Didactic method facts for kids

A didactic method is a way of teaching where the teacher presents information to students in a clear, structured way. The word "didactic" comes from the Greek word didáskein, which means "to teach." This teaching style is often compared to other methods like dialectics or the Socratic method, where students learn more by asking questions and discussing. Sometimes, "didactic method" can also mean a specific teaching style, like constructivist didactics.

What is Didactics?

Didactics is like a rulebook for teaching. It's both a way of thinking about teaching and a practical guide for how to teach and learn. While "mathetics" is about how people learn, didactics focuses on how teachers teach.

This teaching style is different from open learning or experiential learning. In those methods, people learn on their own, often without a strict plan. They learn by doing or exploring things they are interested in. It's also different from autodidactic learning, where someone teaches themselves, usually from books.

The didactic method starts with what students already know. Then, it aims to build on that knowledge and share new information. In this method, the teacher is an expert. They guide students and provide them with resources.

In different parts of the world, "didactics" means slightly different things. In English-speaking countries, the word "didacticism" can sometimes mean teaching in a way that is too preachy or moralizing. This idea came about in the 1800s. At that time, countries like Great Britain started to develop their own cultural ideas, different from continental Europe.

However, in continental Europe, thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau helped remove the moralizing parts of didactics earlier. Later, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi applied these ideas to teaching.

These cultural differences led to two main ways of thinking about teaching. The Anglo-Saxon (English-speaking) tradition focused on curriculum studies. The European tradition focused more on didactics as a science. Even today, the science of didactics is less important in many English-speaking countries.

As the world became more connected, these different ideas about teaching started to blend. Now, didactics and pedagogy (the art of teaching) can be seen in three ways:

• As a field of study: This is where people research teaching and learning.
• As practical activities: This means the actual things teachers do in the classroom.
• As a way to talk about teaching: This provides a common language for teachers to discuss their work.

Didactics vs. Pedagogy

Didactics looks at both the ideas and the actions related to teaching and learning. It asks:

• What is being taught? (The content)
• How is it being taught? (The method)
• Why are certain things taught? (The reasons behind the choices)

Didactics focuses on the individual student. It looks at how their brain works when they learn something new. This field often uses ideas from cognitive psychology (how we think) and the theory of teaching. Didactics describes "what is" and "what was" in teaching.

Pedagogy, on the other hand, is about "what should be." It focuses more on setting goals for education. It also looks at how students become part of society. Didactics provides the basic information for pedagogy.

In Europe, didactics and pedagogy are seen as separate areas of study. Didactics is about understanding all teaching activities. This includes planning and managing the teaching environment. Its goal is to see how teaching leads to learning. Pedagogy is more about the practical side of teaching in a classroom. It uses research from didactics.

Didactic Transposition

In France, didactics is the study of how specific subjects are taught. A key idea in this field is "didactic transposition." This idea was first introduced by Michel Verret in 1975. Later, Yves Chevallard used it for teaching mathematics, and now it's used for many subjects.

Didactic transposition happens in several steps:

• Step 1: External Transposition

* This is about how knowledge from experts (like scientists) becomes "knowledge to teach." * Experts create "scholarly knowledge" in universities. * Then, educators and political leaders choose, organize, and define this knowledge. They decide what will be in the official curriculum and how it will be taught. This makes it easier for students to learn. * This process happens in a "noosphere," which means the social and cultural environment that shapes what is taught.

• Step 2: Internal Transposition

* This is when the "knowledge to teach" becomes "taught knowledge." * This is what actually happens in the classroom. * The teacher uses their own methods and adjusts to their students. They also consider things like time limits and school rules.

• Step 3: Learnt Knowledge

* Finally, the "taught knowledge" becomes "learnt knowledge." * This is the knowledge that students actually understand and remember. * What students learn can then help improve the whole teaching system.

Didactic Triangle

Imagine a triangle with three points. These points represent the main parts of a teaching situation:

• The knowledge or content to be taught.
• The teacher.
• The student.

This is called the "didactic triangle."

• The side between the teacher and the content is about how the teacher prepares the lesson.
• The side between the student and the content is about how the student learns the material.
• The side between the teacher and the student is about how they interact during learning.

Didactic Teaching in Action

The didactic method gives students the basic knowledge they need. It's very helpful for students who find it hard to organize their own work. They often rely on the teacher for instructions. This method is also used to teach basic skills like reading and writing. The teacher is the main source of information, and they share this knowledge with the students.

Didactic Teaching Materials: The Montessori school system uses special teaching materials. These materials are designed to help children develop practical skills, use their senses, and learn formal concepts. Examples include lacing frames, weights, and packets to identify by sound or smell. Montessori educators are often called "directresses" because they guide learning in a specially prepared environment.

In Brazil, there's a government program called PNLD (National Program of Didactic Book). For over 80 years, this program has given textbooks to schools. This helps more children get access to books and information, especially in poorer areas. These books also help teachers by offering modern teaching methods and updated information.

Functions of the Didactic Method

The didactic method has several important jobs:

• Cognitive function: It helps students understand and learn basic ideas.
• Formative-educative function: It helps students develop skills, good behavior, and abilities.
• Instrumental function: It helps achieve specific learning goals.
• Normative function: It helps make learning effective and reach desired results.

How it Works in the Classroom

In the didactic method, the teacher gives instructions, and students mostly listen quietly. It's a "teacher-centered" method, meaning the teacher is in charge. It's also "content-oriented," focusing on the information being taught. The content and the teacher's knowledge are usually not questioned.

The teacher gives commands, delivers the content, and provides information. Students listen and try to remember what they hear. Today, the lecture method, where a teacher talks to a group of students, is a common form of didactic teaching.

Limitations of the Method

Even though the didactic method is used in many schools, it doesn't work for every student. Listening to long lectures can be boring for some. There isn't much talking between students and teachers. This method might not motivate students to become truly interested in a subject. It can feel like a one-way conversation, and what students already know or have experienced might not play a big role in their learning.

See also

In Spanish: Didáctica para niños