitutes the real problems of method.
The method is the means of stimulating, directing, guiding, and
encouraging individual or class activities.
The method of teaching involves the application of many laws and
principles.
True principles of teaching, then, must explain teaching processes.
They must show how subject matters are organized and taught, how
teaching results are achieved and evaluated. Improved methods of
teaching are dependent upon increased knowledge of principles to be
applied.
Principles serve as guiding philosophy for the selection and operation of
teaching and learning activities and techniques.
3. Ending Principles:
These refer to the educational aims, goals, objectives, outcomes, or
results of the whole educational scheme to which teaching and learning
are directed.
These educational aims or objectives may be used as definite, intelligible
principles or guidance by those who seek to educate effectively.
By the aims of education we mean the ends toward which the educative
process is moving. The primary requisite of effective learning is a goal
or ending point.
In teaching and in learning one must know his goal or objective.