In any modern educational system, the dominant issue is the types of methods used for instruction. The curriculum is usually designed to cater for the educational needs of all students. However, methods of presenting it to students are usually tabled in educational legislation.
Many experts argue that it is necessary for teachers to use different methods of teaching in order to ensure effective presentation of curricula. The major concerns of teachings methods include ways used by learners to obtain information, how to use theoretical knowledge to acquire experience in work situations, and how to use teachings aids effectively in order to achieve positive teaching outcomes.
Good teaching methods equip learners with problem-solving skills and empower them to think critically and creatively. In addition, they empower learners to apply theoretical knowledge in real life situations. The research study was conducted in Jordan, a country in which the learning system is centralised.
The research study aimed to find out the effectiveness of book-centered teaching methods that involve lecturing as the major method of instruction. In addition, the study aimed to develop a relationship between the effectiveness of a centralised educational system and the teaching methods used by teachers in presenting the curriculum to learners.
Book-centered teaching methods discourage the participation of learners in the learning process and as such result in poor academic outcomes. In Islamic educational systems, instructors are free to choose the learning methods they deem appropriate.
However, that freedom is not practiced in the real world of teaching. The study involved 46 schools located in different educational jurisdictions around the country. The researchers collected both qualitative and quantitative data. Data was collected through questionnaires that were issued to 1242 students, 98 teachers, and 8 supervisors.
In addition, 46 school heads and 8 principles of resource centers participated. The study also investigated some of the reasons why teachers failed to use different types of teaching methods for better learning outcomes. Questionnaires and interviews were the main methods of data collection.
The findings of the study revealed that the dominant teaching method used by teachers was lecturing. This was due to unavailability of materials to support other teaching methods, lack of adequate training among teachers, large class sizes, excessive workload, and great pressure of completing the curriculum.
Many schools had inadequate materials that could support other teaching methods. In addition, teachers lacked the pedagogical skills needed for effective application of those methods. Overcrowding in classes was a hindrance to the use of certain teaching methods that involve interactions among students.
Teachers disclosed that they had excessive workload because many of them had several lessons to teach daily. Moreover, the time allocated for a single lesson was inadequate to complete the learning material assigned for that day. Finally, the teachers revealed that they were under great pressure of getting through the textbooks and so chose to use methods that facilitated speedy completion of learning material.
According to the study’s results, the major reasons that caused overreliance on traditional teaching methods were inadequate training and directives from the Ministry of Education that ordered teachers to use textbooks and avoid other learning materials.
Allowing teachers to use other learning materials, improving teacher training programs, reducing the amount of learning content in the curriculum, and increasing the duration of individual lessons could be effective in alleviating the problem.