Direct instruction is where teachers use explicit teaching techniques to teach a specific skill to their students. This type of instruction is teacher-directed, where a teacher typically stands at the front of a room and presents information. Teachers match their instruction to the task to enhance students’ understanding of a topic. This technique depends on strict lesson plans with little room for variation. It does not include active learning activities such as discussions, workshops or case studies.
Direct instruction has a number of critics, who believe that it has little room for personalization or adaptability. The six steps in direct instruction are:
– Introducing material, that is used to activate students’ prior knowledge
– Presenting new material, where students begin to learn with step-by-step guides
– Guiding students, where teachers can correct mistakes early on and reteach material if needed
– Providing feedback, where teachers give students an indicator of their performance
– Practicing independently, where students individually apply the skills that they’ve gained
– Evaluating, where students are tested on what they’ve learned.