I will begin by asking you to recall a snapshot from scripture in which Jesus is teaching—one-on-one, a small group, a crowd of thousands. You pick. No hurry. I’ll wait…
As we move forward, my challenge for you is to analyze the snapshot you selected through the lens of four points I wish to unpack from current research.
1. Jesus connected with His learners’ prior learning and prior experience.
As the Living Word, our Savior always had a new, challenging truth for his listeners, whether they gathered in a city street, a synagogue, a seaside venue around Galilee, or the temple in Jerusalem. But where would they store these rich ideas? Of course, some in the crowd were reluctant, resistant, even rebellious, but many eagerly awaited His teachings. Jesus always shared His message in a way that his learners had a place to put His incredible words. He tapped into a pre-existing file in the listener’s mind — a mailbox or mental folder. For example,
- “Look at birds of the air…”
- “Consider the lilies of the field…”
- “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls…”
- “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea…”
Go back and examine the teaching episode you selected at the beginning of this article. Can you identify Jesus intentionally connecting to one of their prior experiences? (Check out Judy Willis, Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning)
Recently I crossed paths with a young Hispanic man who serves at our church. He offered to help me, and I asked his name. I could tell he was practicing his English and doing very well. I repeated his name to check my pronunciation. Then he asked my name, to which I replied, “Ken.” I watched his eyes literally searching for a place to store my name. “Like the movie Barbie.” Exactly! Voluminous research supports the concept that greater learning takes place when new information is connected to prior learning and experience.
2. Jesus used discussion to engage with His learners.
Biblical instruction challenges us to change, to be transformed to be like Jesus. Every article or text related to instructional methods written this century discusses the importance of engagement related to change and deeper learning. The Gospel writers devoted a great deal of their narratives to discussions between Jesus and His learners. Let’s list a few:
- “Why do you call me good?”
- “Who do men say that I am?”
- “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”[1]
For our learners, at least two cognitive reactions are involved when considering and responding to questions. One group of researchers argue that Jesus’s questions promote critical thinking skills. Dami et al (2021) found that His questions press listeners and today’s readers to “analyze, evaluate, rate, recommend, criticize, justify,” and many more upper level thinking skills (104). Weaving these analytical questions into instruction leads to the vital development of critical thinking and deeper learning. (Dami et al, 104)
Second, responding to questions usually means putting concepts into your own words, a process termed elaboration. The authors of Make It Stick maintain, “Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know. If you practice elaboration, there’s no known limit to what you can learn.” (Brown, Roediger, and MacDaniel, 2014, 5.)
3. Jesus used Active Learning Techniques (ALTs) to further engage his learners.
Adding to points one and two, I want to summarize that researchers and educators at all levels are emphasizing connecting, questioning, and engaging. My favorite quote here comes from Doyle (2008), who writes, “The one doing the work is the one doing the learning.” Jesus repeatedly challenged His disciples to actively participate in the learning episodes as powerful ways to prepare them for their future ministries.
Engage: Go back to the episode you selected at the outset. Did Jesus connect with His listeners? Did He ask questions that challenged their thinking? Were they actively engaged?
Here are three of my favorite examples:
- The first day Jesus met Peter: “From now on you will be catching people.” (Luke 5:10, CSB)
- The disciples insisted that Jesus send the crowd away at dinner time. “You feed them.” (Mark 6:37)
- “He sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go.” (Luke 10:1)
Jesus did not allow his disciples to be passive observers. Christian author Gary Newton (2012) endorses this concept of engagement in Heart Deep Teaching: Engaging Students for Transformed Lives. He writes, “Learning happens most effectively through active engagement of every aspect of the person. The more engaged and active a person is in the learning process, the greater potential for learning to take place” (107). Let’s examine an ALT that requires an even greater level of thinking and analyzing.
4. Jesus used inquiry-based learning and challenged His disciples to collaborate for deeper understanding.
If I had to pick one instructional moment in the teaching ministry of Jesus, it would be His appearance to the eleven in Luke 24. Evaluating the emotional environment is critical for us as we view this inspiring teaching episode. The eleven are huddled in a secluded room and probably fearful if they will be the next to die. And they’ve just lost their best friend, leader, and teacher. Suddenly Jesus appears in the room and their minds explode with theories. Should the Teacher ask them to lean in and listen to a lecture on the resurrection body? Jesus chose to let them collaborate and experiment with the evidence. (The literature calls this inquiry-based learning.)
The disciples were startled and terrified (v. 37). “Could it be a ghost?” became their working hypothesis. Jesus acknowledged their turmoil and confusion: “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” (v. 38)
He gave them time to experiment, collaborate, and process the information: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have. Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet.” (v. 39-40)
The lab experiment continued because they were still in disbelief: He requested something to eat, and Jesus ate the fish they gave Him in their presence. (v. 41-43)
Permit me to step out of the gospel narrative and share a quote related to this particular methodology: “Inquiry-based learning, if front-loaded well, generates such excitement in students that neurons begin to fire, curiosity is triggered, and they can’t wait to become experts in answering their own questions.”
Combining this approach with collaboration creates a very powerful learning experience.
But Luke goes on to point out, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (v. 45) I trust that you can identify the significant shift in their receptivity to the “opening of their minds” at this point in the learning episode. The disciples had gotten a chance to reconnect with the Master, personally and emotionally. In addition, they had their worst fears allayed, and they had a first-hand experience with His resurrection body.
The Master’s Teaching Techniques
I hope this essay has sparked renewed interest in you to continue to identify teaching techniques that our Master models for us throughout the Gospels. These and many other educational approaches are trumpeted in 21st century research. As we strive to meet our students needs through a variety of instructional approaches, the Holy Spirit will assist us in opening their minds to understanding.
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