9 Environmental Science Modern Methods part 1

INTRODUCTION
“Even the best curriculum and the most perfect syllabus remains dead unless quickened
into life by the right methods of teaching and the right kind of teachers.” According to
Secondary. Education Commission. As the means of reaching predetermined ends method
forms the most important link in the total teaching-learning chain. It is middle link connecting
the objectives with its value. It determines the quality of result. The Environmental Science
is a very important subject at the higher secondary level and for its teaching teacher should
have to select effective methods and effective strategies to teach them. Some important
strategies and methods are explained below:
Meaning of Teaching Strategies
“Teaching strategy is generalized plan for a lesson, which includes structure, desired
learner behavior in terms of goals of instruction and an outline of planned tactics necessary
to implement the strategy. The lesson strategy is a part of a larger development scheme of
the curriculum.” E. Stones and S. Morris.
Type of Teaching Strategy
It may be able to be classified under the following two major heads:
1. Autocratic styles
A. Lecture
B. Lesson Demonstration
C. Tutorials, and
D. Programmed Instruction
2. Permissive Styles
A. Question-Answer
B. Project Strategy
C. Review
D. Group Discussion
E. Role Playing
F. Discovery
G. Brain Storming
H. Leaderless Group
Autocratic style of teaching strategies is traditional. These strategies achieve different
objectives more than permissive styles of teaching strategies. The autocratic style strategies
are content centered, teacher remains more active, and students are passive listeners. The
autocratic teaching strategies realize cognitive and effective while permissive teaching
strategies tend to achieve effective objectives. The main emphasis is on presentation. These
strategies do not consider the student abilities, interests and personality of the learner.
There is no freedom for the learner in the teaching process. These are highly subjective and
conventional styles of teaching process.
Permissive style of teaching strategies is based on “Modern Theory of Organization
of Task and Relationship centre”. This style seems less conventional. It is mainly childcentered; the pupils largely determine content. The affective objectives are mainly achieved
by permissive style strategies. These strategies create situations for student and teacher
interaction and both remain active in teaching. Teaching is organized with the consideration
of student interest, abilities and values. These strategies encourage the creativity of the
pupils.
Importance of Instructional Strategies
1. These are highly subjective and conventional styles of teaching process.
2. Teachers are more active and students are passive listeners.
3. Teachers are free in their classroom teaching.
4. It establishes class rapport, remedial help and educational guidance to the learner.
5. It creates a new link with the previous knowledge of learner.
6. It gives more emphasis to achieve learning objectives rather than students’ interest.
7. The learning conditions and learning objectives should be achieved.
Objective of Teaching Methods
Teaching procedures in Environmental Science should be governed by the objectives of
its teaching. The specific goals or purpose as well as the nature of the content of a unit
determine the methods to be used in teaching it. Suitable methods are needed for the
achievement of comprehensive objectives of teaching Environmental Science such as to
expose the pupils to knowledge and experiences helpful in the development of understandings,
critical thinking, practical skills and interests discussed earlier. Methods also give training
in constructive thinking, reasoning and critical judgment. The goal expectations in the
teaching of Environmental Science involve deeper and extensive participation of students.
Besides the lecture or question-answer method, students should be exposed to a variety of
learning experiences involving book learning, observation, interviewing, surveying,
interpreting, reviewing, recording, reporting, and evaluating. Learning experiences should
be geared to the type of growth and behavior changes to be brought about in the student
and the need to make him an enlightened, discriminating, dynamic, productive and democratic
citizen.
Need of Modern Methods in Environmental Science
1. There are many roads to successful learning to be tried for meeting particular
needs and situations. To make the subject interesting, vital and living the teacher
should also use permutations and combinations of methods, devices, and techniques
for example to lend color to class teaching. He may use lecture or discussion method
or a combination of these two. The teacher should be conversant with a variety of
methods of Environmental Science.
2. Different lessons or units should be taught by different methods of teaching. It can
be very monotonous to use the same methods for every circumstance. In the past
few decades a tremendous increase in equipment materials, means and teaching
procedures has been witnessed. These should be utilized to provide variety and
color to teaching Environmental Science. To create and maintain their interest and
avoid monotony children should be exposed to varied experiences.
3. No single method can be the best for all situations, and for all teachers and pupils.
The suitable method should emerge out of the abundance of information and skill
of the teacher. It should be harmonized with the content to be taught. Every
teacher of Environmental Science should be familiar with the different means for
reckoning the desired ends.
Characteristics of Good Teaching Method
1. Group Related Experiences and Activities
A good method should provide a group of related experiences and activities, arranged
on an individual as well as group basis, particularly designed to produce changes’ in terms
of knowledge, understanding, habits, attitudes and skills, and behavior of the students.
2. Scope for Creative Expression
A good, method should provide scope for the creative expression of the child’s
individuality.
3. Interests in Content
Rather than be a mechanical device for passing on facts and figure a good method
should rouse a large range of interests in the minds of the students.
4. Shift in emphasis
Through purposeful, concrete and realistic situations a good method should shift
emphasis from verbalism and memorization to learning.
5. Training in Self-Study
A good method should train the, students in the techniques of self-study and the methods
of acquiring knowledge through personal effort or intuition.
6. Stimulation and Awakening Interest in Study
A good method should stimulate the desire for further study and exploration. A good
method should awaken interest in the materials and techniques of Environmental Science.
It should give pupils peep into the workshop of the Environmental Science to enable them
to know the varied interpretations of events and clash of characters.
DIFFERENT METHODS OF TEACHING ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
After selecting the content or subject matter, the teacher should see that the subject is
properly taught, learnt and experienced, with the application of most effective methods of
teaching. As methods are closely related to aims and objectives of teaching a particular
subject the major specific aims of teaching Environmental Science must be remembered.
There are:
1. Lecture Method
2. Lecturer cum Discussion Method
3. Project Method
4. Source Method
5. Socialized Recitation
6. Supervised Study
1. LECTURE METHOD
The lecture method means, “Teaching by means of the spoken word”. It means a formal
talk by the teacher. It may be known as “Telling of Story or Conversational method” with
primary and lower middle classes. With higher secondary and college classes it may be
known as “Lecture Method”.
The lecture method may be safely used at higher and college stages. Even at this stage
the lecture must not be dry but well prepared and well presented to stimulate interest and
mental activity of the students. The students should be prompted to ask questions at the
end of the lecture. Their questioning is a sure proof of the success of the lecture.
Lecture Method at School Level
Based on traditional authority lecturing is a time-honored device for imparting
knowledge. But it has fallen into very ill repute as a method for secondary school pupils. A
good teacher of secondary school is careful not to talk too much. He does not dominate the
learning process. Assuming major share of the responsibility for planning and guiding a
number of activities, experiences and situations the teacher provides functional learning for
the group of pupils in his class. For carefully selecting the proper techniques to meet the
needs, interests and capacities of his pupils at a particular time and particular situations
a lecture may be taken as a technique of description, explanation and clarification.
Utilization of Lecture Method
1. Ineffective Method
A spoken word is always more effective than a printed one. By his tone, gesture and
facial expression the teacher can indicate the exact meaning that he wishes to convey
dramatizing a scene, a story or a message, he wishes to give but he can add color and
vividness to his talk, which a printed book cannot do.
2. Quickly Repeated and Modified
If a teacher feels that his talk is not being followed or appreciated by his pupils, he may
repeat the ideas or expand arid modify his statement. He should never like, to “talk over
the head” of his pupils.
3. Experiences in Learning by Hearing
In democratic countries children in schools must be trained for adult life so that they
may participate fully and effectively in affairs of national and international importance as
democratic citizens. Lectures and talks play an important part in adult life whether one is
a leader or follower. Children are to be prepared from the school stage for this through
occasional talks and interesting lectures arranged for all types of school children.
4. Saving of Time and Energy
Sometimes because of their complicated nature, facts of Environmental Science are not
clear to students in their textbooks as details are seldom given and sometimes interpretations
may also be wrong in textbooks. The students may spend a lot of their valuable time and
energy in going through other sources for the clarification of such complicated points. Here
a well-presented lecture by the teacher is most helpful.
5. Stimulation for Students
As a lecture, demands a lot of preparation on the part of the teacher, its advantages
are transferred to the class as a whole. Teachers own preparation, his enthusiasm and his
interest stimulate good students. They may now like to pursue projects, problems and other
such activities to gain “more and more knowledge.
Objectives of Lecture Method
1. To stimulate students.
2. To clarify concepts.
3. To supplement the knowledge, of pupils.
4. To sum up the findings of pupils.
5. To prepare the students to undertake an assignment, a project or an activity.
Limitations of Lecture Method
1. Unnatural Way of Learning
Not usually considered to be a natural way for the pupils to learn Lecture Method
places them in the position of passive listeners. During the course of the talk, they may
wander off to some more pleasant thoughts and may not attend to the talk at all.
2. Requires Trained Teachers
Many teachers do not know how to lecture in an effective way. They cannot prepare and
deliver well-connected and relevant talks on the topic given in the textbook. Only trained
teachers can succeed in this method.3. A Heavy Teaching Load on Teachers
A teacher who is required continuously teach in the school from the first period up to
the last and not lecture in each period. He will not have the capacity to prepare so many
simple and interesting lectures each day. It is physically possible for him to speak continuously
for four or five hours a day. Hence, lecturing period should be very limited.
4. Harmful Extensive Use
The lecture method tends to substitute the teacher for the textbook is used extensively.
Only occasional and informal talks may be desirable for realizing definite purposes in view.
5. Monotonous and Dullness
Only exceptional teachers can stimulate interest through their talks at all grade levels.
To avoid dullness and to give effectiveness to the lesson they use a variety of methods and
not only one or two of them. The lessons may become dull and dry if only the lecture method
is used.
Effectiveness of Lecture Method
As lecturing is an art, its successful performance depends upon the teacher’s knowledge
and upon his awareness of interest and motivation. Primarily meant to reinforce key ideas
and facts and to place them in a context of thought a lecture seeks to present a whole out
of many related fragments of information obtained piecemeal by other means. People flock
by thousands to listen to interesting, fascinating, inspiring, informative and exciting lectures.
Similar type of talks should be presented in the classroom to ensure success. A teacher
should follow these points:
1. Giving background of a topic.
2. Giving as over-view of a large unit.
3. Creating interest in the people.
4. Explaining and correcting some faulty ideas or introducing an intelligent assignment.
Delimitation of Lecture Method
1. Sometimes, the teacher can give a hint about some topic or unit to be developed
in some later lecture. Pupils, thus, can be led to anticipate a lecture with eagerness.
2. The teacher should prepare a synopsis of the lecture and give it to the pupils before
lecturing. Besides saving the teacher from pointless digression it will help the
pupils to pay undivided attention to the lecture.
3. While delivering the lecture teacher should speak clearly and slowly so that the
pupils may keep pace with him. He should talk to the students rather than lecture
to a class. Rise and fall in his voice is also necessary to lay emphasis on a point
and also to attract the pupils. Frequent but natural changes of positions help him
to feel at ease, and to ensure that every member of the class gets an equal opportunity
to see and hear.
4. Lecture should be full of humor enlivened by analogies, comparisons, illustrations
and anecdotes, which bear upon the topic. The lecture is made interesting by aids
such as pictures, films, filmstrips, slides, diagrams, etc.
5. Lecture may be followed by a written test to measure the success or otherwise of
the lecture. The lecture is successful if the pupils have learnt well. The teacher can
revise his methods if the lecture does not seem to affect.
Suggestions
Lecture method is a very effective method but it has own limitation after some changing
and innovation according to Indian schools we can use this method effectively. Lecture
should be subject based and it should be in limited time. Listener should be given time to
think and they should ask the questions from time to time it means the listener should
participate in the lecture. Presentation should be effective and audio-visual should be used
during the lecture.


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