Understanding Teaching
Concept, Objectives and Characteristics of Teaching
LEARNING
What Does It Mean to Teach?
Explore the meaning, purpose, domains and defining characteristics of teaching through clear explanations, classroom examples, active recall and UGC NET-style practice.
- Explain the concept and meaning of teaching.
- Distinguish formal and informal teaching.
- Identify the objectives and domains of learning.
- Explain the major characteristics of teaching.
- Distinguish teaching, learning, instruction and training.
- Apply the concepts to classroom situations and exam questions.
What is Teaching?
Teaching is a purposeful, planned and organised process in which a teacher creates and guides learning experiences to help learners develop knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes, values and ways of thinking.
Teaching is not merely talking, dictating notes or transferring facts. It involves decisions about what learners should learn, how learning can be supported and how progress can be recognised.
Essential elements of teaching
Plans, explains, guides, motivates and assesses.
Engages, interprets, practises, questions and learns.
Examples, discussion, demonstration, practice and reflection.
Intended outcomes that guide teaching and assessment.
This is teaching because the teacher intentionally organises explanation, experience, practice and assessment around learning outcomes.
Formal and Informal Teaching
Teaching may occur in organised educational settings and in everyday family or community life. The difference is mainly the degree of organisation, planning and institutional structure.
Formal teaching
- Usually takes place in an organised educational institution or programme.
- Generally follows planned objectives, a curriculum and a timetable.
- Often involves designated teachers and structured learning activities.
- May include formal assessment, certification or progression.
Informal teaching
- Occurs through everyday interactions and experiences.
- May be spontaneous and not follow a formal syllabus.
- Often takes place in families, communities and social settings.
- Can develop knowledge, practical skills, habits and values.
Teaching from Different Perspectives
Teaching can be understood through several connected ideas. Together, they show that teaching is purposeful, planned, relational and directed towards learning.
Teaching directs and manages the learning process towards intended educational goals.
The teacher provides experiences intended to bring about relatively lasting changes in learners’ knowledge, skills or capabilities.
Teaching applies subject knowledge, experience and relevant principles to create an environment that supports learning.
The teacher, learner, methods, materials, motivation and assessment are coordinated to achieve educational objectives.
Teaching provides opportunities for learners to acquire, interpret, practise and use knowledge rather than only receive information.
Teaching can contribute to intellectual growth, practical competence, social participation, attitudes and values.
Why do we Teach?
Teaching objectives state the intended learning outcomes: what learners should know, understand, think, value or be able to do after a learning experience.
Help learners acquire facts, concepts, principles, relationships and explanations.
KNOWLEDGEEncourage reasoning, questioning, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, creativity and problem-solving.
THINKINGEnable learners to apply knowledge, use tools, perform procedures and complete tasks accurately.
APPLICATIONEncourage responsibility, cooperation, respect, openness, discipline and constructive participation.
AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENTHelp learners formulate questions, seek information, monitor their progress and continue learning beyond the classroom.
AUTONOMYHelp learners participate constructively in society, understand others and make informed decisions.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTA major objective of teaching is to develop learners’ thinking power. Giving information, dictating notes or preparing learners only to pass an examination is too narrow a view of teaching.
Bloom’s Three Domains
Instructional objectives can be grouped into three domains. A complete educational experience may develop intellectual abilities, attitudes and values, and practical skills.
Concerned with remembering information, understanding meaning, applying knowledge, analysing ideas, combining elements and making judgements.
Concerned with willingness to listen and participate, valuing ideas, organising values and allowing them to influence conduct.
Concerned with the development of performance skills through observation, practice, accuracy and increasing independence.
Cognitive = think and know; Affective = feel, value and develop attitudes; Psychomotor = perform and develop skills.
The six cognitive labels and five affective/psychomotor labels shown here follow a commonly used classification presented in teaching aptitude materials. Revised taxonomies may use different labels or sequences.
What makes teaching Distinctive?
Teaching has several characteristic features. Learn each feature and the reason it matters.
Teaching may focus on remembering facts, understanding ideas or reflecting critically on problems.
Teaching takes place in changing circumstances and responds to learners, subject matter and context.
These processes overlap: teaching facilitates learning, instruction presents content and training often develops specific skills.
Teaching requires planning, analysis, judgement, organisation and decisions about how to support learning.
It draws on systematic knowledge and principles while requiring creativity, communication and professional judgement.
Teaching can help learners organise their thinking, behaviour, study and learning with increasing independence.
Teaching contributes to individual development and the wider needs and progress of society.
Effective professional teaching requires preparation, subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and continued development.
Teachers exercise judgement when planning objectives, choosing methods, selecting resources and evaluating learning.
Teaching and professional learning continue as learners, knowledge, contexts and educational needs change.
Teaching involves specialised knowledge, skills, ethical responsibilities and preparation for professional practice.
Three Levels of Teaching
Teaching is often described at three progressively demanding levels. These levels differ in the kind of mental activity expected from learners.
1. Memory level — J. F. Herbart
Generally treated as the initial level. It emphasises recall, retention and reproduction of facts and information. The teaching-learning pattern is often described as stimulus–response.
2. Understanding level — H. C. Morrison
Goes beyond recall to insight and mastery of meaning. Learners explain relationships, principles and generalisations, and both teacher and learner actively participate in understanding.
3. Reflective level — Hunt
Usually described as the highest level. It is problem-centred and encourages independent thought, investigation, reasoning and evaluation in an open learning environment.
Herbart → Memory (recall); Morrison → Understanding (insight); Hunt → Reflective (problem-solving). These are commonly associated proponents in teaching aptitude questions.
Teaching as a Systematic Process
Teaching involves interaction among the teacher, learner and other conditions that influence the learning process. These elements must be considered together rather than in isolation.
Plans and guides
Engages and learns
Support learning
Three variables used in teaching analysis
In the traditional framework, the teacher is described as the independent variable because the teacher’s actions and decisions influence the teaching process.
The learner is described as the dependent variable because changes in learning or behaviour are examined as outcomes of the process.
Teaching methods, teaching aids, motivational techniques and related conditions can influence how teaching affects learning.
Teaching, Learning, Instruction and Training
Teaching
A purposeful process that organises learning experiences and facilitates achievement of educational objectives.
Learning
A relatively lasting change in an individual’s behaviour, knowledge or capability resulting from experience or practice.
Instruction
The organised communication or presentation of information, directions and learning tasks to help achieve objectives.
Training
Often places particular emphasis on developing specific practical, technical, occupational or performance skills.
Think Like a Teacher
The silent classroom
A teacher speaks for 40 minutes. Students copy notes, but most cannot explain the main idea in their own words.
The problem-solving class
Learners investigate a local environmental problem, compare evidence and justify a proposed solution.
The measurable objective
Before a lesson, the teacher states: “By the end of the session, students will classify five examples correctly.”
Rapid revision board
Purposeful direction and management of learning.
Knowledge, thinking, practical skills, attitudes, values and independent learning.
Cognitive = think; affective = feel/value; psychomotor = perform.
Different levels, dynamic environment, intellectual activity, art and science, self-organisation, social service, professional preparation, autonomy, continuity and professional status.
Herbart—memory; Morrison—understanding; Hunt—reflective.
Choose an option for each question, check your answer, and read the explanation before moving on.
UGC NET Practice Test
Ten original practice questions test the concept, objectives, domains, characteristics, levels and related terms explained in this learning unit. Select an option and submit it to see the correct answer and explanation.
