It is essential for any biology lecturer and indeed any other science course to become acquainted with teaching methods that will help students achieve their learning objectives. There are many methods in teaching biology but emphasis shall be made here on the major seven used in higher institutions. These include:
i) Lecture or the chalk and talk method
ii) Discussion method
iii) Demonstration method
iv) Discovery method
v) Project method
vi) Field trips
vii) Laboratory methods
i) Lecture or the chalk and talk method
ii) Discussion method
iii) Demonstration method
iv) Discovery method
v) Project method
vi) Field trips
vii) Laboratory methods
2.3.1. Lecture or the Chalk and Talk Method
This is a lecturer – dominated approach to teaching. The lecturer as the main repository or knowledge does most of the talking and often ask questions to check whether what is said is being understood. The students on the other hand remain as recipients, listening and sometimes taking down notes and asking few or no questions. This method is used mostly in a class with large number of students.
2.3.2. Discussion Method
This involves the students talking over a subject from various points of view, with the lecturer properly directing questions to elicit more information from the students.According to Nacico – Brown (1982), the students carefully consider the topic, react to it, argue with one another, suggest solutions, evaluate alternatives and draw conclusions or generalizations. This method can be used in a class with small number of students for effective teaching to take place.
2.3.3. Demonstration Method
A demonstration method as discussed here can be regarded as a display or an exhibition usually done by the lecturer 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 either dangerous, risky, difficult or expensive for individual student’s use.Sometimes however, students can perform demonstrations either individually or in small groups so as to help them master the experiment.
2.3.4. Discovery Method
Discovery method is a teaching strategy which enables students to find the answers themselves. It is a learner centered approach. It is of two types notable the guided discovery and the unguided discovery. In the former types the lecturer guide the students to discover for themselves that which has been previously discovered by providing them with the general principles, but not the solution to the scientific problem. The latter type involves the students discovering for themselves both the general principles and solution to a scientific problem.In using this method, Saylor Alexander and Lewis (1981) identified three (3) steps to follow. They are:
1) Materials of a puzzling nature are developed and presented to the students
2) Learners are encouraged to inquire into the puzzling situation through the collection of information and data.
3) Students are motivated to examine the process they used in inquiry.
According to Abdullahi (1982), discovery method in science involves an instructional exploration in the laboratory where students pass through mental processes of observing measuring and classifying to draw general conclusions from data gathered.
2.3.5. Project Method
In this method, students are given as task/topic to carry out a comprehensive study on over an extended period of time. The students involved in this comprehensive study of the topics learn through problems solving under the guidance of a lecturer who assesses their skills, creativity and originality.The learner picks the topic, identifies the purpose, methods to be used, problems to come across and proffers solutions/recommendations.
2.3.6. Field Trips
It is often said that nature is the grand teacher of biology! One of the methods of teaching biology is by taking students out to the field to provide first-hand experience of organisms in their natural environment. Such experiences are not available within the confines of the laboratory as this will give students natural learning.2.3.7. Laboratory Method
A laboratory method is individual or group activities involving a tow-way approach namely the exercise approach and the experimental approach. Both approaches are used in the teaching of science such as biology for a number of reasons.The main distinction between the two approaches is that in a laboratory exercise, the student is told what to expect and how to get at it, whereas in a laboratory experiment, the student undertakes an investigation, the results of which he does not generally know.
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