Every teacher uses a distinctive method to teach the students. They uses different rules, principles and strategy to make their teaching effective, purposeful, to increase the participation of students, and overall learning process fun.
But in teaching there are some universal accepted principles, rules and general truths that every teacher in teaching uses to make the teaching interesting, easy and effective. These can be applied to all the classes, subjects and topics. These are called the maxims of teaching. They hold universal importance. Their knowledge helps the teacher to proceed systematically.
Here are some different maxims of teaching explained. Although there are many maxims of teachings but the important one are explained.
1. From Known To Unknown
This maxim of teaching is derived from the National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF-2005). We all know that a child is not a tabular rasa (blank slate), when a child enters in a school she/he already have some knowledge because of the experiences with the world. And teacher should use this knowledge to teach something which is not known to the students. NCF 2005 recommends connecting the school life (unknown) of students to life outside school (known). If we teach students in such manner the learning process get facilitated, rich and fruitful for the students.
2. From Simple To Complex
This maxim of teaching is derived from the child development principle. This maxim says that we should teach easy/simple things to students first and then proceed to difficult/complex concepts. Now if we teach students using this maxim, students feel encouraged and makes them confident. Because they will be able to do the simpler concepts which makes the learning fun and easy process. But opposite to this if we teach students complex concepts first it makes the students frustrated and bored.
3. From Concrete To Abstract
This maxim of teaching is derived from the theory of cognitive development by Jean Piaget. In his theory of cognitive development Piaget explained this idea that we should teach the students using the concrete things first and when they will develop cognitively we should introduce the abstract material.
What are concrete things/concepts ?
Concrete things/concepts are those that are tangible, specific, and easily perceived through the senses. They refer to physical objects or things that can be directly observed or experienced. Examples of concrete concepts include objects like tables, chairs, animals, and plants, as well as sensory experiences like sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
What are abstract things/concepts ?
Abstract things/concepts, on the other hand, are ideas or concepts that are conceptual or theoretical rather than physical or tangible. They are not directly perceivable through the senses and often involve qualities, relationships, or ideas that are more complex or intangible. Examples of abstract concepts include love, justice, freedom, democracy, truth, and beauty. These concepts are often defined differently by different people and can be interpreted in various ways.
If abstract concepts are presented before the concrete concepts, this can make the learning process difficult and often lead to the rote memorization and not understanding the concept.
4. From Particular To General
This maxim of teaching is related to the inductive method of teaching. We firstly take many examples from the different situations and then form/develop a general rule.
Let's take a common example, taking multiple example of names of people, places and objects and our feeling and then teaching the definition of noun will be easier for the students than vice versa.
5. From Induction To Deduction
Again, a maxim supported by the Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Piaget in his stages of cognitive development explained this we should teach the younger students using the inductive method of teaching and when they develop cognitively we can use the deductive method of teaching. Using deductive method of teaching at the lower stages of classes can lead to frustration and rote memorization which is not fruitful at all.
Inductive and deductive methods are two different approaches to teaching and learning:
1. Inductive Method:
- In the inductive method, the learning process starts with specific observations or examples, and then general principles or theories are derived from these observations.
- This approach involves presenting students with specific instances or examples and then encouraging them to identify patterns, make observations, and formulate generalizations or theories based on those observations.
- Inductive reasoning moves from the specific/particular to the general, allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts through hands-on experiences and discovery.
- This method often fosters critical thinking skills, encourages active participation, and allows students to construct their own knowledge.
2. Deductive Method:
- In the deductive method, the learning process begins with general principles or theories/rules, and then specific/particular examples or applications are derived from these principles.
- This approach involves presenting students with general concepts, rules, or theories and then guiding them through the application of these principles to specific situations or examples.
- Deductive reasoning moves from the general to the specific, providing students with a structured framework for learning and problem-solving.
- This method is often used in more structured or formal educational settings, such as mathematics and logic, where clear rules and procedures can be applied systematically.
6. From Analysis To Synthesis
This maxim of teaching is supported by the Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy of cognitive objective. Benjamin in his theory explained how complex things can be made understand to students by breaking it into parts which is known as "analysis". Later when we are creating or synthesizing something we will combine the various ideas. The process of analysis is simpler than the synthesis for understanding the concepts.
Example: If we are teaching the concept of digestive system to students, we will first explain the each and every part of digestive system separately and then students will be made to understand the overall functioning of the digestive system.
7. From Empirical To Rational
This maxim is the extension of two other maxims which are simple to complex and concrete to abstract.
Empirical Knowledge: It is based on the observation and experience where no reasoning is required and is concrete and simpler to understand.
Rational Knowledge: It is based on logical arguments and reasoning.
According to this maxim, children learn from their experience first and then start thinking rationally about the things that they have not experienced and building understanding on it.
8. From Psychological To Logical
Teaching must follow the child psychology and teach according to it, rather than our own intuitional logic.
Example: We all believe in this that language learning should start from the alphabets like A for apple B for ball and so on. But in the research, it is found out that natural learning of language begins with the understanding of sentences then we move to words and letters.
Now this fact can truly boggle our mind but psychology can be counterintuitive sometimes, what we think is not always correct.
This maxim also makes teaching more child cantered.
9. From Definite To Indefinite
Younger students cannot easily understand the indefinite concepts, which don't have any fix answers for example: how big the universe is ? their mind is not developed to think and answer such big and infinite concepts. In the beginning years we should focus more on definite concepts which have specific answers like how many letters/alphabets does English language have ? etc.
Initially we should teach students definite concepts and when they develop cognitively we should introduce the indefinite concepts gradually and systematically.
10. From actual to representative
Bringing a real plant into the classroom to teach about its parts is like the real deal (actual). But if we draw a picture of a plant to explain the same thing, that's just representing it.
Having real things, like actual plants, helps students learn better because they can see and touch them. So, teachers should try to use real stuff whenever they can. Using drawings or models might work better for older students, but for younger ones, it's best to keep it real.
11. From Whole to Parts
This maxim is opposite of the maxim from analysis to synthesis. It comes from the gestalt theory of learning, which says we should see things as a whole, not just as separate parts. It's easier and more effective to understand something as a whole. So, when teaching, it's good for the teacher to first give an overview of the topic, and then break it down into smaller parts. For instance, when teaching about the digestive system, the teacher might explain how digestion works in general first, and then go into detail about each part of the digestive system.
CONCLUSION
Teaching involves various methods and strategies tailored to enhance student learning. Universal principles, known as teaching maxims, aid teachers in making their instruction engaging, purposeful, and effective. These maxims are applicable across subjects and grade levels and serve as guidelines for structuring teaching practices.
1. From Known to Unknown: Begin with students' existing knowledge to introduce new concepts gradually.
2. From Simple to Complex: Start with easy concepts and progress to more challenging ones to build student confidence.
3. From Concrete to Abstract: Teach tangible concepts before introducing abstract ideas to facilitate understanding.
4. From Particular to General: Use specific examples to develop general principles, supporting the inductive method of teaching.
5. From Induction to Deduction: Progress from specific observations to generalizations, then apply deductive reasoning to analyze specific cases.
6. From Analysis to Synthesis: Break down complex ideas into parts (analysis) before integrating them into a whole (synthesis).
7. From Empirical to Rational: Begin with experiential learning before advancing to logical reasoning.
8. From Psychological to Logical: Consider child psychology when structuring teaching, aligning instruction with students' developmental stages.
9. From Definite to Indefinite: Teach definite concepts first before introducing indefinite or abstract ideas.
10. From Actual to Representative: Utilize real-life examples (actual) for effective teaching, transitioning to representations (such as drawings or models) as needed.
11. From Whole to Parts: Introduce topics as a whole before breaking them down into smaller components, promoting comprehensive understanding.
These maxims guide teachers in delivering instruction that caters to diverse learning needs, ensuring a meaningful and engaging learning experience for students.
Thank you reading !!!
Well explained!