The effects of different teaching and learning methods

Many schools in Tanzania still follow the traditional teacher centered lecture method. The skills and knowledge are transformed to students. The best learner is the one who can reproduce by memorization. There is very little interaction between the teacher and taught. The teacher rarely provokes students into asking questions, though this method of teaching has pedagogical merits such as imparting solid information, this is not always the reason behind the teacher’s choice. It may be quite often a choice because it is a familiar method and gives importance to teacher.

Introduction of computer literary and computer science in Secondary school curriculum has been seen as an important step forward by the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC); as the demand for ICT Professionals in the country is very high. Computers play a very important role in education, computer as a tool for study, computer science as a discipline or a profession, computer as a medium for instruction. Computer as a medium for teaching and learning necessitates changes in curriculum. The ultimate goal is to enable students, to learn explore and increase the ability and facilities for acquiring and processing information.

Against this background, Shaik Moulali studied the effects of different teaching and learning methods.

The main focus of this study was how to improve the teaching methodologies by integrating computers in education system especially in secondary mathematics curriculum.

The study in general was aimed at preparing secondary school teachers so as to enable them to use ICT in teaching mathematics subject and then try it in classroom environment in order to determine whether it can be implemented in the Tanzania mathematics curriculum. One of the objectives of this study was to determine if teachers when supported can learn new knowledge and new teaching skills and then apply them successfully in classroom. Teachers were supported by helping them to develop deeper understanding of the subject content (i. e mathematical concept) how to enter formulas in spreadsheets that will help learners enter date and make decision to find results and then how the help their students learn the contents.

The classroom observations show that all teachers who participated in this study managed to apply the new knowledge and new teaching skills very successfully. Students were able to discover mathematical concepts themselves, with little assistance from the teacher. This approach helped them to interpret graphs and diagrams, solve problems, which are related to real world and making decision on the mathematical relationships.

Generally this approach of teaching is associated with active involvement of students in the classroom discussion. Teachers appreciated the new knowledge and teaching skills because this will help them to improve their lesson preparations presentations and classroom management. Some teacher found that it was their good opportunity to discuss with another teacher on how they can improve their teaching methods. Also teacher leaned new subject contents how to prepare lesson plans that will actively involve students in the learning process, how use the lesson appropriately and how to manage their class.

Teachers who participated in this study promised to adopt these new knowledge and teaching skills because it simplifies the teaching process. But change can be a difficult and complex process depending greatly on how much teachers incorporate what they learned into classroom (Tillya 2003 cited DAVIS 2003). Therefore creating strong links with personal learning and classroom contexts is important inducing teacher change in beliefs and practices (Tillya 2003 cited, 2003).

For more insights, reflections and recommendations, read the full study:
> <a href="http:/www.ftpiicd.org/files/articles/Tz-Effects-Teaching-Learning-Methods.pdf" target="_blank"> Effects of different teaching and learning methods 606 KB)

Shaik Moulali works for the Bright Education Trust Fund and is a programme manager of the IICD supported project “Teachers’ Professional Development Using ICT”. This fund aims at training teachers in Secondary schools and Teachers colleges: They prepared their own syllabus and manual to train the teachers with required basic computer skills and their application in their teaching and class management. They already trained 120 teachers so far. The teachers were very happy to receive the new skills and they felt confident to applying them in classroom to the extent possible.