There are few factors which affects the teaching style of a teacher directly, and also how to prepare to teach:
- Diversity in students: Nowadays we have noticed differences in the students than in previous years. Seeing the last two years we have noticed growing diversity in our classrooms. Diversity in the classroom has made teaching more interesting but also challenging.
- Changes in the instructional technology: Today classrooms, teachers, schools, and students use computers more often today than in the past years. They use technology for various activities like online classes, assignments, research, writing, communicating, keeping records etc. Technology has provided new ways for students to understand and learn the concepts. It has also altered how teachers can teach in the classroom most effectively.
- Accountability in education: In the present scenario, teachers or educators pay more attention than in the past to how to provide learning and good quality teaching. The attention has increased the importance of education and has improved education for students as well. But it has also created a new constraint for teachers on what teachers teach and what students learn.
- Professionalism for teachers: Professionalism helps in meeting above mentioned three points. Since there are lots of differences happening in the teaching and learning process thus the teachers need to upskill themselves regularly to meet the diversity of students in the classroom and to meet the needs of the society outside the classroom Professionalism improves classroom teaching and learning process and also develop confidence in the teachers and at present it is clearly seen that teaching has become more professional than in the past (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005).
- Increased expectations of achievement: When students have increased expectations of achievement, teachers too have an increased responsibility for their students’ academic success, and for their own development as teachers. Becoming a new teacher now requires more specialized work than earlier. Most important reasons behind this complexity is the increasing diversity of students and increasing use of technology in classrooms. One of the examples is the use of action research in the classroom. It is a form of investigation carried out by teachers about their own students or their own teaching. Action research studies lead to concrete decisions that improve teaching and learning in particular educational contexts (Mertler, 2006; Stringer, 2004).
- Curriculum: Curriculum plays a very important role in shaping the development of a student in a school. Thus a well-updated curriculum reassures students that they’re on the right track towards reaching their future goals and required skills. Thus a school curriculum needs to be updated regularly to meet the requirements and demand of students, society and country as well. If it is not updated it may become a major factor due to which the aspiring graduates will not be able to get their dream job.
- Teaching methodology: As a country with the world’s largest youth population, the teaching methodologies in our country are greatly changing. This leads to interest in students learning and understanding of concepts.
The COVID-19 outbreak has forced many educational institutions and schools to immediately switch to the online teaching and learning method. Due to which many instructors have found developing effective online lessons in a very short period of time very stressful and difficult. Here comes the role of the organization or institutions to facilitate or provide the on job training so that they take up such emerging responsibility comfortably.
There are various institutions which provide online workshops and some short duration courses as well which can be helpful for the teachers and ultimately towards the improvement of the teaching and learning process. Few preferred courses by the teachers are Project based learning, Action research in classroom, Educational technology including various edu.-tech. tools, Mental health including basic counselling and various Pedagogical practices.
There are multiple universities and organizations who provide the short term courses and online workshops for development of professional skills. Various universities and teaching learning centres provide short term courses from 3 months to 1 year of diploma. There are also institutions like Aditya Birla Education Academy which works for the upliftment of teachers and their professional skills. It has a range of programs ranging from one workshop of 2 hours to 6 hours based on individual needs. They also offer school deals where workshops will be tailored according to the needs of the school teachers and school authority.
Also read,
How have the teaching methods in schools changed from previous years?
What motivates teachers to engage in professional development?
What are some of the professional development courses that teachers can avail?
References:
- “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how” …from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
- “Transitioning to the “new normal” of learning in unpredictable times: pedagogical practices and learning performance in fully online flipped classrooms” From https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-020-00234-x
- Sujata Mehta, “Modern Teaching Methods – It’s Time For The Change”, https://eduvoice.in/modern-teaching-methods/
- “Teaching methodology and curriculum” from https://eduvoice.in/teaching-methodology-curriculum/
- “Ways of reshaping the education” from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay
- Teaching and learning methods must evolve with the changing times: https://htschool.hindustantimes.com/editorsdesk/interviews/teaching-and-learning-methods-must-evolve-with-the-changing-times/
- “Teaching is different from in the past | Educational Psychology” https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/teaching-is-different-from-in-the-past/