UGC NET Teaching Aptitude – Different levels of Teaching

The purpose of teaching is to bring changes in the behavior of the learner. During teaching process the student and teacher interact in three different ways. These are called levels of teaching. The teaching process in the formal, non-formal and informal situations may be probed with a view to specially ascertain the various levels of teaching and learning. 

Teaching takes place at three levels progressively.

1. Memory-level of teaching,
2. Understanding-level of teaching
3. Reflective-level of teaching.

Memory-Level of teaching:

• Herbart is the main proponent of the memory level of teaching.
• It is the initial stage of teaching.
• It induces the habit of rote memorization of facts and bits of information.
• The teaching-learning process is basically ‘Stimulus–Response’ (S–R) here.
• It enables the learner to retain and also to reproduce the learned material whenever required.
• The evaluation system mainly includes oral, written, and essay-type examination.
• Good memory includes rapidity in learning, the stability of retention, rapidity in recalling, and ability to bring only desirable contents to the conscious level.

Understanding Level of Teaching

• Morrison is the main proponent of an understanding level of teaching.
• It is ‘memory plus insight’ as it goes beyond just memorizing of facts. It focuses on mastery of the subject.
• It makes pupils understand generalizations, principles, and facts.
• It provides more and more opportunities for the students to develop ‘intellectual behavior’.
• It provides an active role for both the pupil and the teacher for the assimilation of facts.
• The evaluation system mainly includes both essay and objective-type questions.

Reflective Level of Teaching

• Hunt is the main proponent of reflective level of teaching.
• It is the highest level of teaching and includes both ULT and MLT.
• It is problem-centric approach of teaching.
• The students are assumed to adopt some sort of research approach to solve the problem.
• The classroom environment is to be sufficiently ‘open and independent’. The learners are motivated and active.
• The aim is to develop the reflective power of learners so that they can solve problems of their lives by reasoning, logic, and imagination, and lead successful and happy lives.
• The pupil occupies the primary place and teacher assumes the secondary place.
• Essay-type test is used for evaluation. Attitude, belief, and involvement are also evaluated.

Previous UGC NET Questions:

1. Which of the following is not prescribe level of teaching [NET Dec 2014]

a) Memory b) understating c) Reflective d) differentiation   

Ans: D