6 teaching methods to learn by heart to graduate as a trainer
Are you a trainer or training center manager? You're probably looking for THE ultimate teaching method. Sorry to disappoint you at the outset, but it doesn't exist...
The secret to success is to adapt the learning strategy to the subject and the learner's profile. But to achieve this, you need to master several teaching methods. We present the 6 most effective methods in detail. It's up to you to choose your favorite!
What is a teaching method?
We know you're wondering, so before we get to the heart of the matter, let's go back to the basics. What is a teaching method?
It's a set of principles and techniques used by teachers to facilitate student learning. A good method is based on :
- a precise objective,
- and effective teaching tools.
An overview of the 6 most common teaching methods
There are many different teaching methods for imparting skills and knowledge. There are 6 main ones: demonstrative, experiential, active, affirmative, interrogative and heuristic. We present each approach in detail.
Method 1: the demonstrative method
The demonstrative method is one of the most common. It is based on a progressive structure in which the trainer is the expert.
- He is the main driving force behind the interaction.
- He presents each stage of a project, explaining why and how.
- He offers an example for his students to reproduce.
✅ This method is particularly well-suited to online training.
☝️ The difficulty inherent in this type of pedagogy is the lack of feedback from the audience. The demonstrative method must therefore be accompanied by discussion sessions to ensure learners' understanding.
Method 2: the experiential method
" We always learn from our mistakes".
This maxim is at the heart of the experiential method. This approach is based on learning in real-life conditions, or in an environment that comes close to them.
Among its pedagogical tools, practical exercises and role-playing play an important role. It therefore requires a great deal of preparation on the part of the trainer prior to the course sessions.
✅ This is a particularly interesting method for teaching skills that require little theoretical knowledge and involve the implementation of concrete elements (sales techniques, etc.).
Method 3: the active method
The active method is based on action (ah, you guessed it?). It considers that knowledge is not learned, but built. 🏗️
The trainer is no longer an expert, but a guide or mediator. His or her role is limited to creating teaching scenarios and ensuring that they run smoothly. This method can only work if the learner is engaged and in one of the following 3 processes:
- Intrinsic motivation,
- A collaborative learning effort,
- An action-experience approach.
Method 4: the expositive or affirmative method
The expositive method is the traditional teaching method par excellence. It's what you find in university lectures. As with the demonstrative method, the teacher is the expert. But in this case, there are no examples on his part; he is simply a vector of knowledge who transmits through words and in the form of a lecture.
As for the learners, they are 100% passive in the interaction. They simply take notes and learn by heart. To ensure that they are making progress, the teacher must carry out a written or oral assessment at the end of the session.
Method 5: the interrogative method
The interrogative teaching method has the advantage of keeping learners interested and involved throughout a training session. The basic principle is simple. The trainer questions his students in order to advance their understanding of the subject.
✅ It's a method that works on feedback, adapting to the group's responses and therefore 100% personalized.
☝️ The main challenge with this approach is to get all the participants on board and keep up the energy right to the end. In addition, it requires the trainer to take a back seat, which is not appropriate for all profiles and can prove complex when the audience is not very receptive.
Method 6: The heuristic or discovery method
The heuristic method combines an active, experiential and discovery-based approach. It requires the involvement of the learner, who is invited to explore, question and discover knowledge on his or her own. Although guided by their teacher, students become the architects of their own education.
✅ It's an approach that reinforces autonomy, stimulates curiosity and critical thinking.
☝️ However, it tends to require a longer learning time and is difficult to implement for fields with strong expertise (mathematics, science, etc.).
To summarize: classification of teaching methods in a table
| Method | Main advantage | Learning context |
| Demonstrative method | Structured, progressive framework | Online training, demonstration of technical processes |
| Experiential method | Learning reinforced by practical application | Practical skills training (sales techniques, manual trades) |
| Active method | Promotes commitment and knowledge-building | Collaborative learning, role-playing |
| Assertive method | Quick and efficient transmission of large volumes of information | Lectures, conferences, acquisition of theoretical knowledge |
| Interrogative method | Interaction and adaptation to learner responses | Training with strong involvement and dynamic exchange |
| Heuristic method | Develops autonomy and critical thinking | Research, innovation, discovery-based learning |
What's the best teaching method?
In reality, there is no such thing as a good or bad teaching method. It's the course content, the teacher's profile and the target audience that will decide which teaching technique to favor. 🔎
Each context requires careful thought to ensure that the information is conveyed in the most effective way.
Note: this upstream work is almost as important as that carried out during the course to maximize student comprehension!
Our tips for choosing the right training method for your learners
Knowing and mastering the main learning methods and their advantages is all well and good. But how do you select the one that best suits your learning objectives? That's easy. The most important thing is to ensure that both parties (teacher and audience) are satisfied.
- This means that the trainer must opt for a method that he or she masters, appreciates and trusts, but which is still adapted to the audience. For example, giving the best presentation possible may not be the best solution for a young audience. In spite of the quality of the ideas, the lack of interaction may be detrimental to the attention of all participants.
- Another factor to consider is the subject of the course or training session. Concrete projects are much better suited to experiential methods and exercises. Theoretical knowledge, on the other hand, is good ground for an assertive approach.
- Finally, don't forget to experiment. If the method you start with doesn't seem to bring the desired results, there's nothing to stop you changing it along the way.
🗺️ The most important thing is to find the best route to your destination, and it's better to take the wrong turn once or twice than to start off in the wrong direction from the outset and stay there.
What other training tools are available?
For a teaching method to be truly effective, it must be supported by a variety of relevant training aids and evaluation tools.
Training aids
Written documents remain a solid basis for learning, whether in paper or digital format.
Explanatory texts such as articles, teaching sheets or manuals are essential, especially for demonstrative methods. In the same category, diagrams, graphs, infographics and slide shows provide additional information.
But with the advent of e-learning, other tools have emerged such as e-learning platforms or software, or simulators. The latter are widely used in cutting-edge fields such as aerospace and the military. Flight simulators for pilots of all kinds spring to mind. But rest assured, they can be adapted to any profession, and in-company training sessions to enhance the skills of your sales team, for example, are a real possibility!
Finally, the latest technological advances have made it possible to integrate AI for training into pedagogical processes. The aim? Personalize teaching to make it increasingly effective.
Assessment tools
As far as assessment tools are concerned, analysis grids and questionnaires offer excellent results. In a heuristic approach, it is also possible to consider self-assessment to encourage learners to identify their strengths (and weaknesses) and areas for improvement on their own.
Of course, in the final analysis, the best form of assessment is the real-life situation. This is the ultimate indicator of whether or not a student is ready to make the transition from student to professional.
The 6 teaching methods you need to know: a summary
You're now familiar with the main pedagogical methods you need to use to perform as a trainer and create a quality training catalog.
To summarize, they can be divided into two categories: methodologies based on concrete exercises and others based on the transmission of theoretical concepts. However, most situations call for a hybrid solution combining presentation development, direct questioning, assignments and practical exercises.
Perhaps this is the recipe for a miracle teaching method: use the resources offered by each approach to create your own formula.
Article translated from French