According to the Teach On Mars website, 20% of learners do not complete their training course because it is too long . A very revealing statistic on the importance of creating a training course in line with learners’ expectations, their professional career and adapted to their profile. If you want to launch training actions within your company, discover new teaching methods or the implementation of a new pedagogical approach in business, ****this article is for you.
Teaching method: what is it exactly?
Let’s go back to the etymological sources of the words methods and pedagogy.
Pedagogy comes from the Greek word pedagogy, meaning the education or upbringing of children. Pedagogy encompasses three main principles among the Greeks: transmitting knowledge (knowledge), knowing how to be (attitudes), and knowing how to do (skills).
A modern teaching method is therefore the best way to transmit these three pillars to a circle of learners , in the simplest way possible . The objective is to help employees develop their ability to learn how to learn . However, there are several types of teaching methods to know in order to choose the right teaching method.
Teaching method & professional training: how does it work?
We can deduce from this that the trainer must be accompanied by a training program, rigorous processes, and digital tools to achieve this. However, we should not jump to the conclusion that there is a magic method! On the contrary, the teacher:
Defines educational objectives ,
Draw up a training program , divided into different training modules or sprints,
Surrounds itself with educational tools to maintain its program while gaining flexibility according to the learning speed of the learners,
Monitors trainees , with a view to verifying that their training program and teaching practices are correct.
While it may seem simple on paper, applying a teaching method in the workplace is more complex . Between working hours and individual prerogatives, the interest in continuing education and the search (or not) for skills development… We must not forget to take into account the learning profile , in order to have a real pedagogical reflection and results at stake.
To put it simply, after defining the learning objectives, ask yourself the following questions:
Who are you targeting? What type of audience (age, profession, skills, etc.)?
Is your audience interested in the training you offer? Are they looking for educational content? If not, how can you make it interesting? If so, how can you make it even more relevant? Do you expect each trainee to be an active participant in their own learning, or do you rely on discussion, questioning, etc.?
Are you sure that all learners will be able to keep up with the pace of your program? Have you thought about a teaching scenario to include the group?
Are the teaching tools used accessible and understandable ? Is it necessary to have certain pedagogical knowledge to use them?
By answering these initial questions, you will already have a clearer idea of how to improve the educational qualities of your program and develop a training program that everyone appreciates. These questions are among the keys to successfully completing your project as a training manager .
What are the different teaching methods in business?
Now that you have answered all these questions, it is high time to choose the teaching method best suited to your educational project . It is possible to adopt different teaching approaches to achieve the objectives of your professional training.
Affirmative method
The affirmative method is the most classic in the world of corporate training. The pedagogical approach is to show, explain, and demonstrate one’s point to enrich the knowledge of a group of learners. We refer to this as the affirmative method because the trainer demonstrates their knowledge and is not in a dialogue with the group.
To avoid wasting time, the trainer prepared his presentation with educational materials such as PowerPoint illustrations, a case study, a real-time demonstration, or concrete examples. He took on the role of facilitator and had a single educational goal: to teach and share his knowledge with as many people as possible.
The pedagogical principle is to set a timer so as not to dwell on or “get lost” in one’s remarks, in order to get to the heart of the problem raised . This learning approach most often concludes with a short exchange , a time for reflection with the learners: questions, need for clarification, etc.
Interrogative method
The interrogation method requires some experience in adult education and coaching to be successful. This pedagogical process is quite simple: each training session is influenced by the learners’ responses.
The trainer is responsible for questioning the learners about their feedback , pushing them to their limits … So that everyone can co-construct the answers to the questions raised. Each session is therefore unique , even if the topic covered remains the same from one group of learners to another.
We are in the midst of active pedagogy , or open pedagogy , which places the learner at the heart of their learning. The active method is very popular in the business world because learners co-construct their training and develop on themes that interest them .