It is a technique of teaching by means of the spoken word where information is given orally
generating and relating understanding in the learners (audience) Calhan and Clark (1990) define it as a method where the teacher tries verbally to give to the learner does not Groenewegen (1993)concurs by defining it as an oral presentation of a pre-learned set of data meaning, examples summaries and evaluation with or without visual support. There are two forms of lecturing .formal and informal. A formal lecture is purely verbal and communication is basically one way from the speaker to the audience. An informal lecture is modified form of the conventional lecture. Communication is two-way from the speaker to the listener and from the listener to the speaker. Informal lecture is normally interrupted by questions, comments, suggestion, viewing, observations, demonstration etc. learner are given room to participate in various ways as the progresses.
Although a good lecture can be stimulating and challenging maintain high interest level in
audience, when given by a competent teacher, it can also be boring, uninspiring and monotonous
and tend to make the audience passive. It is not the appropriate method to use when one intends
to change the values and altitudes of his/her audience because in a lecture one is expected to
accept the facts presented without questions. It is important to note that materials taught through
are quickly forgotten. McCleish (1968) reported that 40% of the main points were recalled
immediately after the lecture and only 20% a week later.
Given the importance of religious education, it would be important that the teacher avoids pure
lectures by making them more informal. This can be realized by the teacher doing the following
- Preparing questions to be asked at key strategic places/points
- Adjusting the lecture to the ability level and language level of the student
- Limiting the content to the experiences, interest and aspirations of the learners
- Accompanying the lecture with the resource available such as poster, pictures, charts, objectives, models and audio-visual aids on the topic of discussion. This will increase the retention level of the material learnt
One should also know what techniques should be utilized for the lecture to be effective both at
the preparation and presentation stages. Below are some of the techniques
In the preparation phrase one should:
- Indentify the main theme of the lecture
- Divide the lecture into three parts: introduction, main body and conclusion
- In the introduction find some interesting catching device to capture the audience
interest e.g poems a song a picture etc
- In the body, the talk should be partitioned I n a few briefly worded ideas in a
logical order.
- Prepare questions that will be asked in strategic places of the lecture.
- Prepare charts audio visual aids models and pictures of the issue at hand which
will accompany the lecture.
In the presentation stage one has to:
1. Introduce the topic by in identifying the objectives of the lecture /topic highlighting the
main points of the lecture, defining new terms.
2. Show enthusiasm for the topic your teaching this will arouse the learner interest in
lecture.
3. Punctuate the lecture with pauses
4. Ask thought provoking questions in strategic places to involve the audience
5. Check on the understanding by asking the audience a few questions
6. Encourage them to ask questions
7. Reinforce the points of the lecture and provide the transfer by relating key points to the
audience as experience or interest and drawing examples from the class group
8. Make use of illustrations and examples to illustrate points
9. Supplement or add life to lecture by making use of audio-visual aids and other aids like
maps, charts, pictures films strips, slides regalia and object.
10. Repeat important points for emphasis or give the learners chances to catch up by
summarizing information for them
11. Avoid irrelevancy by keeping to the points
12. Try to be humorous to make the lesson interesting
13. Make use of chalkboard/chart/overhead projectors transparency for summary of the main
points of the lessons and illustrations
14. Use a familiar language and to the level of the audience
15. In conclusion be forceful by either summing up or reviewing by asking related questions
or giving assignments
16. Follow the lecture with related activities to bind the learning by:
- Ensuring the learners make notes using your outline
- Checking their notes and knowledge acquired
- Carrying a discussion with them on points they did not follow
- Giving a project related to the content in the lecture
- Asking oral questions on the content covered
- Asking them written questions to test their understanding
- Allowing a student to summarizing the main points of the lecture in new lessons
Some of the topics in Religious Education syllabus which will call for the use of
informal lectures;
1) Christian approach to human sexuality to human sexuality marriage and family
2) Christian approach to work
3) Christian approach to leisure
4) Christian approaches to wealth money and poverty
5) Christian approach to law order and justice
6) Christian approaches to selected issues to modern science and technology and
environment
Titany answered the question on November 1, 2021 at 11:55