Getting 100% attention from the students while teaching is a true hustle. Right?
If you are a teacher, then you can relate to it.
You try various ways to engage the students to maximize class participation. But, you always find a gap between you and students.
Have you ever thought about the reason behind this gap?
One of the most probable reasons could be a generation gap between both ends.
Students learn more easily and effectively from their peers as compared to the teachers.
How can you use this point to your benefit?
Peer teaching has great advantages to offer and, to get acquainted with them thoroughly, keep on reading further!!
What is peer teaching?
To know the implementation phase of peer teaching in your classroom, it is very essential to have in-depth knowledge about peer teaching.
Peer teaching is one of the most innovative and amazing learning techniques in which one student teaches another about some concept for better understanding.
For the successful implementation of this technique, make sure that one student who is teaching the other should have sound knowledge about the topic and the other one should be a novice.
In this situation, peer teaching will work effectively.
It will immensely help the students to learn in a better fashion and they will encounter more doubts in this way.
Further, it will generate curiosity among them to clear those doubts from you if they are stuck anywhere.
How it can be used in the classroom?
Now, the question arises, how you can implement this technique in your classroom so that students remain engaged in the learning process.
Let’s have a look at some of the effective ways that you can use to encourage peer learning in the classroom.
1. Roleplay
Roleplay extensively helps in increasing peer teaching in the classroom.
For example, you taught one chapter of History in the classroom. There will be some students who got that in first go while others are not much aware of it.
Make pairs of both these types of students and encourage them to enact the scenes or some important events to help their partner understand the chapter well.
This will not only help them in better learning but will also build the qualities of teamwork and compassion among them.
2. Teach them how to give feedback
Feedback is one of the most important aspects of peer teaching. When they are teaching each other, you have to help them understand the importance of feedback.
If one partner is understanding the concept told by the other partner, then they should give positive feedback. Else, they should tell the other one where they are facing a problem.
For example, if one student is teaching a problem of a quadratic equation to other students, then you should tell them to appreciate their partner with positive feedback.
In case, one is not understanding the explanation, then you should teach them how to give the corrective feedback and tell the other student what the probable mistakes are.
3. Arrange to fill knowledge gaps
In peer teaching, both the ends are students, so you can’t expect them to be the subject-matter experts.
For this situation, you have to act like the tutor's tutor i.e. if the tutor is facing any problem in explaining the concept to the tutee then help them in those areas.
You can achieve so by proper monitoring that how students are performing.
In addition to that, you can even help them to get better clarity about the concept by asking those questions that will prompt them to think the answer and get conceptual clarity.
4. Allow students to use reciprocal tutoring
When all the time, one student becomes a tutor and the other becomes a tutee, things start getting monotonous.
You should give proper flexibility to the students to switch between their roles. This will not only help them understand the topic better. But, it will also help them think in the way a tutor or a tutee is responding.
It will offer a great room for improvement for the students and, they will start finding this entire process more interesting.
In addition to that, when they will give feedback to each other by reciprocating their roles then it will eventually help them deep dive into the minute details.
5. Offer written prompts
Students usually don’t have the habit of teaching each other and when it comes to peer teaching, then there might be a scenario that when a tutor is about to teach a tutee he/she might feel blank.
In this situation, written prompts will be very helpful for the students who are tutoring the other one.
For example, you can give them some generic written prompts like seeking feedback from the tutee, asking questions about the thoughts of the tutee, asking questions about the topic from the tutee about their understanding, etc.
All these types of things will help the students feel more confident towards peer teaching.
Advantages of peer teaching
You know how you can implement peer teaching in the classroom. But, you must be wondering why should I use it? Are there any extra-ordinary advantages that peer teaching will offer?
To help you in this aspect, you should check out the below set of advantages of peer teaching.
1. Higher literacy
When students learn and discuss with their peers then they not only retain the content for a longer duration but, they also get a better understanding of concepts.
2. Enhances critical thinking skills
Peer teaching offers the opportunity for the students to work in groups. This helps them to become active learners and it will eventually increase their critical thinking and reasoning skills.
3. Increased confidence levels
With peer teaching, students will develop a grip over their communication skills. When they try to help each other learn, it will give them a clear idea about their learning. This will ultimately boost their confidence levels.
Disadvantages of peer teaching
No doubt, there are various advantages of peer teaching. Just like a coin has two faces, advantages are also accompanied by some set of disadvantages.
1. No expertise for the subject
Students are not experts in the subject matter. No doubt, you will give them the tips but still, there will be some cases in which they don't have enough knowledge to help their peers.
2. Hesitation
When students become a part of peer teaching for the very first time, they are a bit reluctant to teach each other. This is just because they think that they might be inferior to others.
Conclusion
Peer teaching is one of the most amazing ways to bring the lost zeal for learning among students.
When they become part of peer teaching, they start feeling more sense of responsibility. This will not only help them but will also help the other students around them.
So, why not give it a try in your classroom?
After implementing and seeing the results, do write us in the comment section about your experience.
ALL THE BEST!
