The inductive teaching method is a student-led approach to teaching. In the inductive approach in teaching, teachers provide learners with examples and allow them to arrive at their own conclusions. Discussion and course correction, where necessary, follow this. It’s the opposite of the deductive teaching method, where rules are explained first. (xanax)
The inductive teaching method may not be the most time-efficient way of teaching a subject, as students can go down the wrong path. However, in the long run, it’s an excellent way to engage students’ analytical abilities and other cognitive functions. For this reason, it’s preferred by modern educators.
Let’s look closer at the inductive method examples and the inductive teaching model.
What Is Inductive Teaching?
Inductive Method Of Teaching Examples
Advantages Of Inductive Teaching
Disadvantages Of The Inductive Approach
What Is Inductive Teaching?
As we’ve seen, in the deductive approach, we present a rule to a learner and then they’re encouraged to think about it, practice it and learn it. The inductive teaching strategies flow in the opposite direction, being a learner-centric teaching method. Students are presented with facts and then asked to come up with their own rules regarding those. For instance, we might give students five sentences that all contain a past tense verb. They can be asked to identify the verbs and when they should be used. In the deductive approach, we would explain the concept of past tense verb use before moving on to practice work.
What’s the purpose of the inductive teaching method? Students could come up with incorrect rules given a set of information. How does that help? The answer is in how it gets them thinking. When we’re given information in the deductive teaching method, we are passive receptacles of knowledge. In a teacher-led classroom, a learner’s inherent ability to understand and puzzle through information is seldom engaged. In inductive teaching strategies, learners must analyze information in front of them, come up with logical conclusions, and even if they’re wrong, the process helps them engage better with the information. It helps them understand the underlying logic in a way that’s more memorable.
Let’s consider some more inductive method examples.
Inductive Method Of Teaching Examples
Here’s an example of inductive method at work.
Students are given images of instruments, including those from different groups: wind, string and percussion. They’re asked to categorize them, work in groups and state their own logic. Their ability for creative solutioning comes to the fore.
The teacher then explains the different categories of instruments, and the students check their work. They may have chosen a different criterion for classification, such as color. A discussion ensues.
In the deductive approach, students would first be told about the various kinds of instruments, i.e., we will explain the rule to them, and then they’ll apply the rule.
Advantages Of Inductive Teaching
The inductive teaching model can be powerful in classrooms of all kinds. Let’s consider some advantages of the inductive approach in teaching:
Promotes Critical Thinking
By not providing the answers upfront to students, it invites them to come up with rules based on the information they have. This is a cognitive and metacognitive ability that holds them in good stead in adult problem solving and decision making.
Engages Student Participation
It’s hard to concentrate in an environment in which we constantly received information. The mind wanders and attention flags. In inductive method examples, group work is often encouraged, and students are expected to present their work and findings. It also forces them to think for themselves.
Learning Is Long Term
By engaging the brain more fully, inductive method of teaching examples can help students retain information. Having puzzled over facts and figures and other forms of data, learners have a closer relationship with the subject they’re studying. Even making mistakes can make facts more memorable.
The inductive classroom is a lively space where problems are solved, questions asked and mistakes made. Finally, information is learned because of all these processes.
Disadvantages Of The Inductive Approach
Inductive learning might be a popular approach, but there are still situations in which a deductive process is preferable. Here are some disadvantages of the inductive method:
Can Create Inequality
You may see in an example of inductive teaching that not all students will respond equally well, which can create a lop-sided classroom. It requires an open environment where errors are accepted and even welcomed to be impactful for all.
Takes Time
Sometimes students come up with incorrect hypotheses. It is part of the process to work through these, but there might not always be enough time to make the most of this.
Topic Is Complex
Not all facts can be reasoned through. Sometimes, if the information is too complex, it is best to explain it upfront. When the inductive teaching method is employed in the wrong place, students can get frustrated by the lack of progress.
Like all teaching techniques, the inductive approach in teaching will work well sometimes, while the deductive approach will work better at others. How can teachers learn to incorporate it better? Methods such as micro-teaching can help develop skills. Harappa’s Inspiring Faculty Program will also help you take your abilities to the next level. The demands on modern educators are constantly changing. Our learning pathway will help you transform from instructor mode to coach-mode. Get inspired to spark a love for learning in your students today!
