The Positive Effects of Implementing a Variety of Teaching Approaches in the Classroom

Abstract

Implementing critically important learning pedagogies in the classroom improves students’ academic performance. For decades, teachers and educational faculty have tried many different strategies to make schools as inclusive as possible. However, some students struggle academically and end up falling behind the rest of their peers. Students have different academic strengths and learning preferences, but the traditional classroom setup does not always address each strength or learning preference. Concepts such as differentiated instruction, Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and growth mindset argue for the positive effects those pedagogical processes have on academic achievement in the elementary school classroom. Specific examples of ways to implement differentiated instruction, multiple intelligences, and growth mindset in the classroom are presented to show their efficacy. Differentiated learning, multiple intelligences, and a growth mindset are incorporated into a five-day unit. The unit consists of five lesson plans that meet the fifth-grade academic science standards of heredity. Each lesson plan involves each learning style by including a variety of activities and resources, from books to videos to hands-on activities, and each of these activities involves at least one of Howard Gardner’s eight known intelligences: verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. It also follows Rodger Bybee’s 5E learning model, which consists of the following steps: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. While growth mindset practices are not prominent in the lesson plans, it is subtly mentioned in the Evaluate subsection under the Closure section of each lesson plan. After each assessment that follows the lesson closure, the students are encouraged to correct their answers to learn from their mistakes and grow. By implementing each of these student-centered learning strategies into lesson plans, teachers can ensure that each student, no matter what their background, succeeds academically and develops a positive attitude towards learning.