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2010

The Spectrum of Teaching Styles: Style F – Guided-Discovery The Spectrum of Teaching Styles: Style F – Guided-Discovery

Robert S. Christenson

David C. Barney david_barney@byu.edu

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BYU ScholarsArchive Citation BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Christenson, Robert S. and Barney, David C., "The Spectrum of Teaching Styles: Style F – Guided-Discovery" (2010). Faculty Publications. 1883. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/1883

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14 • • " • PEER REVIEW

The Spectrum of Teaching Styles Style F Guided-Discovery

David Barney, Ed. D. Associate Professor Health and Human Performance -Physical Education

as presented by Mosston (1966) and then expanded as well as clarified by Mosston with Ashworth (1994). Each of the styles identifies and describes the instructional control of a lesson and who is charged with the decision making power.

instructional segment of the lesson. The final set of decisions, the postimpact decisions are those tha t are made following the lesson that bring closu re to the episode and provide transition into the next. Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK david.barney@okstate.edu

The lesson direction, activities and pace as well as Mosston's spectrum identifies the different the instructiona l interaction between participants teaching styles that lie along the continuum.

and Robert Christenson, Ed. D. Assistant Professor

are accounted for within the complex dynamics The instructional leader, whether experienced or and anatomy of the teaching style as defined by a novice, needs to fully understand the diverse Mosston. As dissected, presented and expla ined nature of each style and more importantly, by Mosston, each episode of teaching behavior grasp the value to the learner of selecting the

Health and Human Performance -Physical Education

has decisions that are positioned into one of correct teaching-learning situation. Every learner three distinct groupings (preimpact, impact in the physical education setting, whether

Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK robert.christenson@okstate.edu

and postimpact) that identifi es the sequence of in the cognit ive, affecti ve or psychomotor instructional conditions. The Preimpact decisions domain, lea rns differently and needs the correct are those choices that are made prior to the instructional characteristics to "turn -the-light-lesson. The impact decisions are those choices on" allowing as well as supporting the student

This is the fihh in the series of teaching styles and interactions that are made during each to learn. In the Winter 2008 OAHPERD Journal,

Mosston's

Spectrum of Teaching Styles

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the first in the series was the Command Style control, leads and learners respond in uniformity (A) where the teacher makes all of the decisions attempting to all reach the learning objective in the teaching-learning process. These simultaneously.

include preimpact (objectives; subject content; In that same journal, the Practice Style (B) experiences; instructional support), impact was presented and explained. This style is (instruction delivery; formative assessment; different because within the impact phase of teaching-learning process), and post impact instruction, the learner makes a series of choices (performance feedback; summative assessment). · ba d the le · · m t II a se on arn1ng environ en as we s This style relies on the teacher's know-how and the individual differences of the learner. The is the most familia r as the teacher is responsible student performs learning experiences, tasks for all decisions made during each of the three and dri lls designed as well as prescribed by the phases of the lesson. The teacher, who is in tota l teacher. The student-parti cipant determines

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the readi ness to start, training interva ls, pace and use of resources to support instruction. The account;ibil ity for th~ preimpact as well as the postimpact belong to the teacher, wh ile the decisions during the phase of the lesson are the responsibili ty of the stuclel'l t-learner. As a resu lt of dynamics of the Practice Style (B), as with the Command Style (A) of teaching, the process wh ile direct, efficient and orderly, offers little creativity in the performance.

The Reciproca l Style (C) was presented in the Spring 2009 OAHPERD Journal. The teacher is

... . ..• .••••.. .•... ..•... ...... ... .. ... ....... ... .. ......... ............... ........ .. ......•. .. .. .. ...... . ..... .. .... ............... .. . OAHPERD Journal• Spring 2010 • Vol XLVI • No.2

responsible for decisions in the preimpact and all the decisions associated with the selection of performance objectives, lesson content, group organizational structu re, and assessment :riterion or task) sheets. The student-learner

makes the decisions in the impact phase and is responsible for getting organized into groups. Then each individual group is in charge of the pace of achieving the objecti~es of the lesson. During activity, the teacher serves the learner as a resource to provide feedoack and interpret the task assessment sheets. In the postimpact, the performance is observed by a member of the group who communicates with the student performing the skill. The focus is on adhering to the criteria on the task sheet and being constructive with comments to build confidence as well as strengthening performance. The teacher communicates only with the observer who is providing feedback, not the performer, on the technical aspects of the performance. The focus, for the teacher, is to build trust within the group as well as develop their powers of observation, communication and the social skills necessary to support a variety of developmental skills. The students are taking a more active role in the teaching-learning process in an effort to

facilitate a deeper understanding of how skills are performed.

The Self-Check Style (D) (Fall 2009) continues to engage the student-learner with a more involved role in the decisions made within each of the teaching-learning process. The focus of this teaching style, once the teacher determines the learning objectives, the.student-learners themselves must completely understand the technical aspects of the performance so that there is a baseline for self-evaluation. In this style, the teacher is still responsible for the preimpact decisions, the student is responsible for the impact decisions and the postimpact is shared with the student. While the student provides feedback on the performance, the teacher reviews and responds to the information on the task sheet. There is minimum communication between performers or with the teacher but technology can used to provide as well as enhance feedback.

The Inclusion Style (E) (Winter 2009) embraces the idea of individual differences and differing abilities to achieve success. The preimpact phase is similar to the previous styles but in this style, during the impact phase the student-learner

PEER REVIEW

makes all the decisions that impact the how, level of performance, learning activities, pace and it is all based on the learner's perception of his/her own ability. In the postimpact phase, both student-learner and the teacher assess performance. The teacher does not judge the level of performance, only the achievement based on the student-learner's selection of a performance standard as presented on the task sheet prepared by the teacher during the preimpact phase. An example would be

• • •

an instructional lesson that uses the Sportime lnternational's Jump Flags to teach jumping technique. The line is hung on a slant, creating the first challenge along with the six flags at each station providing a measuring device with which to assess success. The student-learner makes a decision of which flags to attempt to reach based on a perception of jumping ability and the height that can be reached. The decision of which number should be attempted to touch using correct jumping technique is the responsibility of the student. Assessing the performance in the postimpact phase is the responsibility of both the teacher and student-learner using the criteria on the task sheet.

I . The A~IOM: TUCHING BEHA\ IOR 15 A CH~L" Of 0£0510" MAKING

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Diagram I The Structure of the Spectrum Diagrnm 2

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The Anatomy of Any Style of Teaching on the Spectrum

The Guided Discovery Style (F) of teaching is by presenting a series of questions, problems and time coming from a pre-determined curriculum. Once the outcome has been identified, the teacher also develops the activities to lead the student-learner to the correct performance response. The planning involved in this style takes a great deal of preparation time as many ability-based challenges must be produced

a highly developed trail-and-error process that challenges that channel the student-learner to a is organized by the teacher to lead, by questions desired performance solution. Each instructional or challenging tasks, the student-learner to episode is based on the prior response and Jiscover a predetermined correct answer readiness to move to the next challenge.

(performance r~sponse, c~ncept application, In the preimpact phase of the lesson, the strategy resolution or the impact of a rule on teacher determines the idea, principles, skills play). The teacher serves as an instructional guide and strategies to be included in the lesson, most to create learning opportunities as responses

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• • ~ 6 ~ , PEER REVIEW

to each less-than-correct performance so that the new challenge will lead to the desired performance outcome. The learning objectives are determined by the teacher as well as the ability-based sequence of events but the pace through each of the challenging tasks is the responsibility of the student. At the beginning of the planning process, during the preimpact phase, the performance expectations and other instructional elements are identified. When they are presented at the beginning of the teaching­learning process, it is important to link them to the assessments that will be used to measure how successfully the learner has achieved the stated outcomes.

The teacher and the student-learner share control of the decisions in the impact and the post impact phases of the lesson. As the student-learner explores the challenging activities, based on the correctness of the response to the questions and challenges, the learner blazes the path to the outcome. As a performance is assessed by the learner, teacher or a peer-observer, progress toward a correct response is a shared responsibility. As the studen1:-learner responds, receives feedback based on performance assessment, then both the teacher and student-learner determine the next challenge which moves the learning to the next step and helps to define the route that

will achieve the best results. More challenges are presented, the responses assessed and the feedback is used to create the route to a successful performance. This phase of the teaching-learning process takes a great deal of instructional time due to the repeated attempts (trial and error) and performance analysis. A very skilled learner could take as few as one challenge/response to reach the pre-determined outcome, where an unskilled learner could take countless attempts that repeat performances or even very small steps on the path toward the outcome for a variety of reasons which require assessment and refocus on the outcome.

Decisions-Making Within The Guided Discovery Style ofTeaching

Soccer Unit - Class # 6 TASK: Kicking a Moving Soccer Ball into the Goal from a distance of 25 feet in front of the goal

Performance Objective # 1: Performance Objective# 2:

Lesson Organization:

Warm-up Activity:

TASK # 1 is presented: A rolling ball is to be kicked into the goal 3 out of 5 times, using an instep kick with the dominant leg, from a distance of 25 feet being rolled by a partner from 10 feet awtay on the ground.

Questions or alternate tasks are presented elicit alternate responses to guide the student into the predetermined response.

Participant Performance Skill Analysis using "Key Reference Points" on the task sheet and Technique Assessment by self and observers

Summary Analysis

Successful Response Technically Correct

Repeat the task to achieve the Performance Standard

Modify task elements to increase challenge

Predetermined Task Achieved

The teaching-learning process involved in performances must be tried, tried and tried again the Guided Discovery Style (F) is a sometimes until the response yields enough feedback or the slow and a very time consuming progression attempt is successful so a new challenge can be as the less skilled student-learners work toward explored. The teaching-learning environment the desired performance. The teacher must for this teaching style must be a nurturing and prepare a series of ability-based paths and supportive one, where the teacher, student-pre-teach the students on how to observe the learner and peer-observers are accepting of performance, self-assess, modify performance this discovery process and willing to accept an based on feedback and re-engage the trial-and- unsuccessful performance feedback and repeat error process to discover the best path. One the task until the desired outcome is achieved.

full set of practice-performance-feedback trials The practice phase of the lesson is a step-by-must be completed with an assessment as well step discovery that must be organized so that the as feedback before the pathway to the next learner has the opportunity to try and retry the challenge can be selected or a repeat is necessary same challenge over and over until the correct ~ue to a f~ilure. Once the next step in the process response is achieved. Each of the participants, 1s determined, the tnal-and-error course towards learner, teacher and peer-observers, must be able the correct re~ponse can be continued u~til to provide frequent feedback that in some cases success 1s achieved based on accomplishing is nearly the same. Patience is a quality that is a the outcome stated in the preimpact phase. fundamental requirement when searching for Some questions may be repeated and some the correct response takes time. For example, if a

Unsuccessful Kick Technically Flawed or Weak Kick

Practice using Feedback to Strengthen Performance

A New Task// Skill is presented

soccer ball is being kicked, all of the techniques that impact the player's positioning and the variety of modifications that change the flight of the ball must be explored. It is also important for the learner and peer-observer to understand that in the guided discovery style, a correct response by happen-stance is not a correct response·· ·it must be repeated, again and again.

As stated previously, it is the challenge of the task, the statement of what a correct response is and the organization of the practice that takes the enormous amount of instructional time in the guided practice style of teaching. It is the teacher's responsibility td incrementally arrange modifications that are sele.cted by the learner based on the quality of the response. These trial-and-error "fixes" need to also be grouped by area and designed to address errors or different ways the learner can strengthen a performance. Within an area the "cues" that the teacher

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