Conceptions of curriculum implementation

Implementation refers to what actually happens in practice as compared to what was

supposed to happen. Curriculum implementation entails putting into practice the officially
prescribed courses of study, syllabuses and subjects. It includes the provision of organized
assistance to staff in order to ensure that the newly developed curriculum and the most
powerful instructional strategies are actually delivered at the classroom level.
Classroom activities are therefore an important curriculum exercise
Curriculum implementation refers to how teachers deliver instruction and assessment through
the use of specified resources provided in a curriculum. Curriculum designs generally provide
instructional suggestions, scripts, lesson plans, and assessment options related to a set of
objectives.
The process involves helping the learner acquire knowledge or experience. It is
important to note that curriculum implementation cannot take place without the
learner. The learner is therefore the central figure in the curriculum implementation
process. Implementation takes place as the learner acquires the planned or intended
experiences, knowledge, skills, ideas and attitudes that are aimed at enabling the
same learner to function effectively in a society.
Curriculum implementation also refers to the stage when the curriculum itself, as an
educational programme, is put into effect.
Curriculum implementation therefore refers to how the planned or officially
designed course of study is translated by the teacher into syllabuses, schemes of
work and lessons to be delivered to students. So, putting the curriculum into
operation requires an implementing agent – the teacher who selects and mixes the
various aspects of knowledge contained in a curriculum document or syllabus.
Implementation takes place when the teacher-personality, the teaching materials
and the teaching environment interact with the learner

Components of Implementation Efforts

There are two components of any implementation effort that must be present to
guarantee the planned changes in curriculum and instruction succeed as intended:
I. Understanding the conceptual framework of the content/discipline being
implemented and,
II. Organised assistance to understand the theory, observe exemplary demonstrations,
have opportunities to practice, and receive coaching and feedback focused on the
most powerful instructional strategies to deliver the content at the classroom
level.
A curriculum framework will describe the processes and procedures that will be followed to
assist all staff in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully implement the
developed curriculum in each content area. This framework will, at a minimum,
describe the processes and procedures for curriculum implementation as:
 Study and identify the best instructional practices and materials to deliver the content
 Describe procedures for the purchase of instructional materials and resources
 Identify/develop exemplars that demonstrate the learning behaviors, teaching, and
learning environment to deliver the content
 Study the current status of instruction in the content area (how teachers are
teaching)
 Compare the desired and present delivery system, identify differences (gap analysis),
and develop a plan for addressing the differences
 Organize staff into collaborative study teams to support their learning and
implementation efforts (address the gaps)
 Provide ongoing professional development related to instructional strategies and
materials that focuses on theory, demonstration, practice, and feedback
 Regularly monitor and assess the level of implementation
 Communicate with internal and external publics regarding curriculum implementation
 Involve staff, parents, students, and community members in curriculum
implementation decision.
Measures of the Effectiveness of a curriculum Implementation
According to Berman and McLaughlin, there are three measures of the
effectiveness of implementation:
Perceived success
Change in behaviour and
Fidelity of implementation.
The perceived success is the relative extent to which the participants believe
that the goals were achieved. Change in behaviour is the type and extent of
change in teacher and administrator behaviour as perceived by participants. The third
measure of effectiveness - fidelity of implementation, is the extent to which the
curriculum was implemented as originally planned.
Types of Interactions during Project Implementation
Berman and McLaughlin in addition to the development of the measures of the effectiveness
of an implementation described the interactions between the curriculum and its
setting. They described three types of interactions:
Mutual Adaptation – This is the adaptation of both the curriculum design and
institutional setting.
Non-Implementation – This is non-adaptation on the part of either the curriculum or the
setting.
Curriculum Adaptation – This is the adaptation to the indifference and resistance to
change on the part of the curriculum participants, but no change by participants themselves.
Factors That Influence Curriculum Implementation

The Teacher: the teachers view their role in curriculum implementation as an

autonomous one. They select and decide what to teach from the prescribed
syllabus or curriculum. Since implementation takes place through the interaction
of the learner and the planned learning opportunities, the role and influence of the
teacher in the process is indisputable. It is imperative that the teacher understand the
curriculum document or syllabus well in order to implement it effectively. Teachers
must be involved in curriculum planning and development so that they can
implement and modify the curriculum for the benefit of their learners.

The Learners: Learners are also a critical element in curriculum implementation.

While teachers are the arbiters of the classroom practice, the learners hold the
key to what is actually transmitted and adopted from the official curriculum. The
official curriculum can be quite different from the curriculum that is actually
implemented. The learner factor influences teachers in their selection of learning
experiences, hence the need to consider the diverse characteristics of learners in
curriculum implementation.

Resource Materials and Facilities: no meaningful teaching and learning take place without
adequate resource materials. This applies to curriculum implementation as well. For the
officially designed curriculum to be fully implemented as per plan, the government or
Ministry of Education should supply schools with adequate resource materials such as
textbooks, teaching aids and stationery in order to enable teachers and learners to play
their role satisfactorily in the curriculum implementation process. also provide physical
facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, workshops, libraries and sports fields in order
to create an environment in which implementation can take place. The availability and
quality of resource material and the availability of appropriate facilities have a great
influence on curriculum implementation.

Interest Groups: A number of these groups exist in almost countries. These include
parents, parents’ and teachers’ associations, School and private school proprietors.
These groups can influence implementation in the following ways: (1) Provide
schools with financial resources to purchase required materials. (2) Demand the
inclusion of certain subjects in the curriculum. (3) Influence learners to reject
courses they consider detrimental to the interests of the group. It is therefore
important to involve these groups at the curriculum planning stage.

The School Environment: One other factor that influences curriculum

implementation concerns the particular circumstances of each school. Schools
located in rich socio-economic environments and those that have adequate human
and material resources can implement the curriculum to an extent that would be
difficult or impossible for schools in poor economic environments.

Culture and Ideology: Cultural and ideological differences within a society or

country can also influence curriculum implementation. Some communities may
resist a domineering culture or government ideology and hence affect the
implementation of the centrally planned curriculum.

Instructional Supervision: Curriculum implementation cannot be achieved unless it

has been made possible through the supervisory function of the school head.
Assessment: Assessment in the form of examinations influences curriculum
implementation tremendously. Due to the great value given to public examination
certificates by communities and schools, teachers have tended to concentrate on
subjects that promote academic excellence and little else. This action by the teacher
obviously can affect the achievement of the broad goals and objectives of the
curriculum.

Factors Affecting Implementation

Curriculum characteristics
Institutional setting and
Unstable policies
Lack of time, money, manpower and other resources

Fidelity of Implementation
Definitions of terms
There are many definitions of fidelity of implementation. The diversity of definitions
includes:
 Strict adherence to methods or implementation that conforms to theoretical
guidelines (particularly when the intervention is adapted to meet the needs of specific
circumstances) Completeness and dosage of implementation
 The quality of programme delivery (the way a teacher implements a programme)
 The degree to which participants are engaged, and
 Programme differentiation (the degree to which elements which to distinguish
one type of programme from another are present or absent).
Fidelity of implementation may be defined as the extent to which the delivery of an
intervention adheres to the program model originally developed, and confirms that the
implementation of the independent variable in outcome research occurred as planned.
it refers to the degree to which teachers and other programme providers implement
programmes as intended by the program developers.
One of the leading roles of the teacher includes delivering a curriculum with fidelity,
which means implementing the curriculum faithfully and keeping in step with its
purpose and design

The Importance of Understanding Fidelity

it helps to explain why innovations succeed and fail. If interventions succeed or fail
depending on the dose or quality of intervention, this is crucial information.
it identify what has been changed in a programme and how changes impact
outcomes, i.e. fidelity can often be observed to affect not only primary behavioural
outcomes, such as substance use, but to affect mediating variable outcomes such as
changes in attitudes and beliefs as well..
it reveals important information about the feasibility of an intervention—how likely it is
that the intervention can and will be implemented with fidelity. If it is difficult
to achieve fidelity of implementation in practice, a program has low feasibility..
Measuring Fidelity of Implementation
Fidelity of implementation can be measured in five ways:
Adherence to the programme
Dose (the amount of the programme delivered)
Quality of programme delivery
Participant responsiveness and
Program differentiation (whether critical features that distinguish the program are present),
Key Elements of High-Fidelity of Implementation
i. Adaptive planning which is responsive to the needs of participants
ii. Training tailored to local sites
iii. A critical mass of participants (including other implementers) to provide support and
prevent isolation, and
iv. Local material development ranging from creating original materials to repackaging
materials to make them more appealing to the local audience.
v. Teacher training
vi. Programme characteristics,
vii. Teacher characteristics
viii. Organisational characteristics
a. Support by the principal
b. The teachers’ sense of efficacy as a teacher to educate their students
Teachers’ ability to communicate
c. The general school culture
d. Quality of leadership, accommodation and support by administrators
e. Staff morale
f. Whether and to what extent the organization makes an active approach to problem
solving and
g. The organisation’s readiness to adopt new programmes
Teaching Methods

A teaching method has been defined by Afolabi and Adesope (2010) as a

specific instructional process which differs from any other by the diversities of
specialized activities. This implies that each teaching method has its own
peculiar characteristics and steps which differ from another teaching method.
These steps make a teaching method to be different from another method. The
teaching method variables are manipulated at a varying degree. Teaching
method is very important in the impartation of knowledge in teaching-learning
processes and the type adopted determines to a great extent what the student
assimilate. In actual fact if the appropriate method is adopted, knowledge
acquired can be accelerated. People opined that no educational system can rise
above the quality of its teacher, nor can a nation rise above the quality of her
educational system. It is your duty as a teacher to ensure that appropriate
teaching method or a combination of two or more methods is used in order to
achieve the stated aims and objectives.

CATEGORIS OF TEACHING METHODS

There are different types of teaching methods which can be categorised into
FOUR broad types. These are teacher-centred methods, learner-centred
methods, content-focused methods and interactive/participative methods.

(a) INSTRUCTOR/TEACHER CENTRED METHODS. Here the teacher

casts himself/herself in the role of being a master of the subject matter.
The teacher is looked upon by the learners as an expert or an authority.
Learners on the other hand are presumed to be passive and copious
recipients of knowledge from the teacher. Examples of such methods are
expository or lecture methods - which require little or no involvement of
learners in the teaching process. It is also for this lack of involvement of
the learners in what they are taught, that such methods are called “closed-
ended”.
(b) LEARNER-CENTRED METHODS In learner-centred methods, the
teacher/instructor is both a teacher and a learner at the same time. In the
words of Lawrence Stenhouse, the teacher plays a dual role as a learner as
well “so that in his classroom extends rather than constricts his
intellectual horizons”. The teacher also learns new things everyday which
he/she didn’t know in the process of teaching. The teacher, “becomes a
 resource rather than an authority”. Examples of learner-centred methods
are discussion method, discovery or inquiry based approach
(c) CONTENT-FOCUSED METHODS In this category of methods, both the
teacher and the learners have to fit into the content that is taught.
Generally, this means the information and skills to be taught are regarded
as sacrosanct or very important. A lot of emphasis is laid on the clarity
and careful analyses of content. Both the teacher and the learners cannot
alter or become critical of anything to do with the content. An example of
a method which subordinates the interests of the teacher and learners to
the content is the programmed learning approach.
(d) INTERACTIVE/PARTICIPATIVE METHODS: this fourth category
borrows a bit from the three other methods without necessarily laying
emphasis unduly on either the learner, content or teacher. These methods
are driven by the situational analysis of what is the most appropriate thing
for us to learn/do now given the situation of learners and the teacher.
They require a participatory understanding of varied domains and factors.
In summary, three types of methods commonly used in instruction are: -
Teacher-centred methods Learner centred methods Content focused
methods Interactive/participative methods

SPECIFIC TEACHING METHODS

There are specific methods which can be drawn from in the course of classroom
instruction. It is however, important to note that the choice of any form of
methods should not be arbitrary, but needs to be governed by the certain criteria
and situations. At the same time each method is not fool-proof, but has its own
advantages and disadvantages. That is why I would recommend the use of
complementary methods rather than one method. In the study of teaching
methods what is most important is the ability of the teacher to know the steps
that are involved in a particular teaching method.

Lecture method

 Discussion method

 Demonstration method

 Discovery method

 Assignment/project method
 Field trips method (Excursion)

 Individualized instructional method

Laboratory method

 Inductive and deductive method.

1. LECTURE METHOD A lecture is an oral presentation of information by

the instructor. It is the method of relaying factual information which includes
principles, concepts, ideas and all THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE about a
given topic. In a lecture the instructor tells, explains, describes or relates
whatever information the trainees are required to learn through listening and
understanding. It is therefore teacher-centred. The instructor is very active,
doing all the talking. Trainees on the other hand are very inactive, doing all the
listening. Despite the popularity of lectures, the lack of active involvement of
trainees limits its usefulness as a method of instruction.

The lecture method of instruction is recommended for trainees with very little
knowledge or limited background knowledge on the topic. It is also useful for
presenting an organised body of new information to the learner. To be effective
in promoting learning, the lecture must involve some discussions and, question
and answer period to allow trainees to be involved actively.

In the Universities and other institutions of higher learning, the lecture method
is the acceptable means of imparting information. At the secondary school level,
the students have not been trained to follow chains of reasoning. Therefore
lecture method should not be used in its pure forms:-

ADVANTAGES
1. Saves time.
2. Permits flexibility.
3. Requires less rigid space requirement.
4. Permits adaptability.
5. Permits versatility.
6. Permits better centre over contact and sequence.
DISADVANTAGES
1. Involves one-way communication.
2. Poses problems in skill teaching.
3. Encourages student passiveness.
4. Poses difficulty in gauging student reaction.
5. Require highly skilled instructors.
2. THE DISCUSSION METHOD Discussion involves two-way communication
between participants. In the classroom situation an instructor and trainees all
participate in discussion. During discussion, the instructor spends some time
listening while the trainees spend sometimes talking. The discussion is,
therefore, a more active learning experience for the trainees than the lecture. A
discussion is the means by which people share experiences, ideas and attitudes.
As it helps to foster trainee’s involvement in what they are learning, it may
contribute to desired attitudinal changes. Discussion method is based on the
philosophy that knowledge arises within the students and not from any external
source. The students take over the subject from various points of view and the
teacher serves as a moderator.

ADVANTAGES

1. Increase students interest

2. Increases student’s acceptance and commitments.

3. Utilises student knowledge and experience.

4. Results in more permanent learning because of high degree of student

participation.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Require highly skilled instructor.

2. Requires preparation by student.

3. Limits content.

4. Consumes time.

5. Restricts size of groups.

3. The Demonstration Method: In demonstration method, you the teacher will

do a display or exhibition while the students watch. It typically involves
showing students the correct use of science apparatus, illustrating a technique
(for example, using chloroform to anaesthetize toads or guinea pigs) performing
an “experiment” which is dangerous, risky, difficult or expensive for individual
students use. Demonstration method can be used in the drilling of shorthand
outlines, manipulation of various office equipment could be demonstrated by the
teacher during office practice lesson. Sometimes demonstrations can be
performed by students either individually or in groups. Also in trades like
sewing, weaving, barbing, pot making and the like demonstration method is best
adopted using the teaching learning processes.

Advantages of the Demonstration Method

1. It is an inexpensive method since only the demonstrator needs materials.

2. It shows how something is accomplished properly or expertly, since the
teacher is supposedly more competent than most students.
3. Demonstration method is especially beneficial in the areas of skills and
attitudes.
4. The proficiency displayed reduces the length of trial and error time.
5. It can reduce hazards e.g. breakage and accidents before students embark
on individual or group work with materials involved.
6. A good demonstration method holds the learners attention thus facilitating
learning by giving students the opportunity to see and hear what is
actually happening.

Disadvantages of the Demonstration Method

1. The assumption made that all the students see and hear equally well does
not necessarily follow. Visibility of details of what is being demonstrated
is not assured in large classrooms or in circumstances where extremely
small objects are used.
2. Where the demonstration is restricted to the teacher alone, students will
be denied the opportunity to acquire manipulative skills in handling of the
materials and apparatus

4. Discovery Method: Discovery method is a teaching strategy which enables

students to find the answers themselves. It is a learner centred approach hence it
is called a heuristic method. It is of two types, notably, the guided discovery and
the unguided discovery. In the guided discovery, the teacher guides the students
to discover for themselves solutions to given problems by providing them with
general principles, but not the solution to the scientific problem. The unguided
discovery type involves the students discovering for themselves both the general
principles and solution to a scientific problem. It is sometimes called the pure
discovery.

Advantages of the Discovery Method

 1. Discovery method makes the student an active participant rather than a
mere passive recipient.
2. Since the method poses a challenge for the student to discover the
information or knowledge for himself, retention of any information or
knowledge so discovered will be increased.
3. The training acquired in finding out things for oneself independently can
be applied to new learning and problem solving.
4. The joy in discovering something provides the students with intrinsic
motivation.
5. Discovery method brings home to pupils their notions of the nature of
scientific evidence, students learnt that answers to questions can often be
obtained from investigations they can carry out for themselves.
6. Discovery method helps students develop manipulative skills and
attitudes which constitute one of the fundamental objectives of science
teaching.
7. Since discovery operates at the highest levels of the cognitive domain, it
encourages analytical and synthetic thought as well as intuitive thinking.

Disadvantages of the Discovery

1. Discovery method is time consuming and progress is comparatively

slow. Apparatus have to be set up and result(s) of the investigation
awaited.
2. The method leaves open the possibility of not discovering anything.
Students may end up discovering things other than what was intended to
be discovered.
3. This could be highly demoralizing to them particularly if great effort has
been expended. The method is expensive considering the equipment and
materials needed.
4. Discovery method is only good for a small class where effective teacher
supervision is possible.

Deductive Method A deductive approach to instruction is a more teacher-

centred approach. This means that the teacher gives the students a new concept,
explains it, and then has the students practice using the concept, it is also called
a deductive instruction. The Deductive approach is teacher- dominated. It begins
with abstract rule, generalization, principle and ends with specific examples, and
concrete details
Characteristics of the Deductive Method

1. It starts from the general rule and proceeds to the particular.

2. It is a dogmatic assertion like Christian creed.
3. It is a method of instruction whereby the general rule is at first vague to
the pupils, but it becomes clearer after the teacher has skillfully and fully
expressed it.
4. It proceeds from indefinite to definite.

Advantages of the Deductive Method Coverage of a wider scope of subject

matter – because our instruction is direct by starting the rule or the principle at
the beginning of the class. So, cover more subject matter over a period of time
No bother on the part of the teacher to lead learners to the formulation of
generalization or rule

Disadvantages of the Deductive Method.

1. It is not supportive of the principle that learning is an active process.

2. There is less involvement on the part of the learners.
3. Lesson appears uninteresting at first. It begin the lesson with the abstract,
with what the learners do not know so at the outset the lesson will look
irrelevant and uninteresting

Inductive method In contrast with the deductive method, inductive

instruction makes use of student “noticing”. Instead of explaining a given
concept and following this explanation with examples, the teacher presents
students with many examples showing how the concept is used. The intent is
for students to “notice”, by way of the examples, how the concept works; it
is also called a inductive instruction. The Inductive method is fewer teachers
– directed than the Deductive method. It begins with specific details,
concrete data and examples and ends with generalization rule, or principle

Characteristics of the Inductive Method

 It proceeds from the known to the unknown. It proceeds from the

particular to the general.
 It proceeds from the concrete to the abstract.
 It is an analytic method or process.
 It is a method of discovery

Advantages of the Inductive method

 1. The learners are more engaged in the teaching – learning process.
2. With the facilitating skills, the learners formulate the generalization or
rule.
3. Learning becomes more interesting at the outset because it begin with the
experience of the students.
4. It helps the development of our learners’ higher-order thinking skills.
5. To see patterns and analyze the same in order to arrive at generalization
requires analytical thinking.

Disadvantages of the Inductive method

1. It requires more time and so less subject matter will be covered.

2. It need much to lead the students to the formulation of generalization.
3. It demands expert facilitating skills on the part of the teacher.

Story telling Method: Storytelling is a means for sharing and interpreting

experiences. Storytelling can be used as a method to teach ethics, values and
cultural norms and differences. Learning is most effective when it takes place in
social environments that provide authentic social cues about how knowledge is
to be applied. Stories are a powerful means of language teaching. ... Children
usually enjoy hearing the same story many times. We can tell the story using a
picture book, or a flannel board and movable characters. We can tell or read the
story while children move puppets or dolls, or as they wear masks and act out
the story.

Advantages:

1. By placing the story in fiction, he removes it from the political arena and
allows readers to contemplate "what if" and draw their own conclusions.
This has elements of a puzzle, and potentially piques the interest of
people who would normally ignore politics, thus reaching a larger
audience.
2. By placing a horrific turn of events within a fairy tale, Orwell draws a
dark contrast between the ideal world and the reality (which is essentially
his comment on communism--it offered an ideal world but turned dark)
The theme of the story is as important as the historical significance: the
potential for well.

Limitations
 1. It usually encourages exaggerations of facts which create misconception
and wrong ideas in the pupils.
2. It sometimes minimizes the importance of personalities and shows even
the historical characters as mythical and frivolous.
3. The story-telling method is not found suitable for teaching history to the
students of higher classes.

5. PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD ‘How we think’ reflects this approach In

this method the learner is required to solve a problem, making use of his
previous knowledge. According to Dewey ‘the problem fixes the end of thought
and the end controls the process of thinking’

Criteria for problem selection ·

The problem should be intellectually challenging to children.

· The problem should not be entirely unfamiliar to the learners it should be

related to their previous experience

· The problem should be related to a basic human activity

· The problem should have practical relevance

· The problem should have the potential to create interest among in the specific
problem in particular and problem solving in general

MERITS

a. It serves as a preparation for adult life

b. It develops the power for critical thinking

c. It makes pupil active recipient of knowledge

d. It develops values of tolerance and open mindedness

e. It helps for the easy assimilation of knowledge

f. It helps to establish harmonious relations between teacher and pupils

DEMERITS

a. This method will become monotonous if used too frequently.

b. The problem solving method can easily lead to the selection of trivial and
untimely topics.
 c. This is appropriate for developing cognitive competencies, but not for
bringing about affective changes

The Project Method The Project Method of teaching centers on an assignment

of interest undertaken by an individual student or a group or a whole class. In
this method, the students are guided when necessary.

Advantages of the Project Method

1. Since emphasis is on doing by the student, opportunity is provided to

develop his initiative as well as greater understanding of how to learn.
2. Motivation to work is high since it is based on the natural interests of
students. It thus offers opportunity for creative ability particularly for
specially talented students.
3. It gives students specific areas to work on sometimes with acquisition of
some new skills and attitudes.
4. Group project afford opportunity for developing leadership and
organizing abilities.

Disadvantages of the Project Method

1. Projects are very time-consuming and what is ultimately learned may not
justify the expense, efforts and time put in to complete the project.
2. Students often get sidetracked particularly if they lack good grasp of facts
necessary in carrying out the projects.
3. It may be difficult to determine the extent to which the individual has
participated.
4. It is difficult to choose a project that will interest all the students in the
class at one time.
5. It favours the independent students, those without independent study
skills may suffer.
6. Some students may not participate in the project work at all.

The Field Trip: This method involves taking learners on an excursion outside
the classroom for the purpose of making relevant observation for the purpose of
obtaining Technological and Vocational Information. Field trip as a method can
be used in teaching Business Studies, Sciences and some art subjects like
Yoruba, History, etc.

The Advantages of the Field Trip

1. It allows the students to engage fully in the activities of the study.
2. It sharpens the students observational abilities.
3. It helps to add reality to and verify how the area of coverage operates in
practice.
4. Field trip is useful in developing all senses of the students.
5. It provides opportunity for students to identify ways of spending leisure
time profitably.
6. Things that cannot be brought to the classroom can be observed and
studied e. g. ecological succession, oceans, etc.
7. Through direct contact with different occupations provided by field trips
students learn and develop an appreciation of the “world” of work outside
of the school in relation to school work.
8. Experience gained during a field trip can motivate students to read about
what they have observed, so as to harmonize actual field experiences with
information gathered from textbooks.

Disadvantages of the Field Trip

1. Arranging a good field trip necessitates careful planning

2. Not only does it consume a considerable amount of time, but
transportation arrangements are often difficult and may be expensive.
3. Class supervision may prove difficult since students tend to move round.
4. If not properly planned and organized, the field trip becomes a waste of
time and resources and takes away from valuable learning activities.
5. Even after the most thoughtful preparation and planning, accidents can
and do occur in field trips. A field trip may create conflicts with other
classes.

The Individual Instructional Method This method is a programmed

instruction in which the learning programmes are presented in carefully
structured steps and the steps depend on the individual student and the nature
of materials to be learned. For example the pace of learning depends on
individual students.

Advantages of the Individualized Instructional Method

1. It allows the student to go at his own pace. It makes the student to

participate.
 2. It gives the teacher quick knowledge of individual student i.e. whether
the lesson is understood or not, since test is usually given at the end of
every lesson.
3. It can be used effectively to make up for lack of background by particular
member of the class.
4. It reduces a student’s anxiety as he depends on himself.

Disadvantages of the Individualized Instructional Method

1. It is time consuming.
2. It is highly demanding of equipments and materials.
3. It requires very little or no interaction among the students.

The Laboratory Method: This is an activity method designed to be carried out

by an individual student or a group of students for the purpose of making
personal observations from experiments in which students can get conclusions
by themselves.

Advantages of the Laboratory Method

1. Learning through this method extends and reinforces theoretical learning

through reality.
2. Laboratory method offers students the opportunity to develop scientific
attitudes such as objectivity, critical thinking, carefulness, open
mindedness etc.
3. Because the method implies learning by doing students tend to be more
interested because of active involvement.
4. Students become familiar with how scientific knowledge is acquired by
performing experiments, recording observations and results, summarizing
data and drawing conclusions.
5. Through laboratory method, the student learns how to handle apparatus
and other instruments, thereby developing manipulative skills.
6. Laboratory method promotes problem solving and self reliance.
7. Getting involved in laboratory activities can also enable students to learn
much about the inter-relationship between science and technology.

Disadvantages of the Laboratory method

1. It can be expensive if separate equipment and materials have to be

provided.
2. It is time-consuming because of the careful planning and preparation
required.
3. Acquisition of skills which results from exposure to the laboratory
method, is of questionable value as objectives for some of the students
who will have little use of them later
4. It is an inefficient practice of teaching where ordinary telling method or
simple demonstration is perfectly adequate.