Methods of Teaching

Closing (5 minutes)
Have Student Teachers write a summary of this class session and leave it on your desk.

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UNIT
3
TEACHER-CENTRED AND
STUDENT-CENTRED METHODS

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COURSE GUIDE: Methods of Teaching
45
UNIT 1
UNIT 4
UNIT 5
UNIT 3
UNIT 6
UNIT 2
UNIT 7
Unit overview
The distinction in teaching methods – teacher-centred versus student-centred – is a 
good place to start because these methods are usually seen as opposed to each other, 
though they can be seen as complementary. Direct instruction is used to help children 
acquire knowledge and action sequences (e.g. learning to write the alphabet). Indirect 
instruction, which involves inquiry-based, problem-solving, and project-based learn-
ing, is used to enable children’s understanding of the physical, social, and psychological 
world in which they live. In addition to different goals, the two groups of methods 
derive from different theories about learning and employ different practices. 
Both groups of methods belong in schools, but acquiring and understanding involve 
different but related mental processes. Each is a legitimate goal of schooling for all 
children. The purpose of this unit is to illustrate differences between these methods 
and the theories of learning from which they evolve. Student Teachers will compare 
lesson templates and study lesson plans for direct instruction and indirect instruction. 
They will be asked to determine whether these are oppositional or complementary 
methods. Student Teachers will also learn how to design teacher-centred and learn-
er-centred lessons. This is an introduction to this classification (Direct/Indirect) of 
teaching methods. 
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit Student Teachers will be able to: