Adapting Teaching Styles for Optimal Learning: Techniques and Strategies for Effective Education

The most effective teachers vary their styles depending on the nature of the subject matter, the phase of the course, and other factors. By doing so, they encourage and inspire students to do their best at all times throughout the semester.

Directing Style: Promoting Learning Through Listening and Following Directions

The directing style promotes learning through listening and following directions. Teachers using this style will tell students what to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be done. They impart information through lectures, assigned readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, and role-playing activities. Students gain information primarily through listening, taking notes, and practicing what they are told to do. The teacher only looks for feedback on whether the students understand the instructions.

Suggestions for Using the Directing Style

Start with the big picture. Provide the context before launching into specifics. Be clear and concise. Students need to know exactly what they must do and by what criteria their work will be evaluated. Clear goals, specific deadlines, and concise directions increase student motivation and eliminate confusion. Provide sufficient detail. Communication breakdowns occur when important details are omitted or instructions are ambiguous. For example, when I neglected to specify the font size, students turned in papers with font sizes ranging from 8 to 14! Don't sugar-coat the message. Sometimes, teachers need to be direct and candid to get through to students.

Discussing Style: Promoting Learning Through Interaction

The discussing style promotes learning through interaction. A prime example of this is the Socratic method, where the teacher encourages critical thinking and lively discussion by asking students to respond to challenging questions. The teacher acts as a facilitator, guiding the discussion to a logical conclusion. Students learn to have opinions and to back them up with facts and data.

Suggestions for Using the Discussing Style

Prepare questions in advance. Great discussions don’t just happen. Ask one question at a time. Be open, curious, and interested in learning what each student thinks. Avoid allowing one or two students to dominate the discussion. Solicit everyone’s ideas and opinions. Gently draw out students who seem insecure and reluctant to participate. I sometimes start my classes by saying, “I want to give each of you one minute to discuss your views on this topic. Let’s go around the room and hear from everyone.” Get closure by reviewing key points. Summarize and review the key points you want to make. Have students create questions. I like to have my students read a case study and formulate three questions to ask their classmates. We then discuss their answers in class. Utilize clickers. Clickers are an easy way to get students involved during class. Pose a multiple-choice question and their responses are tabulated on the screen. You can then open it up for discussion as students share why they selected a certain answer.

Delegating Style: Promoting Learning Through Empowerment

The delegating style promotes learning through empowerment. With this style, the teacher assigns tasks that students work on independently, either individually or in groups. This allows students to take ownership of their learning process and develop a sense of responsibility and accountability.

Suggestions for Using the Delegating Style

Assign research projects. For example, in my management course, I require students to interview a manager of a local business to get answers to questions like, “What are the main performance measures your company uses to evaluate each employee’s performance? What are the key lessons you as a manager have learned about conducting effective performance appraisals?” Assign team projects. Have each team select a team leader, define roles and responsibilities, and hold each other accountable for completing the project on time. In my management class, I have teams of students analyze the management and leadership behaviors in movies like Remember the Titans and Crimson Tide. Assign a capstone project. Allow students to show you what they can do when working independently on a topic that’s important to them.

Combining Teaching Styles for Optimal Results

Using an appropriate mix of each teaching style can enhance the learning experience. I typically structure each of my classes to include some amount of each teaching style. However, during the first part of a semester, I use more of the directing style. In the middle part of a semester, I rely more on the discussing style. And in the latter part of a semester, I generally lean more heavily on the delegating style.

By adapting and combining these teaching styles, educators can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that caters to diverse learning needs and enhances overall student achievement.