Demonstration

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
● discuss the definition of demonstration;
● describe the characteristics of demonstration as a teaching strategy;
● enumerate the steps in using demonstration strategy; and
● name the advantages and disadvantages of using demonstration strategy.

Learning is one of the primary purposes of education. Teachers must

provide learning experiences that help pupils understand and acquire
knowledge and skills needed to learn. To educate the pupils, teachers use
different strategies to help them make the teaching and learning process
successful (Wegner, Minnaert, and Strehlke, 2013).
The physical education and health curriculum includes competencies
classified into cognitive and psychomotor (Hoque, 2016). The cognitive
phase focuses on learning concepts like the history of a particular sports,
while the psychomotor phase deals with physical activities or
performances. These are activities that pupils need to perform and master.
This lesson aims to help future teachers discuss the definition of
demonstration as a strategy in teaching physical education and health. It
also includes a discussion on the characteristics of demonstration, the
steps in using it, and the advantages and disadvantages of using the
strategy.
Defining Demonstration
Teaching physical education and health can be more effective if teachers
use demonstration as a strategy (Chen, Zhu, Mason, Hammond-Bennett,
and Colombo-Dougovito, 2016). In this strategy, teachers demonstrate a
routine to enhance learning and retention systematically. The
demonstration is often used when the pupils find difficulty in connecting
theories to actual practice or when they cannot understand the application
of theories.
The word demonstration comes from the word demos, which means to
perform an activity or a concept. Ramadhani and Surya 2017) reiterated
that teaching using demonstration strategy explains a particular event
based on the teaching materials. The teacher will show to the pupils how to
do certain activities or routines. With this strategy, pupils can easily
understand concepts and accomplish tasks presented in the learning
process.
To become successful in using demonstration strategies for teaching
physical education and health, teachers should consider the following
points: Teachers should use instructional materials that are big enough for
all the pupils to see. If the pupils cannot see what the teacher is presenting,
it may cause misbehavior that may lead to an unorganized demonstration.
The teacher needs to consider the language that he/she will use. The
language to be used should be appropriate to the pupils so that they could
easily understand the concept demonstrated.
Lastly, pupils should be allowed to ask questions to the teacher regarding
the ideas presented. In this scenario, pupils can make clarifications about
their misconceptions to make the learning more meaningful.
Characteristics of Demonstration Strategy
The following are some of the distinct demonstration strategy
characteristics (Ryan, Maina, and Mokgwathi, 2016):
● It has clear goals and objectives.
In conducting a demonstration, stating a clear objective is essential.
A teacher who has a clear direction on what to demonstrate could
help pupils understand and master the presented concept.
Furthermore, it will lead to a successful teaching and learning
process.
● It is a well-planned strategy.
The demonstration requires preparation and planning before
implementation. With this, the teacher needs to study and master the
concept presented to the class. Practice and trial are necessary for
the teacher to identify possible problems that may arise while working
on the demonstration in front of the class.
● Do the demonstration in a simple manner.
Teachers need to remember that they conduct activities to help the
 pupils understand the concept. Hence, they have to make sure that
the demonstration is done in a simple manner. Avoid presenting
demonstration activities that result in confusion among pupils that
may lead to misconceptions of the concept.
● Attention must be given to all pupils.
In the classroom, giving attention to all pupils is one of the duties of a
teacher. While doing demonstrations, the teacher must see that
pupils are paying attention to follow the given instruction. This
strategy allows teachers to pay attention to all the pupils in the
classroom. They can quickly identify the pupils who are experiencing
difficulties and provide them with guidance or call the attention of
those who are misbehaving or not listening to the demonstration.
Steps in Using Demonstration
There are steps that teachers can follow when using demonstration as their
strategy in teaching physical education and health. Following these steps
may lead the teachers to become successful in providing meaningful
learning experiences to the pupils.
Step 1: Planning and preparation
Proper planning and preparation are required for a good demonstration
To ensure the success of the demonstration activity, the teachers should
allow time in planning and preparing. In doing so, the teachers need to:
● have a thorough mastery of the subject matter;
● create a well-planned instructional plan;
● collect necessary and relevant instructional materials; and
● practice the demonstration.
Step 2: Introduction of the Lesson
The teachers should engage the pupils in the lesson. Hence, the proper
introduction of the lesson must be done. Pupils shoud be prepared
physically and mentally before the intended demonstration activity. Children
have different and unique characteristics. When introducing the activity, the
teachers should bear in mind the pupils’ differences, the environment, and
experiences. The teachers can introduce the activity by asking real life-
related questions or situations related to the pupils’ lives.
Step 3: Presentation of the Subject Matter
This steps is an integral part of the demonstration. The teachers must have
mastery of the topics for them to become successful in conducting the
demonstration. They should keep in mind the importance of reflection to
identify the strengths and possible hindrances to success. Furthermore,
having a mastery of the subject matter can help the teachers guide pupils
in connecting their prior knowledge to the new topic.
Step 4: Demonstration Proper
In this step, the teachers must make sure that everything is ready. The
place where the demonstration will take place is prepared well, including
the materials to be used. It should be ideal for the pupils and should be
appropriately organized and clean.
Step 5: Instructional Support
Instructional support is needed by the teachers when having a
demonstration activity. In teaching physical education and health using
demonstration, the teacher must prepare instructional support like sports
equipment, the place where the demonstration will occur, and other
materials essential for the activity.
Step 6: Evaluation
This step is the end and an essential part of the demonstration activity. The
evaluation will tell the teachers if they are successful in doing the exercise.
The assessment will show the strengths and points that need improvement
in the part of the execution. Furthermore, it provides both the teachers and
pupils an opportunity to reflect on how the demonstration activity will
improve.
Advantages of Using Demonstration
The following are the advantages of using demonstration strategy in
teaching physical education and health to the primary grade pupils:
● It allows the pupils to have more in-depth learning of the concept.
 ● It engages and motivates the pupils to maintain activeness in the
teaching and learning process.
● It leads to the mastery of concepts or skills.
● It creates interests among pupils.
● It promotes reflective thinking.
● It arouses discovery and creativity among pupils.
Disadvantages of Using Demonstration
There are several disadvantages of using demonstration strategy in
teaching physical education and health. These are the following:
● It can be costly and expensive due to the needed instructional
support.
● It requires time to plan and prepare, particularly during the activity’s
rehearsal before the actual presentation.
Many inexperienced teachers are teaching the subject, and sometimes,
there is a mismatch between the teacher’s specialization and the nature of
the subject handled.

Kyla Daniela Chua

Regina Navarro
Jevee Ortega