What Is Pedagogy and Why Does It Matter?

It is a method and popular teaching practice involving the strategies, techniques, and approaches educators use to facilitate and deliver learning among students. It fully accounts for and focuses on the learners’ needs, abilities, and areas of interest. So, it’s not just about delivering information but about structuring learning in a way that promotes a positive learning experience, encourages assimilation, and makes students eagerly anticipate learning activities.

Role of Pedagogy in Education:
Pedagogy shapes how knowledge is transferred and absorbed. It influences the interactions within the classroom from the way the curriculum is designed to the assessment methods and the learning environment as a whole. For Pedagogy, the aim is meaningful engagement instead of the conventional rote memorization.

Why Understanding Pedagogical Approaches Matters:

• For Educators:  For educators, pedagogy helps you teach more effectively by helping you pinpoint and adopt different methods that align with the learning styles and needs of your students. It also encourages reflection and growth in your teaching practice.
• For Institutions: It influences how the curriculum is designed and the type of training prescribed for teachers. It also impacts the types of policies designed for the students-ensuring that they are centered around students  and will drive better academic outcomes and improve learning outcomes.
• For Learners: When teachings are founded on pedagogy, learners are more engaged, motivated, and able to apply knowledge in real-life scenarios. This creates a more inclusive, supportive, and exciting living environment that encourages learning.  It makes learners look forward to their learning sessions.

The Main Types of Pedagogy

Different teaching methods shape how students learn. Let’s look at the four main types of pedagogy commonly used in education:

1. Teacher-Centered Pedagogy (Traditional Approach)

 In this approach, the teacher is the main source of knowledge, and students are expected to take notes, listen, and adhere to instructions. One of the key features of this style is that the teacher speaks, and the student listens.  The focus is on memorization and assessments, the lessons are structured and controlled

Impact on Learning:

•  Regarding its impact on learning, it is effective in preparing and acing the exams.  However, it doesn’t necessarily encourage creativity or a deep understanding of the subject. The goal is to pass the assessment most times with this method.

2. Student-Centered Pedagogy

Here, students are the main actors and take an active role in their learning.  The teachers only act as a referee to balance & guide instead of dominating the whole process.  One of the key features is that the students ask questions and explore topics. The lessons are most time based on real-life scenarios,, and the learning is personalized.  Learning is based on the needs, learning styles, and interests of the students.
Impact on Learning:

• It helps the students become more confident as they are the main actors in the learning delivery. This fosters independence and problem-solving skills.
• It fosters engagement, deep insight, and understanding.

3. Inquiry-Based Pedagogy

In this method, students carry out investigations, ask questions, and get answers in their groups. Some of the key features include;

Key Features:

• Learning starts by identifying a problem or asking a question.
• The focus is on encouraging exploring, experimenting, and reflecting.
• The teachers act as facilitators.

Impact on Learning:

• It helps the learner develop curiosity and hone their research skills.
• It develops curiosity and research skills.
• It triggers critical thinking and fosters long-term memory retention.

4. Experiential Pedagogy (Learning by Doing)

Students learn by being involved directly via hands-on experiences.

Key Features:

• Learning through activities like experiments, projects, or fieldwork.
• Reflection on experiences is a key part of the learning process.

Impact on Learning:

• Helps students connect theory to real life.
• Increases motivation and understanding through action.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Each Pedagogical Approach

Why Choosing the Right Pedagogy Matters

• Enhances Engagement: When students are taught in ways that they are most comfortable with or match their learning style, they become more interested and actively participate in class.
• Improves Achievement: The right method helps students assimilate better, perform well in tests, and apply what they’ve learned in real-life cases.
• Supports Diverse Learners: Different students learn in different ways. Including a flexible approach makes sure no one is left behind.

Using the appropriate  pedagogy isn’t about picking the “best” method—it’s about putting square pegs in square holes and matching the appropriate method to the students. Excellent and well-trained teachers often combine approaches to create the best experience for their students.

Exploring Pedagogy Through Surveys: Why and How?

In today’s classroom, one-size-fits-all teaching no longer works. Students are different in how they learn, their motivations,, and the unique challenges they face.  This is where surveys come to play- it acts  as a bridge between the goal of the teacher and the anticipated experience of the student. Thus,, with well designed surveys educators can glean valuable insight into the right pedagogical approach that will increase engagement and enhance learning outcomes.

Why Use Surveys in the First Place?

• To Understand Student Perception: Students experience lessons differently from the way teachers deliver them. Surveys offer a unique opportunity to see how their minds work and their expectations. Like the popular TikTok trend videos, their own POV(Point of View).
• To Identify Gaps: It helps you figure out the gaps in learning and the reasons for the gaps. Could it be because the students are bored, overwhelmed, or confused? Are they able to connect with the content? Surveys can uncover masked issues.
• To Encourage Students: When students feel heard, they are more vested in the learning process.
• To Measure the Effectiveness of Pedagogical Methods: If you plan to or have recently tried student-led learning or project-based work, a survey helps gauge ts impact.

How to Customize Survey Templates for Your Educational Environment

Using a generic survey will provide superficial insights. However, tweaking it to reflect your classroom dynamics leads to more meaningful results. Here’s how to do that:

1. Define Your Goal

What is your learning objective? Is it the effectiveness of a new teaching style, or getting the students more engaged, or are you trying to figure out other learning challenges? For instance, you may want to see if group learning aids students in learning better. Or you want to find out if your students prefer visual resources to text-based materials.

2. Choose Age-Appropriate Language

Align your language and choice of words to suit the age of the students and their language proficiency. For younger student,short and simple sentences work best.Use emojis alongside your survey questions.
See example below.

For younger students:

“Do you like working in groups or by yourself? 😊👫🧍”
For older students:
“How effective is group work in helping you understand the topic?”

3. Add Contextual Questions

Use the survey to reflect specific activities, content, or techniques used in your class. For instance, if you have used a mix of group learning(peer-to-peer learning) in your class, you can ask them which method helps the teacher teach the topic to teaching better.

4. Include a Mix of Question Types

Choosingof questions help the survey  become more dynamic and easier for  students to fil.As you alternate various question styles  the survey is more engaging for respondents and reduces survey fatigie.To do this  add a mix of multiple choice questions to rating scales and open ended questions.This help to uncover their exact thoughts or perceptions.

Tips on Modifying Survey Templates to Match Specific Classroom Dynamics

1. Keep it Short and Focused: Long surveys can cause fatigue. Stick to 5–10 questions focused on one theme (e.g., engagement, understanding, pacing).
2. Include Diverse Learning Areas: Ask about activities like lectures, group work, visuals, projects, homework, and assessments.
3. Frame Questions Positively and Neutrally: Avoid leading questions. For example:
   ❌ “Don’t you think lectures are boring?”
   ✅ “How engaging do you find lecture-based lessons?”
4. Check for Bias or Ambiguity: Have a colleague or a few students test the survey first. Misunderstood questions can skew your data.
5. Make It Anonymous: Students are more likely to give honest feedback if they don’t fear judgment.

How to Use Survey Results to Make Pedagogical Adjustments

Once the results are in, the real work begins: interpreting and applying them.

Step 1: Analyze the Feedback

Look for trends. For example:

• Many students say they’re lost during discussions → Maybe the instructions or goals aren’t clear.
• Most enjoy group activities → Consider increasing group-based tasks.
• Students feel overwhelmed with assignments. → You may need to rethink the workload or support.

Step 2: Reflect on Your Teaching Style

Do the results match your expectations? If not, consider why. Sometimes our intentions don’t align with student experiences.

Step 3: Adjust One Thing at a Time

Start small. If students ask for more visuals, try adding diagrams or videos next week. If they prefer collaborative work, introduce a weekly group task.

Step 4: Share and Involve Students

Let students know you’re listening. Share key feedback themes and the changes you plan to try. This builds trust and encourages future participation.

Choosing the Right Pedagogy for Your Teaching Style

Not all methods fit every teacher, and that’s okay. Understanding your natural style helps you choose an approach that feels authentic and effective.

Here’s a breakdown of when and how to apply different pedagogical approaches:

Conclusion

Pedagogy isn’t a one approach fits all approach-its not cast in stone or a fixed formula. It is designed based on the unique experience, feedback, and reflection on the part of the students and teacher alike. Surveys are one of the best and effective ways for our students to give you feedback on what helped them to learn. It’s their way of saying, “Here’s what helps me learn. So you refine through feedback and  use their input to:

• Test new strategies
• Drop what’s not working
• Reinforce what’s effective

🎯 Encouragement for Educators:
Don’t pull from experimenting and trying different or new things. Trying out new things to figure out what works and what’s effective is the hallmark of a champion. With regular feedback, insightful and guided adjustments alongside your thoughts, you can create a classroom environment where everyone thrives—teacher and student alike.