Comparative Effect of Demonstration and Guided Discovery Instructional Method Essay

Teachers are increasingly facing serious instructional challenges as the diversity of students within each class room continues to widen. Patterson(2002) noted that within each classroom student of a wide academic range with different labels such as gifted, fast learners, average learners, slow learners and the low learners all face their teacher daily with full hope that their need will be met. The conventional teaching method seems not to have adequately equipped instructions with contemporary view of students. Intelligence and their vast learning capacities (Campbell and Campbell,1999). These major challenges occur mostly in Technical Education. Uwaifo (2005) defined Technical Education as the acquisition of skills and techniques in choosing occupation or profession to enable an individual earn a living. Technical Education offers various courses or programmes which includes Woodwork, Plumbing, Building, Metalwork, Carpentry and Joinery, Auto mechanics, Metal fabrication, Drafting, and Electrical installation work. All this courses are offered in Technical Colleges but these study is going to be based on Electrical installation. Technical Colleges are regarded as the principal vocational institution in Nigeria. They impact full vocational training, with the intent to prepare students for entry into the various occupations (Okoro,1993). The products of these institutions are employed as operatives, artisans, and craftsmen in industries. Grant(1979), however maintained that Technical College Education is based on the fundamental of the industrial production, he averred that the main objectives of Technical College Education is to make students familiar with most important branches of production in an industry, commerce, imparting of skills and practical competencies in handling of tools, materials and generally equipping the students with both theoretical knowledge and work habits. Technical colleges provide students with vocational competencies needed in various disciplines of producing skilled personnel needed for provision of the maximum economic security (Atsumbe,2002). One of the areas where technical colleges equip young people is in the field of Electrical Installation. Electrical installation is the aggregate of all the process involved in wiring a house, maintaining and repair of electrical equipments, machines and appliances. The graduates of technical colleges should display sound practical skills in electrical installation. An electrical installation craftsman is required to know the procedures of installation as well as causes and control measures to minimize dangers inherent in electricity use, in addition, standardized regulations, safety rules, requirements and code of practice for a safe and efficient electrical system installation provided by the appropriate regulatory bodies. Therefore for electrical installation programme to adequately meet the societal expectations at this computer age, teaching needs to be improved; this improvement includes selection of appropriate and more effective teaching methodology. Teaching and learning is a process that includes many variables. The variables interact as learners work towards their goals and incorporate new knowledge, behaviours and skills that add to their range of learning experiences. A teaching method comprises the principles and methods used for instruction. Commonly used methods in technical education include Lecture method, Demonstration method, Project method, Guided discovery method e. t. c But this study will be narrowed to only Demonstration and Guided Discovery method. Demonstration method is commonly used to teach operations in technical education this method helps the teacher to explain the steps involved in a lesson or an operation while teaching them(Oranu,1994). Demonstration involves showing by reason or proof, explaining or making clear by use of examples or experiments to conceptualize students knowledge. Guided discovery is largely unstructured situational method of teaching whereby students are permitted to find solutions to problem on their own or at their own pace, often jointly in group activities under the guidance of the instructor. The student receives problems to solve, but the teacher provides hints and directions about how to solve the problem to keep the student on track (Mayer,2003). This study is carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of each teaching methodology on students practical skills in electrical installation in Technical Colleges.