Paradoxes in Social-Studies Instruction

Abstract

In considering the axioms of good teaching techniques, one is often struck by the danger of applying these too literally. One is also occasionally amused, if not amazed, at the results which come from applying certain rules of general method to the separate subjectmatter fields. Modern developments in education have, of course, indicated that each subject-matter field has its own special method and that little remains which may be called general method. Even in the field of special method certain paradoxes appear which seem to contradict some usually accepted principles (accepted by the educationist). Here are few of these paradoxes which I have selected from notes taken while visiting teachers engaged in teaching the social studies. i. The more often teacher does thing, the less effectively he does it. In spite of the saying that practice makes perfect, practice in teaching, in many cases, simply makes the teacher dull and uninteresting. This result is especially apparent when teaching technique becomes formula and that formula in itself becomes an object of worship. In visiting young and comparatively inexperienced teachers, I have noticed some splendid results in the application of certain teaching techniques. When revisiting these teachers after the lapse of few years, I have found that, although the self-confidence of the teachers had been greatly augmented and some mechanical imperfections in the teaching technique straightened out, yet the outcomes were decidedly less effective than in the previous period. The answer that a new broom sweeps clean is not entirely sufficient to account for this apparent contradiction to the old axiom that practice makes perfect. The best teaching technique becomes the poorest when used all the time. Every teacher should vary his procedure to avoid monotony on the part of the pupils and routine mechanization on his own part.