The Concept of Teaching

 The concept of teaching is better described than defined because it has been very difficult to accept as being the best definition. Attempts are made by some authors on their review about teaching. Ezenweani (2002) defined teaching as the ability to guide one to gain knowledge in a classroom setting, the teacher does the work of guiding the learner, through social interactions (student-teacher, student-student) to gain experience that are worthwhile for social living in the larger society. While the teacher does the work of guidance (from the simple meaning of it), the student does the work of an apprentice.
    Morrish (2008) states that teaching begins from the home and many children behave in ways that reflect the very teaching or lack of it, provided by their parents. Harbor-Peters (2000) noted that the most effective form of teaching can be found in community life, in which the child experiences the complex relationship of people, learning from effective teaching that comes through actions in role playing or social interaction. This shows that the act of teaching is an interactive process of providing opportunities of the learner to practice, on a classroom basis, the social experience through teacher actions.
    Opute-Imala (1998) defined teaching as the teacher behaviour or activities designed and performed to produce change in students’ behaviour. What the teacher dispenses in the class are those contents, skills and attitude found acceptable by the society members.
    However, the class nature and the learners’ characteristics in the class determine the type of teacher behaviour or activities in his teaching. For example, the teacher might adopt individualized instruction approach (one-one), lecturing approach (one-many) or team teaching approach (many-many). Of course there may be “many to one” like in the case of father and mother joining hands to train a child. In the classroom situation, there could be more than one teacher required to teach a special learner. The specialty in the learner could be from a number of factors. For example a difficult student can be taught both by the school and the home (society). Hence Harrison & Growin (2005) says that as we become more aware of the relation between the child’s behaviour and his home environment, and between the school and society, so we become more involved in the social aspect of teaching and learning.
    Onwuka (1990) sees teaching as a process of making someone to learn; also Saylor & Alexander (1997) say teaching is the act of systematically presenting stimuli and cue, that it is a polymorphous activity that takes many different forms while Onwuka (1990) saw teaching as creating or providing opportunities from which learner can gain some experiences that will enable him or her acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and appreciation that will serve as tools in life.

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