Methods of Teaching

Student 1:
You have to convince people you are right.
Teacher:
OK, you have to give reasons why you think what you think. You
have to explain. Luis, you want to start us off, tell us what you think,
and give us some supporting argument
Student 2:
Yes.
Teacher:
Yes, should he get his horns trimmed? (Luis nods.) Why do you say yes?
Student 2:
‘Cause they are too long and if he falls down he will get hurt.
Student 3:
I disagree. In the story, when he fell, he ended up hanging on a tree.
So the horns helped him.
Student 4:
I disagree ‘cause the horns made him fall in the first place. He should
take off his horns so the hunters won’t get to him.
Student 5:
I agree with Luis. If Buford don’t get his horns cut, he’ll trip and get hurt.
Student 6:
I agree with Luis, too. He’ll fall if he don’t get them cut.
Student 1:
I disagree, because Buford, when he was walking, he fell, and his
horns saved him.
Student 3:
Yeah, and if he get his horns cut off, then the folks from all
over the world won’t come and he won’t be a big star.
Teacher:
Do you want to say something, James?
Student 7:
I don’t want him to get his horns cut off because then he won’t be
able to ski.

---

90
ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN EDUCATION/B.ED. (HONS) ELEMENTARY
It is clear that these young students are just beginning to learn how to conduct a discus-
sion. You can still see differences from recitation, however. Students are the dominant 
speakers in a discussion. The dialogue is a mix of questions and statements. The answers 
are longer and we assume the pace of the discussion is slower than for recitation.
The purpose of a discussion is to encourage students to think critically and consider 
different points of view. There is no single right answer or conclusion. There can be as 
many conclusions as there are students as long as each conclusion has been explained 
and/or defended. Students participate in the evaluation of answers and conclusions.
Recitation depends primarily on questions formed at the knowledge level of the 
cognitive hierarchy while discussion depends on questions formed at higher levels of 
the hierarchy. Discussions can easily turn into recitations unless discussion-appropri-
ate questions (i.e. questions that elicit more than a yes or no answer) are used. The 
following questions types are appropriate for discussions: