Eclectic Pedagogy
Eclectic pedagogy is an educational philosophy that encompasses several teaching approaches and methodologies to meet the different needs of students for learning. It is a form of flexibility that allows educators to mix various theories and practices as they wish and thus to create a more interesting and more effective learning situation.
The eclectic teaching pedagogy is based on the use of various instructional techniques, assessment strategies, and teaching philosophical beliefs. This model offers the opportunity for the teacher to adjust the learning process to the differences of students by using methods from behaviorism, constructivism, and experiential learning, among others. For instance, a teacher may use the method of direct teaching to build some basic skills in the students before he/she can use project-based learning to help them develop deeper understanding.
Eclectic pedagogy is the way of teaching which addresses students' individual learning styles, interests, and abilities, thus improving their engagement and motivation. Through the application of different methods, like group work and learning by doing, the students could use available resources in ways that are more agreeable to their personal style. The specially designed course in this manner can boost the ability to learn and remember things, which is supported by the fact that students demonstrate better results when taught through different instructional strategies.
The educators might face some challenges while dealing with the eclectic pedagogy. The primary difficulty can be related to the effective integration of many teaching methods and the lesson delivery inconsistency that arises. Furthermore, they have to be aware of various pedagogical approaches to make the right decisions about which strategies to use. On the other hand, time restraints and curriculum regulations may not allow the necessary flexibility related to this approach and the two factors make it a bit different to require strict planning and help.
A history teacher utilizing a combination of lectures, multimedia presentations, group discussions, and simulation games to 9/11 terrorist attacks is a practical example of eclectic pedagogy. For example, the teacher could first give a traditional lecture to the class to present the background of the American Revolution, after that, he or she could show a documentary and then organize a debate on the Amerindian perspective of the different historical figures, thus allowing the students to see the topic from multiple points.