Inquiry and Research into Direct Instruction as a Method of Teaching
I chose to take a closer look at the teaching method of explicit and direct instruction. This, in my opinion, has always been a standard method of teaching, and is what most people think of when they think of education; a teacher standing up at the front of the class lecturing and talking while students sit at desks and face the front. That is a very narrow version of direct instruction, but as I have learned, direct and explicit instruction can look different in many situations in education.
A common example of direct and explicit teaching is teaching through examples and demonstrations (Boxer, 2019). This is a way of direct instruction that I have used not only in teaching but in many other scenarios where I have to teach someone a new skill. I recently re-taught my partner how to do long division, as he had forgotten from his elementary school years. I showed him how to do it by walking through multiple examples with him. I gave him explanations and reasons while using an example to teach him how to do long division.
Direct instruction comes from the concept of how learning works, and it creates a sequence where the c communication during teaching is clear and faultless (Boxer, 2019). Considering how people learn, direct instruction takes into account two important beliefs about learners: learners have the capacity to learn through examples, and learners have the capacity to generalize new information based on the sameness in the quality of previous examples (Engelmann & Carnine, 1982). These are both very important beliefs that teachers should have when applying direct instructional methods, as they instill that students are capable of learning.
I find it interesting that it took me so long to realize that explicit and direct instruction included teaching by example and leading with demonstrations. I never associated the two, but as I am learning about direct instruction more, I understand now that providing examples and giving demonstrations is a form of direct instruction. I always thought that it was just the typical stereotype of the teacher lecturing at the front to a group of silent and listening students. This brief inquiry has helped me to better understand direct instruction, and how it can be beneficial as a teaching method, but does not need to always be the only teaching method.
Resources:
Boxer, A. (Ed.). (2019). The researched guide to explicit and direct instruction: An evidence-informed guide for teachers. John Catt Educational, Limited.
Englemann, S, & Carnine. (1982). Theory of institution: principles and applications. Eugene, OR: NIFDI Press.
Hi Alecia,
Great post! I really appreciate your thoughts about direct instruction.
I remember growing up learning through direct instrucction. I think direct instruction is still a meaningful method of teaching but when the instructor incorporates all sorts of methods like inquiry, projects etc. the learning is enhanced.
I think back to the assessment course I took last year in education and we talked about the importance of samples in the classroom. Would providing samples to the class be a form of direct instructon because the teacher is supporting the learner with examples on what is to be expected.