Explanation in Teaching

WhatsApp Group Join Now
Telegram Group Join Now

For an Effective Teaching a teacher uses various teaching tools, strategies, techniques etc. Explanation in teaching is one of the important devices of teaching that a teacher use in classroom teaching. Explanation is used to make the subject matter easy and clear to the students. In this article the concept of explanation, how to use explanation in teaching, benefits of explanation will be discussed here. See other tools of teaching.

What is explanation is teaching?

Explanation is an important tool of teaching like any other tools as Illustration, Narration, Questioning etc. A teacher use the technique explanation, in which every idea related to content or subject matter is tried to make clear.

In classroom teaching, a teacher employed explanation as a device of teaching. Where the teacher explains and analyzes all the problems, facts, confusion, difficulties of the topic in a very simple language. All students can understand it easily.

Effective teaching takes place only when the students gain desired knowledge. For that teacher should use various devices of teaching, method, maxims, and Principles of Teaching. A teacher should keep in mind the mental level of students as well as the nature of the content while use this technique of teaching.

Explanation as a technique of teaching is very effective in teaching subjects like social studies because it contains factual and informative lessons. As explanation is also used in teaching language by acting, using difficult words, by analysis and giving antonym and synonyms. Explanation has a long term impact on the student’s learning if the teachers use properly and presents the content in a logical sequence.

Panton defines Explanation as in the following way.

“Explanation forms a kind of bridge between telling and revealing knowledge to the learners and it involves a number of other techniques as well as narration and description. Throughout the process, the teacher must keep in close touch with the minds of his pupils suggesting lines of though, questioning them, answering their questions, setting them on practical word. Examining the results obtained, discussing significant problems etc,”

What makes an effective explanation?

Though explanation helps to understand the content easily. But there are some key points that a teacher must keep in mind before explaining any subjects which makes explanation very effective.

  1. The teacher should have a clear purpose of that particular topic before explaining it.  He must know the reason of explanation and which part is to be explained.
  2. The main aim of explanation is to make the subject matter easy to the students. So He should use easy and simple language so that each and every student understands it easily.
  3. Teacher must knowledge of child psychology. It is fruitful when the teacher uses this technique keeping in mind the level of child’s mental level and objectives of the content.
  4. A teacher also needs to explain the topic in logical sequences if he creates haphazard in explaining. The students will not understant clearly. The teacher can use various teaching aids if required because it makes the teaching learning fruitful. Teaching aids like chalk, duster, pointer, blackboard, models, chart, diagrams, etc. so that the students understand easily and retain the knowledge for a longer period of time. See effective teaching.
  5. While using the techniques explanation the teacher also maintain the classroom lively.  He can ask questions in between his/her explanation, to know whether the students are really understood the concept of not.
  6. The teacher should not start explain anywhere of the content. He must know which part of the topic his/her students fail to understand. If teachers keep stretching his explanation the students may feel boring or monotonous.
  7. At the end of explanation of a particular lesson the teacher should give a recapitulation of a summary of the whole lesson.

Explanation as a device of teaching

Explanation is an artificial device of teaching. Device of teaching is the tools and techniques that are adopted by a teacher to make teaching learning fruitful. There are two types of teaching device, Natural teaching device where learning takes place by direct experiences of the learners for examples Filed trips, out door activities etc. And the artificial devices are illustration, questioning, explanation, discussion, where the students learn by product of the oral communication of the teachers. (See teaching devices).

Through explanation a teacher make the meanings of the content easy and understandable. In simple word, the complex things are simplified by analyze and explaining the problem.

Though explanation is an important technique of teaching. Because it helps the students learn easily. But there are some disadvantages also which have discussed below.

 Disadvantages of Explanation

Some of the important disadvantages are

  1. Lack of trained teachers. A teacher must have an efficiency to use explanation properly. Every teacher can not explain effectively.
  2. If a teacher doesn’t have the mastery over the subject matter and the language he may fail to explain effectively.
  3. In explaination, there is no limit how much a topic need to explain. If the teacher keeps on stretching his explanation the classroom may feel boring.
  4. Teachers should have the knowledge of child psychology. If a teachers start explaining without keeping in view the level of understanding capacity of students. The technique of explanation may not be fruitful. etc.
Conclusion

Thus explanation in teaching is an important tool that a teacher can use to make his/her students understand. A teacher use the technique explanation, in which every idea related to content or subject matter is tried to make clear.

Explanation as a device of teaching. Where the teacher explains and analyzes all the problems, facts, confusion, difficulties of the topic in a very simple way. Though there are many advantages of explanation in teaching. But If a teacher can not use this technique properly. It may have negative impact on students learning. Which have discussed above. See criteria of good teaching.

Method of TeachingClick here
Studyquirk HomeClick here

Leave a Comment

error: Content is protected !!