Social Studies Teaching Methods
INTRODUCTION
Teaching is a process of giving instruction to impact facts, skills, knowledge by a knowledgeable and more experienced persona to a less knowledgeable and experienced individuals (Curriculum Organization of Nigeria, 2009). Furthermore, teaching method is a method adopt by the teacher in teaching the learners. The word method is derived from the Greek word “Metahodos” which means a way (Esu and Inyang-Abia, 2011). Therefore, teaching method is a way of teaching proper with the right instruments to achieve the objectives of accomplishing a task.
METHODS OF TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
LECTURE METHOD
The lecture method is the oldest procedure of teaching. It is widely used in schools and colleges. It is a good method, its covers schools but its success depends on the personality and ability of students.
MERITS OF LECTURE METHODS
- It motivates students because students can prepare the notes. It develops the listening and note taking skills of the students.
- It gives an overview of a large topic
- It helps the students to use their time wisely
- It makes an important matters understanding
- It is easy method for new teachers
DEMERITS OF LECTURES METHODS
- It is a teacher centered method
- It is a monotonous, tiring and sometimes it becomes a boring method
- It bring a lot of burden and reading to the teacher
- It is not an interactive method
SOURCE METHOD
Source method is an activity oriented method. It is generally used in social studies subject also. Generally sources mean a person, books or document or picture or actual objects that can provide information for learning. It is learning directing from the actual sources for example: for social studies they can be a contract with the bank or studying the sample of stone collected from the moon or an object found from any ancient place museums to find the objects to study.
TYPES OF SOURCES METHOD
There are three types of sources in this method:
- Material resources: Ideas, machines, weapons etc…
- Oral resources: Says, folk, stories, traditions, customs etc
- Written materials and printed resources: Record, reports, letters
STEPS FOLLOWED TO USE SOURCE METHOD
- Demonstration or presentation of the teacher
- Local related reading material and assign reading to the study
- Problem solving by students with group discussion among the students
MERITS OF SOURCE METHOD
- It provide direct, firsthand experience
- It develops a sense of reality
- It creates motivating and interesting ambience in the class
- It develop skills of data collection, thinking skill and observation skill
- It makes the subject meaningful
PROJECT METHOD
The project method is a method of teaching which evolved from the philosophy of pragmatists. It is experience centered strategy related to life situation. It is a cooperative study of a real life situation or situation by either a class or the whole school, under the expert guidance of a teacher. This method brings the children into contact with the lives and activities of their neighbourhood. This method is meant to provide for the needs of individual students or sometimes small group so that those with special abilities have opportunities to fulfill themselves.
In adopting this approach, each learner is assigned a task to be completed within a specified time. The teacher’s duty is to supervise. At the end of the time, all groups meet and collate their reports.
Social Studies Teaching Methods
PRINCIPLES OF USING PROJECT METHOD
- Principle of utility: The projects which are closer to the social life should be chosen.
- Principle of readiness: Involve the learners in finding the solution of the problem with their active participation
- Learning by doing: Learner performs certain tasks and experience new things. This adds to his knowledge and results in learning
- Socialization: It develops the feeling of cooperation and group work
- Inter-disciplinary Approach: To involve the knowledge of different subjects in solving
MERITS OF PROJECT METHOD
According to Akpan (1989) project method have the following:
- Helps in fostering cooperation among the learners.
- It offers opportunities for learners to relate social studies with other subjects
- The project method bases motivation on natural interest
- The method uses learners experiences
- Learners have a rare opportunity of developing their cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains
DEMERITS OF PROJECT METHOD
- The project cannot be planned for all contents and whole subject matter cannot be taught this strategy.
- It is not economical from the point of view of time and cost
- It is very difficult or a teacher to plan or to execute the projects to the learners and supervise them.
DISCOVERY METHOD
Discovery method is one of the instructional strategies. According to Akpan (1989) “a discovery activity is a lesson designed in such a way that a planner performs certain mental process such as observing, classifying, measuring, predicting, describing, inferring, and others”. When a student’s learns through the process of discovery, he is said to carry out an inquiry.
According to Abdullahi (1978), from the stand point of instruction, two types of discover method are recognized, namely (a) guide inquiry and (b) unguided inquiry. Guided inquiry consists of an instructional mode which can be inductive or deductive in nature. When the general principle is given and the students is required to use, the principle in order to discover the solution to a specific problems, the guided inquiry employed through a deductive method
On the other hand, when the solution to a problem is given and the students is required to discover the general principle on which the solution is base, the guided inquiry is adopted through inductive method. However, when neither the general principle nor the solution is given and the learners is required to discover both the principle and the solution, the teacher in this particular instance employs unguided inquiry which is also known as pure discovery.
PRINCIPLES OF DISCOVERY METHOD
- Discovery method can used employed when a social studies lesson is moderately structured so that the teacher can give some kind of guidance if need be
- Discovery method is facilitated when a pre-activity discussion can precede the actual discovery lesson. Therefore post activity discussion should be part of the discovery so that questions based on learners activities can be discussed by the whole class
- Discovery method cannot be used effectively with large classes. When the method is to be employed, the learners should be broken into small groups for effective supervision so as to make the experience meaningful.
Social Studies Teaching Methods
MERITS OF DISCOVERY METHOD
- Discovery method, whether it is guided inquiry type or unguided inquiry equip the learners with means of gaining knowledge on his own through active participation and he develops his mind by using it to solve problems.
- The method also challenges the learners to find out information for themselves, thus making instruction students-centered. Students learn to find out things for themselves autonomously.
- Discovery method helps in realizing one of the fundamental objectives of social studies teaching which is to develop manipulative skills by personal contact with material and apparatus
- It encourages analytic thought and promotes intuitive development
DEMERITS OF DISCOVERY METHOD
- Discovery method is slow and time consuming. It does not lead to the coverage of large amount of knowledge within a short time like the lecture method because of the time involved in setting the apparatus and waiting for the results of the investigated
- The amount of time that is allocated for social studies teaching in Nigerian schools is limited, therefore, the discovery method cannot be effectively used
- Our social studies classes are usually large interns of the number of learners and effective teacher supervision can be impeded by the numerical strength of the students.
DISCUSSION METHOD
Discussion implies the participation of learners in the process of learning by raising issues of their own, contributing ideas, asking questions and seeking solutions based upon the study and drawing conclusion under the teachers’ guidance. Discussion is important as a learning process because it is a way of considering various facets of a problem and also because it lays the ground work for many discussion situations in which young people and adults are constantly taking parts (Rivlin, 1961). Essentially, discussion is based on extensive contribution of ideas and expressions from the members of the group participating. In order for the discussion to be effective as a teaching method, the teacher must know how to guide the learners without dominating the discussion.
PRINCIPLES OF USING DISCUSSION METHOD
- The discussion must be purposeful in order to keep it from degenerating to the level of idle talk or conversation. This is to say that the discussion must be pertinent to the work of the course.
- The subject under discussion must be within the reach of the participants. This means that the discussion should be centered on issues that are familiar
- The pattern of discussion should be circular in nature such that the teacher and a chain of learners are involved. Ideally, the topic should stimulate an entire class into verbal activity.
Social Studies Teaching Methods
MERITS OF DISCUSSION METHODS
- Discussion encourages constructive original and logical thinking among social studies learners
- It helps learners to develop attribute such as self-confidence, tolerance and poise
- It help learners to solve or find solutions to problems
DEMERITS OF DISCUSSION METHODS
- It is not very appropriate as a method of teaching in a class of very young learners.
- Where the participants are inexperienced or not knowledgeable, the topic introduced may not be extensively discussed.
- When the discussion is not properly guided, it may result into idle talks ordinary conversation
FIELD TRIP
Field trip is an important component of teaching and as an instructional strategy is very useful. It is an excursion taken outside the classroom for the purpose of making relevant observations and also for the purpose of obtaining some specific information. It helps in affording the students opportunity to become actively engaged in observing, collecting, classifying, studying relationships and manipulating objects.
Social Studies Teaching Methods
PRINCIPLES OF USING FIELD TRIP
- It allows a class to engage in activities that are too noisy to be done in the classroom, therefore, the teacher should first make the trip so that all opportunities and danger are known before hand.
- A pre-excursion lesson should be taught before the trip.
- A first aid box (kits) should be taken along
- The teacher should advice learners on their conduct during the trip
MERITS OF FIELD TRIPS
- Field trips allow a class to engage in activities that are too noisy to be done in the classroom
- The field trip is the only lesson format that can sharpen the keenness of observational abilities and nurture the habits of appreciating the orderliness of natural occurrence or events and phenomena
- Field trips help to add reality to and verification of scientific laws
DEMERITS OF FIELD TRIPS
- It is difficult to plan, apart from the fact that is takes more time than a class period.
- It is an extra financial burden both for the school and the learners.
CONCLUSION
There is no single method because two or more methods can be employed by a teacher in single teaching. The reason is that the learners have different to each method. Hence, no single method has been identified to be able to satisfy every pupils in a class.
REFERENCES
Akpan, D. F. (1989) Curriculum and Teaching: Theory and Practice. Uyo: Abasiodiong International
Rivlin, G.O. (1961), Teaching of Social Studies in Secondary Schools, Journal of Business and Social Studies, 1, 2.
Abdullahi, S. F. (1978) Principles of Teaching in Secondary Schools. Lagos: Heineman publishers
Esu, T. I. & InyangAbia, E. E. (2011) Rudiment of Teaching Practice. Uyo: MacGrace publishers.
