Journal Reflection: Models of Instruction (2)

By: Ira Ernawati

I have learn about models of instruction in previous PETA class. Here, I share what I understand about those models. There are four models of instruction. Those are Direct instruction, Lecture-discussion, Guided discovery, and Group interaction. Every model has own strength and weaknesses. Then those models also have similarities and differences if they are compared.

This is my detail explanation about them.

1.      Direct instruction

This model focuses on teacher’s lecture. There is no interaction between teacher and students or student and student. Hence this model is also called Teacher center. It is usually used in History and Religion teaching.

The strength of this model are (a) easy to use by teacher if he / she wants to deliver lesson. (b) Easy preparation so the teacher does not need complicated preparation as like making game. The weakness of this model are (a) if a teacher use this model over time it can makes the students overloaded of lesson. (b) It often makes students bored because there is no interaction or activity in the class. Students only focus on teacher’s lecture.

2.      Lecture-discussion

This model is development of direct instruction. Here a teacher gives lecture but there is interaction between teacher and students. The teacher usually provides some questions to make an effective interaction. The kind of interaction is like discussion.

The purpose of this model is it can be used by a teacher to know students’ prior knowledge easily. This model also has strength and also weaknesses. The strength, it is easy to assess students’ understanding about the lesson. The weaknesses are (a) if students are not active or they are just silent so it makes the discussion does not run well. (b) It only can be used in the lesson which focuses on content.

Both models above have similarity and also difference. The similarity of those models is both of models use lecture of a teacher. Then the different is direct model uses pure lecture but lecture-discussion only uses brief lecture depends on the material and it also has interaction between the teacher and students or students with student.

3.      Guided discovery

A teacher is only the guidance or facilitator and he / she has to control the class.  The teacher gives the material to students then they suppose to understand the material by them selves. This model only can be applied to high order thinking students and student with high motivation.

The strength of this model are (a) the student do not feel overloaded or sleepy because they have to make an effort to understand the material. (b) It is use Problem Based Learning or PBL so it will make students understand about the material easily. (c) It is also called student central learning hence the focus of teaching process is students.

4.      Group interaction

This model focuses on group working. It can be used in every lesson. There is role distribution in every group so it can make effective activity. The strength of this model is (a) by applying this model, students do not only learn about material but they also learn to interact with others. The weaknesses of this model are (a) it is difficult to be controlled because there will be many groups in learning process. (b) Usually there are some students who can not work in group because they are comfort with their own group. It causes a teacher difficult in grouping them.

            There is similarity and also difference between Guided discovery and Group interaction. The similarity is both of model focus on student learning. Then the difference is only in using group. Guided discovery can be use in grouping and also individual but Group interaction is only used in group.

There is no the best model that we can use in the class. It because every model has own strength and also weakness but we can combine those model in our teaching to create good teaching process. Then we should consider the condition of students or class if we want to use those models, think which one is appropriate to our students and which one is not appropriate to them.