Traditional Practice Vs Technical Approach

Certain traditional practices have been carried out down the ages, to identify and improve the educational practices.  Traditional practice is the total sum of knowledge, creativity, skills, and some practices being practice based on theories, beliefs, and most importantly experiences that are indigenous to different teachings, cultures, and traditions.   Education is vital to the pace of the individual, social, and growth of the country and teaching methodologies has changed drastically over the years.  The traditional approach in education has successfully been delivered through recitation and memorization of concepts and theories and effective teaching plays a crucial role in helping the children grow from one level to another in a more socialistic way to approach life.  In education, effectiveness does not mean being right, perfect, or giving good service to society or family, but bringing the best in students.

Traditional Education System

The traditional or conventional methods are the most common practice in schools and colleges.  The old-fashioned way of teaching-learning is all about class period like students would sit silently in class and this practice takes one student after another as it turns to recite the lesson.  Generally, the teacher observes each student recitation how they are learning and memorizing the lessons. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will go for the written or oral test to examine the student which is known as an assignment or study recitation test.  This is common practice that we have in education, which allows us to know the way traditional methods were taught and it ensures that students were rewarded for their continuous efforts.  Such practices were based on well-established customs that had been used successfully over many years in schools and colleges.  The teachers communicated the knowledge and tried to enforce the standards of behaviors among the students.

In education, teaching techniques are best formulated by answering the questions i.e. what is the purpose of education and what are the best ways to achieve these purposes. In this context, a traditional education practice is much prehistoric, where teaching methods are largely informal and consist of student’s imitation or modeling the learning behavior that of elders, learning through observation and play.  Traditional teaching practice is when a teacher directs students to learn through memorization and recitation techniques which restrict the development of critical thinking, approach to problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Whereas modern teaching techniques involve more interesting interactions, a student-based form of teaching, and group participation to develop skills.

Technical or modern approach in education

Technical or modern approach in education means, teaching and learning is delivered from a completely different angle.  Progressive teaching practices in education delivery and focus on the needs of individual students rather than considering all students are the equal or same level of understanding.  In simple words, the modern way of teaching is more realistic, activity-based which uses questioning, explaining, demonstrations, and collaborative techniques.

 In modern teaching, the teacher can teach by using different pedagogy. For a teacher it is an art, generally addressing strategies of instructions or style of instructions.  Several resources will help teachers to teach in a better way, a lesson plan, or practical skill involving learning, thinking, and applying skills.  A teacher sets a curriculum that is often set by the government under precise standards and these standards are not constant they change frequently based on government status.  By referring to the Sonia Jackson blog written on modern teaching methods for getting smart, the traditional chalk and talk method of teaching that continued for hundreds of years is now getting inferior results when compared to the modern teaching techniques.  This means more advanced modern techniques are now available for students which bring revolutionary teaching methods in schools and colleges today. 

Modern education techniques focus on student interaction, encouragement, the boundaries of authority are being broken down, and focus on enjoyment with satisfactory grades.

The modern education techniques allow spaced learning opportunities for the students and when students being encouraged to quickly switch to many activities they learn a lot more things rather than a traditional practice.

The spaced learning is to achieve better grades by providing opportunities for students to present through PowerPoint presentations or other activities in a classroom. It works more effectively than traditional practice in teaching for few hours.  This allows brain cells to create connections that students need to remember, memorize, enhance their knowledge and helps students to get relax. Next-generation teaching techniques require a complete rethinking of how students and teachers interact in the classroom. This allows students to develop their higher order of thinking, creating, evaluating, and analyzing skills.

Future with traditional and advanced techniques
As traditional practice use repetition and memorization of information to educate the children which restricts critical thinking, problem-solving ability, and decision-making skills.  Meanwhile, the modern teaching approach encourages students to collaborate and interactive ways of learning and therefore be more productive. But one cannot give a statement that modern teaching techniques not effective, both modern and traditional practices are effective and useful in today’s life as it’s all about if balance.

One needs to differentiate between critical thinking when a traditional and modern works best and when it’s right to try new and innovative approaches.  A teacher is no longer knowledgeable or experienced on the stage, instead, he can be a skillful coach, who tries to strengthen the connections between the students and skills.  He can curate an adoptive and supportive environment in which students' skills are nurtured effectively and support for those skills are dynamic and challenging.