| PRED 356 | Methods
of Science and Mathematics Teaching
Chapter 4: Discovery Learning (DL) |
1.3 Advantages of DL
Teachers’ benefits. To the degree that teachers have the following personal needs, it would seem that they are more likely to employ DL.
The need to explore (cognizance), The need to organize and build (construction), The need to obtain praize (recognition)-Examplary instructional alternative because of its focus on promoting induction and higher-order thinking. The need to excite others (exhibition) – Encouarging discovery excites others and thereby attracts attention to the teacher in a positive manner. The need to form associations with students (affiliation) – Promote teacher-student and student-student interaction, The need to nourish and aid others (nurturance)- Rewards teachers who want to help students find out for themselves and to learn how to learn. Students’ benefits. Students who have the following personal needs will benefit from engaging in DL.
DL provides the students a meaningful learning. Meaningful learning maximizes learners’ understanding. Knowledge that has been discovered from personal experience is very special and stays with us longer than knowledge gained in other ways.The need to explore (cognizance), The need to organize and build (construction), The need to do diffucult tasks well and efficiently (achievement), The need to organize and present information, to explain and demonstrate (exposition), The need to for attention (recognition)- learners have opportunity for the significant recognition as a consequence of their ability, The need to strive for independence and freedom (autonomy), The need to form friendships and associations (affiliation), The need to seek diversion (play).
Such knowledge is more transferable to other situations; it earns a more important place in our minds.
As students constructs knowledge, they learn how to learn by way of analysis, synthesis and evaluation to the extent possible.
Everything that must be learned is not amenable to being discovered in classrooms. If the students have the capacity to discover too complex knowledge, there may not be a sufficient time or appropriate resources to make investiagtion. Some teachers simply do not have an aptitude for this approach. Neither do all their students. DL allows students to make errors. Unless they are corrected, serious confusion can result. Final Words
When students have been exposed to discovery learning, they have been asked to take on the role of a detective.They were asked to investigate a situation in order to figure it out.
To ensure that your learners will be able to think for themselves, discovery learning holds promise. Its major purpose is help students learn how to find out for themselves.
DL appears to be well suited to certain teachers and students. As a teacher, one of your thoughest jobs is to remediate or wipe out bad past experiences your students have had.
