Online Assignment on techniques used in teaching Natural Science- Peer tutoring and Team teaching

Peer tutoring

   The word "peer" is derived from a Latin word 'par' meaning equal. Peer group means persons of same age or a group of persons with same interest. Likewise, Peer tutoring is a flexible, peer mediated strategy that involves students serving as academic tutors and tutees. It is an instrumental strategy that consists of students with lower achieving students or those with comparable achievement for learning sessions. There are mainly three research-supported peer tutoring strategies:

1.Cross-age tutoring

                It is a peer tutoring approach that joins students of different ages with older students assuming the role of tutor and younger students assuming the role of student.

2.Peer-assisted learning strategies(PALS)

                     This method is used to enable a wide range of students to participate and increase success in school. It is designed to supplement already existing math and reading curriculum.

                     There are two sessions in PALS:

                        a. PALS reading- to enhance students' literacy development and beliefs in reading within peer mediated framework.

                        b. PALS math- to practice math skill with immediate feedback and to engage in discussion about maths.

3.Reciprocal Peer tutoring(RPT)

                     In this learning strategy, students alternate between the role of tutor and tutee. By assuming the responsibility of teaching, students not only improve their understanding of course content, but also develop communication skills, teamwork, leadership, confidence and respect for peers.

Purpose of peer tutoring:

Students may find difficulties in studying a certain subject.

Facilitate better understanding of professional roles to students.

Acclimatize students to the demand of the profession and enhance their confidence and skill in dealing with role conflict.

Role of tutors and tutees:

Tutor:  Motivator- motivate students

           Counsilor- share personal experiences

           Advisor- provide comments on tutees'                 efforts

           Middle man- as a bridge between tutees and subject lecturers

Tutees: Review relevant subject matter before tutoring sessions.

           Raise questions before or during or after tutorial sessions.

           Be co-operative and take active part in all tutorial activities.

           Solve problems individually or as a team.

           Be punctual and attend all tutorial sessions.

Advantages of peer tutoring:

Students take responsibility for their own learning.

Students develop skills that allow them to teach others and share their skills to others.

Teachers can quickly identify those students who may need further instructions.

Students gain some experience in teaching process.

Disadvantages of peer tutoring:

Cannot guarantee the quality of lesson done by tutors.

Students may stray from the materials as students among them are tutoring.

Individuals may not learn as much because tutors are not as experienced as the teacher.

Lacks social development in child as they interact with same person or same group. 

Team teaching

Team teaching can be defined as a group of two or more teachers working together to plan, conduct and evaluate the learning activities for the same group of learners. Quinn and Kanter(1984) defined team teaching as “simply team work between two qualified instructors who together, make presentations to an audience”.

         M. Haridwar(1986) defined "team teaching is that organized form of the teaching structure in which two or more teachers co-operatively teach a particular subject topic toa group of students." Undoubtedly it is an innovation in teaching-learning process.

Objectives of Team teaching:

To provide the benefit of teaching of talented, gifted and superior teachers to specific large or small group of students.

To improve the quality of instruction by using the best available resources and expertise of teachers.

To develop the feelings of co-operation and shared responsibility in the teaching learning process.

To satisfy the needs of learners and instructions by removing the difficulties relating to the specific content area.

To develop the sense of shared responsibility in teaching and evaluation of students learning outcomes.

To minimize the scope of defects in teaching.

         There are two broad categories of team teaching:

Category A:

        Two or more instructors are teaching the same students at the same time within the class room.

Category B:

        The instructors work together but neither necessarily teach the same group of students nor necessarily teach at the same time.

Types of team teaching:

A team of teachers from the same department.

        In this type, the members of the team belong to the same instruction and also from the same discipline or subject. This type of team teaching is organized in secondary schools or junior colleges where there are more than two teachers in the same department. It is very effective in teaching Science, English and Social studies.

A team of teachers from inter departments but from the same institution:

        In this type, the teachers from different disciplines, but working in the same institution join hands to take responsibility of teaching the topics belonging to their own discipline. This type of teaching can be organized effectively in education of training departments. The experts of psychology, philosophy and statistics departments can be invited to teach B. Ed and M. Ed students along with the department personal.

Advantages of Team teaching:

It gives the participating team teacher a supportive environment in which they are exposed to  different styles of planning, organizing and class presentation.

Working with one or more colleagues enables teachers to overcome the isolation inherent in teaching.

By working together, team teachers can discuss issues related to students such as behavioural expectations, student motivation and teaching policies.

Disadvantages of Team teaching:

The primary disadvantage to team teaching appears to be the element of time. Team members must arrange mutually agreeable times for planning and evaluation. Otherwise it may affect the continuity of the lesson.

Differing expectations of the teachers. Students may struggle to meet the different expectations of the teachers.

Co-teachers must click to the points, not conflict. Lack of planning may be end in a conflict.