Teaching Tips
What is
Teaching Styles
Teaching styles are the general principles, educational guidelines and management techniques used when instructing students. The theory behind teaching styles were originally proposed by philosophers John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Teaching styles are important because no two students acquire information in the same way. There are five main types of teaching styles and methods that instructors use. These include: the authority method (the lecture style), the demonstrator method (the coaching style), the facilitator style (the activity or action method), the delegator style (the group method) and the hybrid method (blended learning). Depending on the teaching style the instructor uses, students may be expected to listen to long-form lectures, complete problem-solving exercises in groups or engage in hands-on activities such as playing an instrument or completing a dissection in a STEM class.
Teaching styles refer to the instructional strategies that educators use to guide students through their curriculum. There are five distinct teaching styles that the majority of educators use. We break down each teaching style below.
–The authority style: Educators deliver a lengthy discussion on a topic while students complete in-depth notes and memorize key facts.
–The delegator style: Educators promote collaboration by using small-group assignments and projects, stepping aside to let students learn from one another
–The facilitator style: Educators use constant questioning to promote self-discovery and problem-solving by interacting with students individually
–The demonstrator style: Educators combine oral lectures with graphic supplements, demonstrations and class activities such as hands-on lab work
–The hybrid style: Educators personalize their curriculum based on student needs, balancing both instructor and student-centered approaches
