The eco-teaching tool kit: a basket of approaches
Emmadi Naveen Kumar
Is economics a dry subject?
I was always surprised when people asked me this question: “How come you have chosen such a dry subject (economics) for your higher studies?” Even today I don’t understand what exactly the word ‘dry’ means in their question. Is economics really a dry subject? Or is it the method of teaching economics that makes people think it is so? Are there methods of teaching that can make economics an interesting subject?
The lecture is the primary teaching method used by teachers at both the secondary and university levels. Though the majority of economists still use this method to teach economics, there are numerous problems with excessive lecturing, which have been known for quite some time.
To cite one example, Johnstone and Percival (1976) found that students start losing attention 10 to 18 minutes into a lecture with lapses becoming worse as time passes. They, therefore, recommend active learning methods as a supplement to the lecture.
Most learners like to learn through humorous anecdotes combined with real-life applications pictures, illustrations and other teaching methods (discussion, programmed learning, reading/independent study, projects, and other – audio, TV, computer-assisted learning) using information acquisition as the standard of effectiveness.
If standards of effectiveness are used, then the effectiveness of lectures declines. For example, lectures are ineffective compared to class discussions in promoting independent thought because students are not actively engaged. For teachers of economics who hope to attract students to the subject, this is an important point to consider.
The method of instruction occupies a paramount position in any teaching/learning situation. It serves as a communication link between the teacher, the students, and the subject matter. Teaching methods can be of different types and will depend on the topic. Let’s consider a few here.
1. Problem solving/inquiry method
This method encourages students to probe a problem in order to find out why they exist and look for solutions.
Advantages
i. Increases the intellectual ability of students.
ii. Motivates them to learn.
iii. Helps develop confi dence in students and teachers.
iv. Teaches skills, values, appreciation, attitude, and knowledge that will make students more thoughtful of their environment.
Disadvantages
i. It is time-consuming.
ii. It requires the guidance of a well-trained teacher.
iii. It is limited in the sense that the research that the students undertake will depend on their ability to investigate, age, and experience.
iv. It requires funds and materials.
2. Discussion method
Discussion methods are effective in getting learners to think constructively while interacting with the rest of the group. A good discussion is a problem that is clearly defined. The problem must be limited in scope so that it can be understood by members of the group and satisfactorily dealt with.
Advantages
i. Teaching by discussion makes use of one of the best principles of the learning process. A good discussion will help students express themselves verbally, crystallize their thinking in conjunction with the thinking of their peers and develop a tolerance for those with whom they may disagree.
ii. People who tend to isolate themselves physically or mentally will become set in their ways and resist innovation in their lives or thought patterns.
iii. Teaching by discussion is a motivational technique which encourages a student to think through concepts which have been hazy. Wrong conclusion may be corrected through the influence of the group rather than the unilateral actions of the teacher.
Disadvantages
i. Whole group discussions require setting up and enforcing ground rules for students.
ii. Students who are weak in note-taking will have trouble understanding what they should remember from the group discussion.
iii. It requires a lot of time to cover any given material.
3. Demonstration method
Demonstration method involves explanation through performance.
Advantages
i. Mastery of skill is ensured because learners practice regularly.
ii. It enables the teacher to have immediate feedback with which she/he can diagnose the teaching learning situation.
Disadvantages
i. It requires a lot of preparation on the part of the teacher.
ii. Some skills require perfection especially on the part of the teacher, and failure to attain this perfection may result in detraction.
iii. It is limited by the learner’s capacity and capabilities in terms of readiness, intelligence, and motivation.
4. Role play method
This method involves acting out given roles, say that of the RBI governor faced with the problem of inflation. It is one of the mostly used methods in economics.
Advantages
i. It simulates reality.
ii. It ensures effective teaching-learning process.
iii. It fosters and promotes quick understanding of a concept situation.
Disadvantages
i. It requires the guidance of the teacher for better understanding and appreciation.
ii. The way a situation was played out in class may not be the way it happened in real life.
5. Oral exposition or lecture method
Oral exposition is otherwise called the lecture method. This is the traditional method adopted by most teachers. In this type of teaching method learners’ involvement and participation is limited, in fact they are mostly passive and the emphasis is on the teacher rather than on the learner.
Advantages
i. It is efficient and useful for teaching classes that are large.
ii. It is useful where books are very scarce or where students cannot afford to buy books.
Disadvantages
i. It is teacher-centered and not student-centered.
ii. It does not encourage class discussion or students’ involvement.
iii. It is most disadvantageous for slow learners.
6. Discovery method
Discovery teaching is where students interact with their environment by exploring and manipulating objects. Wrestling with questions and controversies or performing experiments. The idea is that students are more likely to remember concepts they discover on their own. The teacher serves as a resource person to stimulate, motivate, clarify, and explain.
Discovery teaching brings four basic components of the educational setting into interaction.
• The student
• The learner
• The environment and
• The content
7. Case study method
This method involves the use of actual (real) or closely simulated economic events, situations, development, or policy measures to assert facts.
Type of case study
Case studies that illustrate principles: This type of case study was employed by Adam Smith in his attempt to illustrate the operation of the principle of Division of Labour. In the famous case study of a pinmaking industry, Adam Smith divided the states of production of pins with one person performing only one stage of the production process.
Case studies that propound principles: There are some case studies which help propound some principles. In order to propound a theory, we need to study several real situations. The case study in this category will enable pupils to understand the fact of the case, the task of inducing principles from them.
Advantages
i. It makes points understandable and clear.
ii. It uses actual events to study.
iii. It helps in teaching topics such as division of labour and production.
iv. It can be used as substitute for verbal presentation.
Disadvantages
i. It is time-consuming.
ii. If it is not appropriately used it may confuse the students.
iii. Its successful application depends on the teachers’ ability.
iv. It can only be used to supplement other methods and does not work well by itself.
v. It requires students to be of a reasonable level of maturity.
Factors to consider when selecting method of teaching
For successful and effective teaching, there are some vital things that teachers need to know.
a. The purpose of any teaching method should be geared towards effective learning.
b. All teaching methods are useful and effective if the teacher is a master of the subject matter thereby enhancing effectiveness in the classroom.
c. All methods should encourage activities that demand effort from the students.
d. The method to be used must suit the age, experience and ability of the learners.
e. Good lesson notes are the foundation of good preparation.
f. The method should help students identify what they are learning with life outside.
g. It must enhance the effective use of time at the teachers’ disposal.
h. The teacher must be able to cope with the method effectively, thereby achieving the purpose.
i. The teacher should take into account the resources at his/her disposal before choosing a teaching method.
References
- Becker, William E. 1997. Teaching economics to undergraduates. Journal of Economic Literature 35(3): 1347-1373.
- Bligh, Donald A. 2000. What’s the Use of Lectures? San Francisco: Jossey- Bass Publishers.
- Bonwell, C. C. and Eison, J.A. 1991. Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.
- ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1 Washington, D.C.: George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.
- Johnstone, A.H., and Percival, F. 1976. Attention breaks in lectures. Education in Chemistry 13(2): 49-50.
- Malek, P. Ninos and Hall.C. Joshua.,et al.2012. A Review and Analysis of The Effectiveness of Alternative Teaching Methods on Student Learning in Economics.
- Sax, L.J., et al. 1996. The American College Teacher: National Norms for the 1995-96 HERI Faculty Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.
- Serena Smith, 2010, Level of Use and Effectiveness of some Select Method of Teaching Economics in Secondary Schools.
- Siegfried, John J., Saunders Phillip; Stinar, Ethan; and Zhang, Hao. 1996. Teaching tools: How is introductory economics taught in America? Economic Inquiry 34(1): 182-192.
The author is a teacher of economics and political science at Silver Oaks International school, Hyderabad. He can be reached at emmadinaveen@gmail.com.
