Didactic Methods

in
Pedagogy
Presented by Chiedza Kahombe; Larry Magwegwe &
Gamuchirai Lobo
Introduction
• "….learning that takes place "from the neck up". It does not
involve feelings or personal meanings; it has no relevance for the
whole person. Thus, education become the futile attempt to learn
material that has no personal meaning". Rogers and Freiburg, 1994: 35
• Adjective didactic is derived from the Greek word 'didaktikos' which
means skillful in training.
• If something is designed or intended to teach people something we
call it a didactic.
What is a didactic
method?
• Didactic method: Is a teaching method that adheres
to or follows a consistent scientific approach or
educational style to present information to students.
• Didactic teaching involves following a
presentational method of knowledge transfer. For
example me speaking to you and telling you what
didactic learning is, is a didactic. Many lessons you
would have had in school would have been
didactic.
• Typically, teachers who use didactic teaching create
structured lessons that focus on lectures. 
• Teachers can use different teaching methods
depending on the needs of their students, their
personal preferences and other factors.
 What is a didactic teaching approach?
• A didactic teaching approach involves a teacher directly instructing a student
through planned lessons and lectures. The value of didactic teaching is generally
perceived as being in transmitting facts which will increase a student's knowledge
and therefore their ability to succeed in the world.

Didactic Methods:

• Trainer-Centered Learning

Didactic (I) Lecturing:

• The advantage of this method is that you can discuss a lot of material in a relatively

Methods short period of time. In addition you can prepare the course of a lecture in detail
beforehand, because it revolves all around your contribution as a trainer or
informant. Another advantage is the fact that not many materials are required: you
can do a lot with a blackboard and chalk, and if necessary you can without as well.
• The major drawbacks are:
• Students are forced into a passive role, listening and taking notes. This cannot be
kept up for a long time: research has pointed out that a student listens attentively for
no longer than 20 minutes at a stretch. It is possible that your target group is quite
accustomed to longer speeches but it is good to keep in mind that lecturing is
usually quite dull. 
• Lecture sessions also demand quite a lot from the trainer
 (ii) Demonstration: Used in technical and training qualities in teacher
education to achieve cognitive and psychomotor objectives.
• The trainer's activities are also essential in the method of
demonstration. In a demonstration lesson students watch what is
happening and listen to the accompanying explanation. 
• The intention of a demonstration lesson is that students achieve
insight into a process or an operation. The next logical step is that
the students themselves attempt to perform what has been

Demonstratio •
demonstrated. 
A demonstration lesson has the same advantages as a lecture: you

n can quickly and efficiently transmit information in a manner which

you have prepared in detail. The danger of boredom is present, but
is not as large as in a lecture since the students now have something
to look at.
• A disadvantage of demonstration lessons is that things can easily go
wrong. If you react in a relaxed manner however (a trainer is after
all only human), not much damage is done. 
• Another disadvantage is the passive role the students are forced
into.
 Practicals can be done in the form of:
• Integrated lesson
• Laboratory practicals
• Workshop practicals
• Field practicals
 An integrated lesson implies not only practice but also theory. However, only that
theory which is functional and only that theory which at the moment is necessary for
the practical situation. The integrated lesson always needs an introduction at the
start, not necessarily given in the classroom, and an evaluation at the end.

Practicals  Especially in vocational training demonstrations and practicals take an important

place in the lesson. In vocational training it is not advisable to have theory lessons
only. This is realized almost everywhere and therefore time tables usually include
both theory lessons as practicals. But the practicals do not always receive proper
attention.
 The practical will motivate the students to grasp the necessary theory. Not only
cognitive learning is important. There must also be room for affective, motor and
social learning. In the practical they all come together. Most students prefer to be
active rather to sit down and listen. Working from a theoretical concept towards a
practical situation is more difficult than working from a practical situation towards a
theoretical concept.
 How to organize the integrated lesson:
• Five steps for the establishment of an integrated lesson are given.
1 Subject
• The first step is choose the subject, the name of the practical. You can compare this with choosing
the main subject of a theory lesson.
2 Context
• The second step is to describe the context in which the practical takes place. This is called the
principle of context. The best learning result is achieved when the lesson is part of a context. It
makes the lesson meaningful when it is related to things the students already know. 

Practicals 3 Objective
• The trainer has to set objectives. What should the students be able to do when they have done the
practical.
4 Materials
• The trainer has to think about the required materials, instruments, animals, seeds or plants,
chemicals, etc. You have to calculate for the whole group of students and not for two or three.
5 Teaching method
• Finally you should consider how to inform and coach the students during the course: You should
envisage how to present theory and how to inform students about the course of the practical. In
addition you should consider how to guide the students' learning process when carrying out
assignments. 
 The presentation of theory, however, may be enlivened by various conversational forms
such as:
• Guided discussion: This is a strictly controlled discussion form in which the trainer
leads the students to certain insights step by step and in a purposeful manner. The
trainer sets the topic for the discussion. A precondition for a guided discussion is that
students possess a certain knowledge of the facts that are being covered. If not, they
are unable to contribute to the results of the discussion.
Conversational • By holding a discussion to which the students contribute an important part,
forms knowledge is much better retained. The students are induced to actually produce the
theory themselves.
• By following the step by step structure of the discussion, the trainer is assured that
the students understand the essence of the subject.
• One important advantage of this method is that you allow your students - who might
have norms and values very different from your own - to bring forward points that
you may never have considered yourself. You include your students' contributions in
the lessons and will often learn something yourself as well.
Conversational forms
Group discussion/ circle discussion: A group discussion is also called a circle discussion. The
reason for this is that the ideal set-up for the group discussion is to have the students seated in a
circle. The students can look at each other and this improves communication.
• This differs from the guided discussion in that it is less controlled by the trainer or teacher.
The point is that the students bring forward personal experience and that they react to each
other.
• The trainer leads the discussion, which means that he or she ensures that it is not dominated by
only a few students, that everyone is not speaking at one time and that the mood remains
pleasant.
• A group discussion has no clear objective as to knowledge transfer or problem-solving. The
goal is to determine what is going on with the students, what their problems are and what
opinions they have on various subjects.
Conversational forms
Types of discussion methods:
Discussions can be shaped in numerous ways. The previously mentioned methods can accommodate a
discussion, but you can also consider:
• 1) Group discussion: the students discuss a topic in small groups. 
• 2) Carousel discussion: here the group is arranged in an inner and an outer circle. For example the
trainer can decide that those in the inner circle will defend a particular proposition, while those in the
outer circle bring forward counter arguments. After some time the roles can be reversed.
• 3) Forum discussion: various people are invited (possibly professionals in the field) to voice different
angles or points of view on a particular topic. Each member presents a short introduction to illustrate
his or her position. After the introductory round, the students ask questions (which may have been
formulated during a break) and there is an opportunity to discuss the various positions. The discussion
can take place between the forum members and/or between the forum members and the audience. 
 • Teachers can help their students learn new skills and knowledge by assigning them
exercises or problems to complete in small groups. These exercises can allow
students to practice concepts to strengthen their understanding.
• Group work has a many advantages, provided a number of conditions have been
met. It is important to remember that you cannot just decide to do group work on the
spur of the moment. In the first place it must fit in with the learning material. 
• Other conditions are that the students have a basic knowledge of the subject, work
material is available, there is sufficient time and the students are aware of how to
handle group work.

Group Work
• Students are stimulated in all the types of skill development as defined by
Romiszowski, on a reproductive as well as on a productive level.
• One major advantage of the method is that the students themselves are active. After
they have received an introduction they are allowed to do things for themselves and
do not have to silently sit and listen. 
• Another advantage is that by engaging in group work you can adapt your learning
material to your students. Students all have their own style of learning and working,
which can be ignored but also, particularly in group work, taken advantage of. You
can form groups with people that are very strong verbally and give them an
assignment in an area that demands this quality, and you can have others, who are
more practical by nature, carry out tasks.
Group Work
If you handle group work, you will often notice the following positive effects:
• Students learn to take initiatives.
• It is easier to ask questions or express criticism in a group.
• It has been found that the student's concentration level is higher than it is in a lecture session.
• Motivation is often strengthened through this work form.
• With time the students learn to work together much more efficiently. The students adequately familiarize themselves with the material.
Of course group work is not the solution for all potentially difficult lessons, since there are some disadvantages attached as well:
• Group work costs much more time then 'chalk and talk' lessors.
• Group work is noisy. If things are not set up properly it can quickly become a mess. For this reason you must properly prepare group
work, and always be on the look-out for unforeseeable situations that come with you handing over certain activities and are not always
being in control.
• It can be difficult to assess group work. It is difficult to apply an individual grading system, but with a group mark you can undervalue
some students and overvalue others.
• Group work can lead to the formation of cliques
 • With this didactic method you can think of different forms. Role playing and other
forms of dramatic expression belong to this category, as well as all kind of games that
you adapt to your lesson material. Possible playing forms are:
• Role play: You can view role play as a kind of stage play without a written text, only
the actors and their backgrounds are supplied. The point of the role play is to immerse
oneself in another person and another situation. There must be a feeling for all sorts of
subtle aspects of human relationships, actions and expressions. The players must learn
to put their own opinions and feelings into perspective. Role play stresses reactive and
interactive skills. This can also be threatening to students: they may feel too inhibited
to say what they think in the game. 

Play Forms
•  Simulation game: This game type differs from a role play in that a very clear role
behavior is established and the players have limited game freedom. A simulation game
portrays (in a simplified manner) a portion of reality. Its purpose is that players live
through and unravel complicated situations. In the simulation game cognitive learning
objectives can be realized better than they can with a role play: people play things and
apply certain rules or procedures that have been previously learned.
• With the help of a simulation game your students can practice what they must do after
the course when they are back at work and must explain to management why they wish
to handle certain tasks differently from now on. Or you can allow students to practice
an intake interview with a patient to be admitted to a clinic.
• Learning games: You can apply a wide selection of party games to learning situations:
it is often merely a question of using your imagination. The purpose of the game mut
be clearly defined. Learning games get students involved as they take part in the games
thereby learning through the concept as set out in the game. The teacher plays a key
role in directing activities within the games.
Functions of didactic
method
• Cognitive function: To understand and
learn basic concepts
• Formative-educative function: To
develop skills, behavior and abilities 
• Instrumental function-To achieve
educational objectives
• Normative function: Helps to achieve
productive learning, attaining required
results
Differences between didactics and
pedagogy
Didactics and pedagogy are the two main teaching methods. While pedagogical approaches
can incorporate didactical methods, there are important differences between the two types
of teaching. Some of the major differences between didactics and pedagogy include:
Teacher-centered vs. learner-centered
• One key difference between didactics and pedagogy is whether they focus on the teacher
or the learner. Didactics tends to be teacher-centered. For example, a common didactical
strategy is a teacher presenting a lecture directly to their students. The education does not
look to the student for guidance in how to teach them but rather look to the teacher for
facts which the student would benefit from attaining. Pedagogy, however, is learner-
centered and involves coming up with teaching strategies that focus on how specific
students learn in different ways.
How vs. why
• Another difference between didactics and pedagogy is that didactics tends to pay more attention to how to educate
students, while pedagogy includes thinking about why to educate students. Teachers who use pedagogical
approaches, therefore, typically emphasize the philosophies and theories that drive their teaching.
Content vs. strategy
• Didactics and pedagogy also differ in terms of whether they emphasize curriculum content or teaching strategies.
Typically, teachers who use the didactic teaching approach focus more on the content of their curriculum, while
teachers who use the pedagogical teaching approach pay more attention to how they can use different tools and
strategies to teach their students.
Knowledge-oriented vs. process-oriented
• Another key difference between the two learning methods is that didactics is knowledge-oriented, while pedagogy
is process-oriented. Teachers who use the didactical approach focus on directly transferring their knowledge to their
students. Teachers who use the pedagogical approach, however, focus more on the art and process of teaching.
 • Didactics is a knowledge-focused teaching where the focus
is more on the teacher. 
• Teachers give lectures targeting text in the syllabus and the
purpose is to teach the student "how".
• It is a teacher-centered method of teaching and is
content oriented. Neither the content nor the knowledge of
the teacher are questioned.
• The teacher gives instructions to the students and the

Conclusion students are mostly passive learners.

• The didactic method is very effective when the students
wants to understand an idea or interpret a work of creation.
• Though didactic method has been given importance in
several schools, it does not satisfy the needs and interests
of all students. It can be tedious for students to listen to
the lectures.
• There is minimum interaction between students and the
teachers and may be a monologue process where
experience of the students may not have a significant
role in learning.