This article contains information on Authoritative Teaching Style.
The choice of teaching methods are influenced by various factors, including teacher’s management style, school’s expectations, instructional goals, experience, etc. Bearing this in mind, there are different teaching or class management styles [1] that can be adopted by teachers. These include, Authoritarian, Authoritative, Indulgent and Permissive.
For the purpose of this article, we will be focused on the Authoritative teaching style.
What is Authoritative teaching Style?
According to Leadschool [3], Authoritative teaching style is a teaching or class management style that is characterized by a balance between teacher control and student involvement.
In this style, teachers set clear rules and expectations from students, but they are also warm and supportive. Students are encouraged to participate in the class and work with their peers, while constantly following set rules.
The opposite of authoritative teaching style is permissive teaching style. Permissive teachers have low expectations for their students and are not very involved in their students’ lives. They give their students a lot of freedom, and they rarely enforce rules or consequences. In other words, students are allowed to do as they please.
Permissive teaching style is not as effective as authoritative teaching style. Students who are taught in a permissive style are more likely to have behavioral issues and lower academic achievement since teachers pay little or no attention to them.
Characteristics of Authoritative Teaching Style
Here are some of the characteristics of authoritative teaching style [2] :
1. High Expectations
Authoritative teachers tend to set high expectations for their students’ academic and behavioral performance and demand their children to meet them. They have clarity on what they want and communicate it to the children and make sure that the child/children is working towards meeting the goal.
This expectation is not to mount pressure on the students but they challenge them to reach their full potential.
2. Responsiveness
Irrespective of the fact that an authoritative teaching style gives the teacher the leverage to control the students, the teaching style allows the teacher to be supportive of their students. They listen to their students’ ideas and concerns, and they are willing to negotiate and compromise.
3. Criticism and Consequences
In an authoritative teaching style, teachers use logical consequences when students break the rules or put up an unwholesome attitude. With this, teachers do not hesitate to criticize the child’s bad behaviors.
4. Positive Reinforcement
Authoritative teachers use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior and academic achievement. They praise their students for their accomplishments, and they give them rewards for their hard work.
5. Allows Freedom but Monitor
Although maximum freedom is a characteristic of permissive teaching style, authoritative style also supports giving students reasonable freedom. This is to enable them to build some level of independence and take some minor decisions on their own.
However, they are aware that if this freedom is not monitored, it can be detrimental to the child. Hence they let children be free but monitor their actions.
Advantages of Authoritative Teaching Style
1. Motivation To Perform
Children are motivated to work hard and attain better results as parents encourage them by being supportive. They recognize the effort the child puts in and measure his success by his sincerity to perform and not by the final result.
2. Fosters Sense Of Responsibility in Children
By giving students guidelines as well as the freedom to take ownership of their learning, the authoritative teaching approach fosters autonomy and a strong sense of responsibility.
3. Clear Expectations
An authoritative teacher sets clear and high expectations for student behavior and academic performance. This helps students understand what is expected of them and what they need to do to succeed.
4. Improved Discipline
With clear expectations and firm consequences for misbehavior, an authoritative teacher can help to maintain order in the classroom and reduce disruptive behavior.
5. Structured Learning
Unlike in child centered or other forms of teaching, an authoritative teacher basically follows a structured lesson plan and provides clear instructions to students, which can help to ensure that learning objectives are met and that all students are engaged in the learning process.
6. Increased Student Achievement
Most students who are exposed to this form of teaching always perform well in school. By setting high expectations and providing clear instruction, authoritative teachers can help students achieve higher levels of academic success.
7. Preparation for real-world situations
In many real-world situations, such as the workplace, individuals must follow rules and procedures established by higher authorities. An authoritative teaching approach can help students learn how to cope and survive these types of situations.
Disadvantages of Authoritative Teaching
While authoritative teaching has some advantages, there are also several disadvantages to this teaching approach, some include:
1. Limited Creativity
There are lots of students who perform better when not restricted by rules as long as they give the desired results. An authoritative teacher may focus more on conformity and following rules over creativity and innovation. This can limit students’ ability to think outside the box and develop their own ideas.
2. Decreased Motivation
Students may feel demotivated if they perceive the teacher as too strict or unapproachable. This can lead to disengagement and a lack of interest in learning. As funny as this may sound, one of the reasons I hated Mathematics back in school was because of this reason. My Mathematics teacher was a man of many rules and students never related well with him. I’m quite sure that I’m not alone in this.
3. Negative Impact on Self-esteem
Authoritative teaching can be intimidating for some students and may result in a negative impact on their self-esteem and confidence.
When a teacher forces students to only follow set principles and rules, it reduces the confidence in the children. They only get to do what the teacher wants and over time, this affects their self-esteem.
4. Reduced Critical Thinking
An authoritative teacher may discourage questioning or challenging authority, which can limit students’ ability to think critically, analytically and independently.
5. Difficulty with Adaptability
An authoritative teacher may struggle to adapt to different learning styles and needs, which can result in some students being left behind or not fully engaged in the learning process. This is not a quality of a professional teacher because a well trained teacher is expected to be innovative to accommodate the learning needs of every child.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” This is exactly what happens to children who are exposed to authoritative teaching styles.
This is what happens with children brought up by authoritative parents. They tend to learn and excel better than their counterparts because they are involved in the teaching process.
Qualities of Children who are Exposed to Authoritative Teaching
Children who are exposed to authoritative teaching tend to have several positive qualities and skills. Here are some of them:
Self-discipline
Children who are taught in an authoritative manner learn self-discipline and self-control from a young age. They understand what is expected of them and the consequences of their actions. This helps them to make better decisions in life.
Responsibility
Children who are taught authoritatively learn to take responsibility for their actions. They are encouraged to make their own choices, and they understand the consequences of those choices.
Respect for others
Authoritative teaching recognises the importance of treating others with respect. Children learn to listen to and understand the perspectives of others, even if they disagree with them.
Confidence
Children who are taught in an authoritative manner tend to be confident in their abilities. They are encouraged to take risks and try new things, which helps them to develop a high self-esteem.
Good Communication Skills
Authoritative teaching emphasizes the importance of clear and open communication. Children who are exposed to this teaching style tend to be good communicators, listeners and good at negotiating.
Emotional Intelligence
Authoritative teaching promotes emotional intelligence, which is the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and those of others. Children who are taught in this way learn to recognize and regulate their emotions, which helps them to navigate social situations more effectively without getting hurt or hurting others.
Conclusion
Authoritative teaching style is a great way to help students succeed in school and in life. If you are a teacher, it is important to avoid using a certain teaching style that gives the children full control of what happens in the classroom. Instead, use an authoritative teaching style to create a positive and productive learning environment for your students.
It’s important to note, however, that an overly authoritarian approach can also have negative consequences, such as reducing student motivation, stifling creativity, and destroying teacher-student relationships and more. Therefore, it’s important for teachers to strike a balance between authority and flexibility in their teaching approach.
Generally, authoritative teaching promotes positive character traits and prepares children for success in all aspects of life and as such, worth adopting by teachers.
References:
[1] Great Learning. “Top 4 Classroom Management Styles.” Great Learning Blog: Free Resources What Matters to Shape Your Career!, 22 Aug. 2022, https://www.mygreatlearning.com/blog/classroom-management-styles/.
[2] Navuluri, Bhavana. “Authoritative Parenting Style – Characteristics and Effects.” MomJunction, 20 Oct. 2015, https://www.momjunction.com/articles/what-is-authoritative-parenting_00376548/.
[3] Saxena, Siddharth. “What Are the 4 Classroom Management Styles.” LEAD School, 10 Dec. 2021, https://leadschool.in/blog/what-are-the-4-classroom-management-styles-lead/.
Don’t miss out on current updates, kindly like us on Facebook & follow us on Follow @EAfinder OR leave a comment below for further inquiries.
