The Spiral Principle – What Is This Teaching Method?
The spiral principle, or “Spiral Curriculum” is about teaching a methodology proposed by the Singaporean mathematics method. The goal is to help students gradually deepen their knowledge. However, how can this be achieved?
The Singapore math method is a methodology designed by INE in Singapore that aims for students to learn mathematics without having to remember anything. It focuses on why and how, with the idea that the answer helps to improve the understanding of knowledge and consequently facilitate the memorization process.
Thus, this method has a lot to do with the spiral principle that was discovered by Jerome Bruner, a psychologist who made important contributions to the field of teaching and learning. Among them is this methodological suggestion you are going to discover.
The spiral principle
The spiral principle addresses learning in a way where students can go from general knowledge to specialized knowledge. The way he achieves this is through continuous learning, as it prevents concepts from easily falling into oblivion.
To achieve this, the spiral principle begins with very simple concepts that will become complicated as students make progress in their learning. They can do so since the curriculum adapts to the opportunities the students have. Thus, everyone can move on and better understand the concepts of a subject.
What is essential for this curriculum to work is for students to return to the same general topics on a recurring basis; to the main principle. What are they going to achieve with this? When they return to the deeper part of the subject, they can make different analyzes and representations of what they have previously analyzed.
With this curriculum, Bruner intended for students to be piqued with curiosity. That they should find inspiration to expand their knowledge. To return with another look, to what they already know. Thus, they could reason and review the conclusions they previously reached.
Errors and dead ends
Jerome Bruner was not wrong. In fact, he considered them a good way for students to learn. Therefore, both faults and dead ends are welcome in the spiral principle.
It does not matter what is required to learn a concept. For Bruner, the interest and satisfaction of stimulating each student’s hypothesis prevails.
Understanding that making mistakes should not lead to embarrassment, but rather be a way to orient oneself on the hypotheses and continue researching, is an important way to learn, which actually promotes the spiral principle. It is undoubtedly a different way of teaching students. Nevertheless, it gives very positive results.
The spiral principle: Curriculum example
Now that you know more about the spiral principle, here is a brief example of how learning goes with it. You start with a very simple goal for young children, such as recognizing and classifying animals.
The first point is to classify the animals and analyze the similarities and differences in each of them. Later, students will begin to become familiar with the environment of each animal and their individual behavior. Finally, they will study anatomy and physiology.
This is very simple. As they move forward, they will turn to the concepts they have already learned so that they can relate what they previously knew to what they have just learned. Thus, they can really understand what they are studying and feel more curious to find out more about it.
Finally, the spiral principle allows you to work in a way where the student can think for themselves, draw conclusions and correct mistakes. It is a way that promotes research, understanding and sets aside the temptation to just remember concepts – without understanding them – just to pass an exam. So, do you think it would be possible to implement this curriculum in the current education model?
