Definition
The characteristic ways an instructor presents information, manages the learning environment, and interacts with learners. Teaching styles range along a spectrum from instructor-centered (the instructor directs all activity) to learner-centered (the learner takes greater responsibility for what and how they learn), and an effective instructor adapts the style chosen to the subject, the situation, and the individual learner.
Plain English
The general approach an instructor takes when teaching — how much they lead, how much the student does on their own, and how they run the lesson. Different students and different topics call for different approaches.
Context Anchor
Used in instructor training when discussing how an aviation instructor builds an effective relationship with each learner.
Derivation
Teach comes from an old English word meaning to show or point out. Style comes from a word for a writing tool, and later came to mean a person's usual way of doing something. Together, teaching styles means the instructor's usual ways of helping someone learn.
Why Pilots Care
A CFI who only knows one teaching style will struggle with students who learn differently. Recognizing and adjusting style is part of being an effective instructor and is tested on the Fundamentals of Instruction knowledge exam.
Intuition Check
Teaching styles does not mean an instructor's personality or popularity. Here it means the practical ways an instructor presents and guides learning so the student can understand and perform.
Example Sentence 1
When introducing a brand-new maneuver, the CFI used a more instructor-centered teaching style, then shifted toward a learner-centered style as the student gained confidence.
Example Sentence 2
Choosing the right teaching style helped the learner stay engaged during the complex instrument procedures lesson.