Why teachers should know the characteristics of an adolescent learners?

Back to: UGC NET Paper 1: Teaching Aptitude Notes (Unit 1)

Why should teachers know the characteristics of adolescent learners?

According to Morrison,

“Teaching is intimate contact between a more mature personality and a less mature one which is designed to further the education of the latter”.

Robertson (1987) states,

“Teaching is a generic term which denotes actions undertaken with the intention of bringing about learning in another.”

According to John Brubacher (1939),

“Teaching is the arrangement and manipulation of a situation in which there are gaps or obstructions which an individual will seek to overcome and from which he will learn in the course of doing so”.

It is important for teachers to know the characteristics of adolescent learners for the following reasons: 

1. Effective Communication:

Establishing good and effective communication with students is highly important for teachers to make the teaching learning process successful. Since adolescence is a period of changes, teachers must ensure to teach in alignment with the same. 

2. Curiosity:

Adolescents are a curious bunch because they are curious about various things and have a wide range of interests. Therefore, teachers must take these interests into account and turn them into potential. 

3. Achievement of Goals:

Adolescent Is a period when individuals start creating and recognising their goals. As such, teachers must help students in realising and achieving the same. 

4. Motivation for learning:

Students have different learning styles and levels of learning. Being aware of these differences will help the teacher adopt a better teaching method. 

5. Perceptions:

During adolescence, the perceptions of individuals constantly evolve and hence, teachers are responsible for developing a positive perception among the students. 

Principles of Teaching

Richard White proposed nine principles of teaching which include:

“the principle of vocabulary, principle of innovation, principle of matching, principle of minimum expenditure of energy, principle of variation, principle of balance, principle of maximum opportunity, and the principle of support.”

Edmund Amidon states,

“Teaching is an interactive process, primarily involving classroom talk which takes place between teacher and pupil and occurs during certain definable activities”.