Learning through observation and imitation

by Yuvi - February 7, 2021

Q. Learning through observation and imitation.

Learning through observation

This is the first and foremost mode of learning. Every human being learns various things through observation.

Here by observation, we do not mean only seeing a thing rather it refers to the act of perceiving or observing the stimulus.

In observation process, we do not take help only eyes as in seeing but we take help of other organs also for listening, smelling tasting and touching.

A person observes an event, thing etc. when he is interested in these.

So we should first try to make interested the child in these things and then he can observe them aim fully.

This interest is aroused as a result of the impulse evoked by instincts.

The greater the impulse the more is the amount of interest attached to it. And the greater the interest the more the attention paid to the object.

We as a teacher should provide opportunity to students to observe new things according to their interests.

We should provide a chance to students to grasp the meaning of the demonstration of an action.

We should try to fix images of how the model looks in each step of the demonstration.

Teacher should provide them verbal directions also while students are observing the action or things.

We can educate various parts of human body by giving a chance to students to observe the model of human body.

Learning through imitation

Students can learn very much by copying the actions.

Imitation is the tendency to repeat the observed actions of others.

In the beginning, the child learns his movements, actions, and gestures by imitation.

As we know that students take very much interest in copying the actions of others.

The capacity of imitating is very much prominent in children and we must have observed that they take delight in imitation.

We as a teacher can use this mode of learning in our teaching-learning process.

Students can recite poems with actions of parts of body by imitating the recitation of his/her teacher.

A science teacher can teach about experiments through the mode of imitation.

This imitation should be willingly and deliberate.

Students should imitate the actions of the teacher consciously.

Teacher should try to arise interests in students about the action and then provide the chance of imitating to students.

A child learns very much from his birth to primary education level through imitation.

We should use this mode of learning in our teaching learning process also.