Teaching and Nature of Teaching

Teaching:

According to the view of Yoakam and Simpson, “Teaching is the means whereby the experienced member of the group guide the immature and group guide the mature and infant members in their adjustment of life”.

According to B.O. Smith, “Teaching is a system of actions intended to produce learning”.

H.C. Morrison is of the view that, “Teaching is an intimate contact between a more mature personality and a less mature one, which is designed to further the education of the latter.”

Burton stated that “Teaching is the stimulation, guidance, direction and encouragement of learning.”

Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given. In much modern usage, the words ‘teaching’ and ‘teacher’ are wrapped up with schooling and schools. One way of approaching the question ‘What is teaching?’ is to look at what those called ‘teachers’ do – and then to draw out key qualities or activities that set them apart from others. The problem is that all sorts of things are bundled together in job descriptions or roles that may have little to do with what we can sensibly call teaching. It is the imparting of knowledge to or instruct (someone) as to how to do something; or cause (someone) to learn or understand something by example or experience.

Nature/Characters of Teaching:

i)              Teaching is a Triangular Process: The modern concept

 of the nature of teaching is that it is triangular or tripolar

process. The three focal points of this process are the

 teacher, the child and the subject matter. There is 

close relationship among the three- in fact teaching 

is the uniting force.

ii)                 A chain of activities: Teaching in general is not confined to a single act or activity. It involves a chain of activities. The activities that comprise teaching are linked to one another in a systematic manner. One activity leads to another till the goal is achieved.

 

iii)               Causes change in behaviour: The goal of all teaching is desirable change in behaviour. This change in behaviour is the result of various activities performed during the course of teaching.

 

iv)               Intimate contact: According to Morrison, teaching is an intimate contact between a mature person and an immature one. Once this contact or link is established the result gain is in favour of the less mature person that is the pupil. The positive change in behaviour of the learners will result from cordial relations between the teacher and the taught (pupil).

 

 

 

v)                  Interactive process: Edmond Emidon calls teaching an interactive process while N.L. Gage calls it inter-personal process. This is true that teaching is not a one way process rather it is an interactive or interpersonal process. The teacher acts upon the pupils and is in turn acted upon by them. Teaching is modified in the light of pupil’s reaction.

 

vi)               Teaching is giving Information

vii)             Teaching is Causing to learn

viii)           Teaching is Encouragement

ix)               Teaching is Stimulating learning

x)                  Teaching is giving Guidance

xi)               Teaching is helping the child to Develop Emotional Stability

xii)             It is an Art as well as Science

xiii)           Teaching is a Professional Act

xiv)           Teaching is Helping the Child to Make Effective Adjustment to his Environment

xv)              Teaching Leads to the Child’s Development

xvi)           Teaching is an Arrangement and Manipulation of Situations: Teaching causes learning. During the process teaching, the teacher is likely to face a number of obstructions (Problems) which he must overcome. For this purpose he requires to arrange and manipulate situations in such a manner as to overcome the obstructions. (Brubacher's view).