1. Teaching skills
Definition
Teaching skill is a set of related overtbehaviours of the teacher(verbaland
nonverbal) which are observable, definable, measurable, demonstratableand
refinable through practice.
According toB.K.Passi the following are some of the teaching skills.
Writing instructionalobjectives
Introducing a lesson.
Fluency in questioning.
Probing questions.
Explaining.
Illustrating with examples.
Stimulus variation.
Reinforcement.
Silence and non verbal cues.
Increasing pupilparticipation.
Recognizing attending behaviour.
Using black board.
Core teaching skills
Someof the skills are extensively used in routine teaching by all
teachers. These skills are known as core teaching skills. Someof the core
teaching skills are.
Skill of introducing a lesson.
Skill of stimulus variation.
Skill of explainig.
2. Skill of illustrating with examples.
Skill of using black board.
Skill of questions.
Skill of reinforcement.
1.Skill of introducing a lesson.
When a teacher introduces a lesson, he gives a brief introduction about
the lesson inorder to pre-disposethe pupil’s mind to it. This has to serve
two main functions, namely refreshing and ensuring the pre-requisites and
motivating the pupil’s to learn the new lesson.
Components of the skill
Desirable Behaviours.
Use of previous knowledge/pre-requisites.
To satisfy the maxim of teaching from known to unknown, the teacher
has to judiciously decide upon
the pre-requisites that will be essential for properly presenting the new
learning material.
Use of appropriatedevices.
Many devices such as lecturing, describing, narrating, illustrating, story
telling, role playing analogy, dramatization, audio-visualmaterials,
experimentation/demonstrations etc. are used for motivating the pupils.
Undesirable Behaviour
Lack of continuity.
Uttering irrelevant statements and questions.
2.Skill of stimulus variation.
Itinvolves deliberate change in the stimuli presented by the teacher for
the purposeof drawing, stimulating and maintaining the attention of the
learners through out the class.
3. Components of the Skill
Teacher movements
Meaningful, purposefulmovements
Teacher gestures.
Gestures arethe movements of the parts of the body used for
expressing emotions, size, shape, direction etc.
Change in speech pattern.
Changein volume, tone or speed of verbalcommunication for
attracting at
Change in interaction style
Teacher- class interaction
Teacher- pupil interaction
Pupil- pupil interaction
Focusing
Drawing attention to specific aspects to be stressed.
Pausing
Deliberate use of silence during talk.
Oral- visualswitching
(Changein senory focus)
Change of sensory channelfromverbalto visualand vice- versa.
Oral Visual
Visual Oral
Oral Oral Visual.
4. 3. Skill of explaining
Explaining is the skill by which taecher can clearly bring out the exact
meaning of a concept or an idea and also arriveat relationships among
various concepts,events and ideas. Generally a teacher explains when he
describes ‘how’, and ‘what’ of a concept,phenomenon or event.
Components of the skill
Desirablebehaviours
Use of beginning statements.
For maintaining attention andmaking the students mentally ready for
learning and giving them someclues of explanation.
Use of explaining links.
Words or phrases which increaseeffectiveness of explanation. They
bring continuity in statements.
Use of mediators
Presentation of various mediators to make the explanation lucid
and meaningful to the pupils. These may be in the formof example,
diagrams, anecdots etc.
Use of concluding statements.
Statement made at the end of explanation to summariseand conclude
it.
Question to test pupil’s understanding.
In the courseof the explanation, frequently ask some questions
which will help the teacher get immediate feedback fromthe
students.
Undesirable behaviours.
Use of irrelevantstatements
Lack of continuity.
Lack of fluency.
5. Deviating fromthe main points.
4.Skill of illustrating withexamples.
This is the skill for timely useof examples for the purposeof making an
idea, concept or principle lucid.
Components of the skill
Formulating simple examples.
Formulating relevant examples.
Formulating interesting examples.
Use of appropriatemedia for examples.
Use of inductive-deductiveapproach for examples
5.Skill of using black board.
Black boar d is the most widely used of all visualaids. Itis one of the
quickestand easiest means of illustrating an important point. Matter once
written on the black board can be erased easily and new materials added as
the lesson progresses.
Components of the skill
Legibility of handwriting.
Maximum ease in reading what is written on the black board even for
students sitting on the back bench should be ensured. The subcomponents
are,
Distinct difference between letters.
Adequate spacing between letters.
Adequate spacing between words.
Slant of the letter nearly vertical.
All small letters of the same size.
All capital letters of the same size
6. Size of the letters large enough to be read
Thickness of the line uniform
Neatness in black board work
Organisation of blackboard work
Appropriateness of blackboard work
6.Skill of fluency in questioning
Successfulteaching is highly dependent on questioning. During a lesson
the teacher will have to ask different types of questions, depending on the
situation and purposeto be achieved. Questioning promotes involvement,
initiates thinking, creates motivation and enhances learning. The rate of
meaningful questions put per unit time by the teacher is called fluency of
questioning.
Components of the skill
Structure
Structuring of the question is the technique of formulation of questions.
a) Grammatical correctness and lucidity. Use grammatically correct,
unambiguous simplelanguage.
b) Conciseness
A question should be direct, straight forward and understandable.
c)Relevance.
Questions should be relevant to the content and the context.
Process.
The process of asking question involves more than one aspect.
a) Speed
b) Voice
Voice should be audible and clear so that every student understands the
question properly
7. c)Pause.
A brief pauseputting the question will help the students to understand and
think about the question and formulate the answer.
Product
Productis the answer expected of the question. In mostcases pupil’s do
not answer becauseof they do not understand the nature of the answer expected
. 7.Skill of probing questions.
This is the skill required in applying the technique of effectively dealing with
student responses for going deep into their knowledge.
Components of the skill
Prompting
When there is no responseor incorrect responseteacher gives hints or clues
for leading the pupil to the desired correctresponse.
Seeking further information
If the initial responseof the pupil is partially corrector incomplete,
teacher helps the pupil to clarify or elaborate or explain the response
by asking subsidiary questions.
Refocusing.
When pupils give correctresponse, the teacher relates their responsewith
something already taught.
8.Skill for reinforcing
Reinforcement is a major condition for effective learning. Hence every
teacher has to master the skill for adopting appropriatestrategies for reinforcing
the learners. This skill has to be exhibited by teachers in the manner in which they
respond to the responses and actions of pupils.
Components of the skill
Positive verbalreinforcement
Positive nonverbalreinforcement
Negative verbalreinforcement
8. Negative non verbal reinforcement
Denial of reinforcement
Inappropriateuseof reinforcement
Teaching skills specially requiredfor biology teacher
Biology teachers should be enthusiastic, positive and encouraging.
Biology teachers have good eyesightand are able to distinguish things
under a microscope.
Help students develop the skills and strategies for scientific problem
solving.
Understand the basic concept of science.
Teach students how to obtain knowledgeabout nature.
Show students what biologists do a individuals and a community.
Show students historical models of biological processes and conceptand
explain how they have changed.
Demonstratehow scientific knowledgeis generated and tested.
Explain to students what are the benefits and risks of using biological
discoveries.
Help students understand the concepts behind individual scientific facts.
Show students relationship between facts and big ideas – underlying
concepts
Demonstrates safety in the classroomwith teacher selected equipment for
observation and measurement.
Teaches students how to record data in an objective fashion using pictures
writing and charts.
Be open to receive teaching feedback and supportfromteaching partners
and administration.
Be an active listener
9. Communicate with families about student progress.
Conduct all work activities in a professionalmanner.
Research skills are an importantquality of a biology teacher.
A biology teacher should be a life long learner as the profession both in
subjectmatter and teaching methodology.
According to Richard Dawkins “Biology is the study of complicatedthings that
have the appearance of having beendesignedwitha purpose.”
So biology teachers are highly skillfulin science specifically in biology.