Maxims of Teaching

Maxim means a short pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.

Significance of the maxim of teaching:

The maxims of teaching are very helpful in obtaining the active environment and participation of the learners in the teaching learning process. They quicken the interest of the learners and motivate them to learn. They keep the students attentive to the teaching learning process. They make learning effective, inspirational, interesting and meaningful. A good teacher should be quite familiar with them.

The different maxims of teaching have been briefly explained below.

1.     From known to unknown:

Known is trustworthy whereas unknown is feared. So a teacher should utilize previous knowledge of students for teaching a particular subject or topic and then help them to collect information and explore the unknown.

For example, students can right words only if they know the alphabets of a language.

Students can explore (a+b+c) ² only if they know (a+b) ²

2.     From simple to complex:

Proceeding from simple to complex subject matter provides an appropriate learning sequence, thus motivating and encouraging students to try to learn more difficult ideas.

For example, while teaching English, simple sentences should be taught first and complex sentences may be taken up later on.

3.     From indefinite to definite:

The ideas of children are vague and indefinite in the beginning. Gradually children gain more learning experiences and attend definite ideas.

For example, the respiratory system will remain vague if taught without a diagram of the nasal passage lungs etc.

4.     From concrete to abstract:

Abstract things are confusing and difficult to comprehend whereas concrete things can be visualized, are relatively simple and understandable. Acquisition of new knowledge becomes easy when it is supported with concrete examples, objects and events.

For example: a lesson in geography can be made interesting with the help of models, pictures and illustrations of the bridges, rivers and mountains etc.

 

5.     From particular to general:

Teacher should present particular examples before stating the principles and rules. A study of particular facts leads the children themselves to frame the general rule.

For example, student will gain the general idea that sum of three angles of any triangle is 180 degree if she is ask to find out the sum of 3 angles of different triangles.

6.     From actual to representative:

When actual objects are shown to children they learn easily and retain them in their minds for long time.

For example, a visit to zoo is of more value then showing the pictures of various animals.

An excursion to historical place will create better understanding than showing picture or simply telling about it in class.

7.     From whole to part:

Whole is more meaningful to the child than the parts of the whole. Guilford, Newman, and Seagoe concluded after their research that the 'whole' approach is generally better than 'part' learning because the material to be learnt makes sense and it parts can be seen by the learner as interrelated.

For example, during teaching the 'part of a flowering plant', it is better to show the entire plant and then proceed to the structure and function of each part of the plant.

8.     From psychological to logical:

While teaching, psychological principles of teaching should be kept in mind and then teaching should proceed to the logical arrangement of the subject matter. The teacher should psychologically plan learning experience is in accordance with the needs, interest and abilities of the students but the teaching act must have logic too.

For example, in a drawing lesson a child has little understanding of lines and curves. Logically we start with simple lines and curves but psychologically we start with drawing a whole animal.

9.     From near to far:

A child learns well in the surrounding in which he resides. So, he should be acquainted with his immediate environment first. Gradually he may be taught about things which are far from his immediate environment.

In a Geography lesson, we can start from the local geography and then can take up district, state, country and world gradually.

10.  From empirical to rational:

Observation and experience are the basis of empirical knowledge. Rational knowledge implies a bit of abstraction and argumentation. The general feeling is that a child first of all experiences knowledge in his day-to-day life and after that he develops rational or logical thinking.

For example, geometry makes better sense when taught in the context of everyday life instead of it in the form of a highly abstract theory.