Maxims of teaching deserves more careful consideration of the teacher to enable him to make the teaching and learning go forward. Practical application of these maxims is a must for effective and efficient teaching and is indicative of teacher’s ability. Utility of the maxims of teaching may be understood as follows:”Maxims of teaching have been discovered, not invented. They are simply statements of the way in which teaching and learning go forward. They ensure effective and efficient teaching.”

Distribution of the knowledge and the teacher’s ability, both are separate. A teacher is said to be a failure if he is unable to distribute the knowledge to the pupils’ even though he has abilities, merits and mastery of the subject. The reality is that the teaching is an art and to acquire efficiency in this art, the teacher needs two things—

1. The complete knowledge of the subject-matter.
2. The scientific knowledge of the teaching style for disseminating the knowledge to the pupils.

Psychology tells us that the various laws of learning derived from many experiments from time to time along with the essential elements of the learning. The educationists have presented their experiences and decisions in the form of maxims considering these laws and elements as basis of teaching. These experiences and decisions presented in the form of maxims have been named as maxims of teaching. By following these teaching maxims, teachers get amazing results in their teaching task, i.e., the pupils acquire success very conveniently.

The educationists who have contributed in developing these teaching maxims are Herbart, Spencer and Comenius. In short, for a successful teaching, the use of teaching maxims is essential. The principles of teaching cannot be used without following these maxims. Hence, for making teaching effective, every teacher must use maxims of teaching.

Usually, a new teacher or student-teacher faces many difficulties while performing teaching functions. Therefore, they89must acquire the knowledge of these maxims of teaching during their training period. This will make clear to them when the teaching should be started and in what sequence it should be done and how it should be done? Since these maxims of teaching convey us the starting point of the contents the direction in which we should move in order to achieve objectives.

MEANING OF MAXIMS ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT DICTIONARIES

Maxim:- A principle or rule.
A maxim is a wise saying, especially one intended to advise or recommend a course of conduct the term maxim stresses the succinct formulation of an ultimate truth, a fundamental principle, or a rule of conduct. The word derives from the Latin word maximus, “greatest”, via an expression maxima propositio, “greatest premise”.
Dictionary: Maxim (măk’sĭm) : A succinct formulation of a fundamental principle, general truth, or rule of conduct.
Philosophy Dictionary: Maxim : Generally, any simple and memorable rule or guide for living.
Literary Dictionary:Maxim: A short and memorable statement of a general principle; thus it gives advice or guidance.
Law Encyclopedia:Maxim : A broad statement of principle, the truth and reasonableness of which are self-evident.

Major teaching maxims

A good teacher should be familiar with some general maxims of teachings.

1. From Known to Unknown:
The meaning of ‘from known to unknown’ is that the basis of the pupil’s new knowledge should be his previous knowledge. It is a psychological fact that it becomes very difficult to acquire the new knowledge if it is presented before the pupil at once. But he takes interest in learning new knowledge if it is linked with the pupil’s previous knowledge. Hence, it is the duty of every teacher that before teaching anybody, he should activate his previous knowledge and present new knowledge on the basis of that activated previous knowledge of the pupil. It means to say that those small and simple information’s with which the pupil is already familiar, should be made basis for imparting unfamiliar information’s.

Every teacher, especially pupil-teacher, should move forward after establishing relationship between that known and the unknown. In other words, whatever the pupils know, the new knowledge of the unknown should be given on that basis. For example, if a pupil is already familiar with the soil of the surrounding plains, facilities of water and the production of that area then it would be easy to provide him knowledge about the cultivation of that state on the basis of that previous knowledge while teaching geography.

2. From Seen to Unseen:
The meaning of this maxim is that the pupils should be made aware of those things which are at perceptional before them first and then those things should be presented which don’t exist before them. Its only reason is that psychologically, the pupils ranging from 6 to 14 years functions at perception level only. From this point of view, first of all the knowledge of present should be imparted to the pupil and then regarding past and future. In short, the teacher should use the scene or perceptual90things in order to impart the knowledge regarding unseen or non-perceptual along with concerned example. This facilitates the necessary knowledge concerning non-perceptual things (unseen).

3. From Simple to Complex:
A key to successful teaching is creating interest in the pupils for new knowledge and developing self-confidence in them. From this point of view, if the teaching is to be made successful, it is essential to use a maxim called ‘From Simple of Complex. This maxim means the teaching of simple to the pupil first and then the complex contents should be taught afterwards. If this is not followed, the pupils will lose their confidence. This will reduce their interest in the subject, they will lose their heart and they will not concentrate their mind in the studies. Therefore, we should divide the subject-matter in such a way that the simple aspects should come first and these should be followed by the complex one in an order. Now the question arises that which aspect is simple and which one is complex. It should be remembered that the things simpler in teacher’s view may be complicated for pupils.

For example, drawing a straight line may be simple for a teacher but it may be difficult for a pupil. It is also possible that the things which a teacher considers difficult for the pupils may be easier for those pupils. For example, drawing an animal’s picture may be viewed by the teacher as a difficult task for a pupil but it is actually very easy for that pupil. In this light, the teacher should decide what is easy and what is difficult keeping in view the interest, attitude, ability, potentiality and needs of the pupils. In short, as the pupil’s mental development occurs, the lessons should be made complicated gradually. This will keep the interest of the pupil and the teacher will achieve success in the Teaching work.

4. From Particular to General:
This maxim means that the specific examples should be presented before the pupils first and then the general laws or principles should be derived from those specific examples. According to this maxim, the teacher should present some specific examples before the pupil. Then the same example should be evaluated and after understanding the fact, pupils should be motivated to derive general principles. For example, if a teacher wants to explain his pupils that when the solids are immersed in a liquid, they lose their weight. He should perform two experiments before his pupils. First, the solids should be weighed in air. After this, the same solids should be weighed in a liquid. When the pupils conclude this, from their own observation and testing, that the solids lose their weights while immersed in a liquid, they will derive this general principle themselves without any difficulty.

In this way, in any subject, especially while teaching science, mathematics and grammar, various laws can be derived with the help of pupils. According to this maxim, pupils get sufficient opportunities to derive themselves general principles through observation and testing. This encourages them and they start taking interest in doing tasks.91When the pupils learn themselves by doing, they need not to cram the knowledge, however, it becomes a permanent and clear part of their thinking. The above description of the maxim tells its utility. Therefore, in the inductive method of teaching, this maxim is used.

5. From Indefinite to Definite:
It is a psychological fact that the pupil’s intellectual development proceeds from indefinite to definite. As the pupil grows, his senses develop. Through these sense organs, the goes on graining the knowledge regarding different objects while living in the contact of his parents, brother-sister, other family members and the surrounding social environment. On the basis of this gained knowledge he gradually makes his personal concepts regarding each object. These concepts or ideas are generally vague, unclear and uncertain. It is the duty of the teacher that he should provide certainty to the uncertain knowledge of the pupils by using concrete objects, pictures and examples.

6. From Concrete to Abstract:
It is a psychological fact that the mental development of the pupils begins with the concrete objects and afterwards he gains micro-words for them. Therefore, to begin the education of pupils, the concrete object and fact should be made known first. In other words, when knowledge about small things (micro) is to be imparted to the pupils of lower classes in order to provide a definite shape to their ideas, the same objects should be shown or their models, pictures and lines can be used. For example, while teaching geography, the knowledge of mountains, lakes, rivers and oceans can be either imparted through seen or perceptual things or through their models, pictures and lines very successfully.

7. From Whole to Part:
In the twentieth century, Gestalt psychologists proved that we first perceive the object as a whole and then its parts. In other words, we gain knowledge about the ‘whole’ first and then about the ‘parts’. For example, when we see our fan working in our room, first of all, the whole picture of the fan comes before us and then of its parts. Similarly, when we see some tree, our attention goes on the entire tree, then on its stem, branches and leaves etc. This is called Gestalt theory. Remember that it is essential to study the background and environment of the object about which the knowledge is to be gained according to this Gestalt theory.

Hence, the teacher should present before the pupils the new teaching matter as a whole and in an organized way first and then its parts should be explained on the basis of this ‘whole’ and organized teaching-matter. According to this maxim, by starting with the ‘whole’ object, the teacher imparts knowledge about each and every part of the object to the pupils. While teaching a language, first the sentences should be taught and then the words. In this concern, it should be pre-decided what the ‘whole’ is? While teaching Geography teacher should not consider the earth as a ‘whole’. He should not give, first, the knowledge about the entire earth and then about all the countries and then its various party. Remember that the quantity of the ‘whole’ increases with an increase in the knowledge of the child. For example, for 6year old pupil, his lane is ‘whole’ and for 12 years old pupil, his state is ‘whole’. Hence, first of all the ‘whole’ for the pupil should be decided beforehand. Then its parts should be studied.93

8. from Psychological to Logical:
This maxim means to follow a sequence from psychological to logical while providing knowledge to the pupils. According to psychological order, the knowledge about some object or subject should be presented according to the age of pupils, curiosity, interest, needs and acquiring power. Contrary to this, logical order means the present action of the knowledge before the pupils after dividing it logically into various units. While presenting the knowledge logically, the pupil’s interest, age and acquiring power are over-looked and only logical presentation of the subject-matter is emphasized whether the pupils understand it or not. Therefore, the presentation of the knowledge in psychological order or sequence is definitely better and useful instead of teaching in a logical manner. Remember that the presentation of knowledge in a logical manner was considered good in old days, but in this modern age, the psychological order is being considered better as psychology has gained more importance. Therefore, the education of language is started with the sentences now-a-days instead of alphabets and sounds. In short, we should teach in lower classes according to his maxim by using psychological order instead of logical order.

But, the logical order must be adopted as the pupil enters higher classes along with mental development. In other words, we should proceed from psychological order to the logical order.

9. From Analysis to Synthesis:
Initially, the knowledge of pupils is vague, uncertain and unorganized. In order to make his knowledge clear, define and well-organized, a maxim named “From Analysis to Synthesis” is used essentially. Analysis means to divide a problem into such living components which on assembling them may solve the problem. In other words, in analysis, the problem is separated into its various elements and then they are studied. For example, while teaching geography, if the pupils are to be taught about earth, we shall study by dividing it into different parts on the basis of climate. This system can be used in geography, geometry science and grammar in which the problems can be made distinct and94which can be divided into different parts. Attention is to be paid to the fact that not only by analysing the problem, the pupils will gain a clear and definite knowledge about the problems, we need synthesis to for this. Synthesis means to understand by connecting the knowledge acquired from the analysed and living components of a problem.

For example, while teaching geography, we shall study the geographical fact of some place. Then a comparative study will be done and in the end, by assembling each component we shall get the knowledge of entire earth. Remember that the analysis and synthesis are supplementary to each other Hence, for an idealistic teaching, the mixture of both methods is essential. In short, if we want to provide clear definite and well-organized knowledge of various subject to the pupils, then each teacher should use “Analytic—Synthetic” method.

10. From Empirical to Rational:
This maxim means to make the pupil’s empirical knowledge more rational so that it becomes valid and definite. Remember that the empirical knowledge is that which a pupil gains through his own observations. The pupil observes usually the freezing of water in winter and converting water into steam in summer. Similarly, he looks every day rising up and setting down the sun. If the same pupils are questioned about the freezing of water and its steaming, these pupils, perhaps, will not be able to answer scientifically and logically. In such a situation, according to this maxim, it is necessary for a teacher to make the pupil’s empirical knowledge more rational. This will make the pupil’s knowledge more true and definite.

11. Follow Nature:
The meaning of this maxim is to regulate the education of a pupil according to his nature. Hence all the sources of education should be based upon the principles of physical and mental development of the pupil In other words, whatever knowledge is to be given to the pupil that should be according to his physical and mental development. Hence, the teacher should follow the pupil’s nature instead of his discretion. It means to say that the education which obstructs the development of the pupil in any way, is un-natural and unpsychological. Therefore, the teacher should do nothing which hampers the physical and mental development of the pupil. In short, the teacher should follow the nature of the pupil.

12. Encouragement to Self-Study:
According to this maxim, self-study has been emphasized. Its only reason is that the actual teacher remains hidden in the pupil. When the pupil is absorbed in self-study and acquires some sort of knowledge then that knowledge becomes an integral part of his mind. Therefore, great educationists like Rousseau have given important place to the self-study. Dalton’s system is based on self-study. Hence, according to this maxim, it is required that the teacher should study the content first and then give it to the pupils for self-study. He should remove the difficulties of the pupils. In short, the pupils should be motivated, assisted and encouraged for self-study.

13. Training of Senses:
The pupils have mainly five sense organs. These are—(1) an eye, (2) a nose, (3) taste, (4) smell, and (5) touch. All these sense organs are gateways of knowledge. With the help of these sense organs, the pupil forms concepts in his mind about the various sizes in this universe, types, colors, weight, quantity, density, and area.

BENEFITS OF MAXIMS OF TEACHING:

• Makes teaching simple & interesting.
• Makes teaching joyful & interactive.
• Maxims makes teaching purposeful meaningful.
• To create creativity among the students.
• To analysis  and synthesis by students.
• To develop scientific attitude.
• Learning by doing.
• To develop critical thinking.

Reference

• Educational Technology(1st edition),New Age International (P) Ltd. New Delhi.
• Rao, V.K. 2009. Teacher Education (1st edition), APH Publishing Corporation. New Delhi.
• Kumar, K.L. 1996. Educational Technology(1st edition),New Age International (P) Ltd. New Delhi. 89-93.

Assignment

1. Write an example for each maxim.
2. Identify maxims from any the course content.