Precision Teaching Blog

So let’s stay with West and Young. They offer this definition of Precision Teaching:

“Precision Teaching is not so much a method of instruction as it is a precise and systematic method of evaluating instructional tactics and curricula.... Lindsley, who was a student of B. F. Skinner, built Precision Teaching around a framework of operant conditioning.... The framework consisted of seven basic elements: (1) the principle that the student knows best; (2) the use of “rate of response” as a universal measure of behavior; (3) a standard chart display used to study performance patterns; (4) an emphasis on the direct measurement of behavior and continuous monitoring; (5) the use of descriptive and functional definitions of behavior and processes; (6) an emphasis on building behavior rather than eliminating; and (7) an analytic investigation of the impact of environmental influences on individual behavior... (p. 114-115).

West, R. P., & Young, K. R. (1992). Precision teaching. In R. P. West & L. A. Hamerlynck (Eds.) Designs for excellence in education: The legacy of B. F. Skinner (pp. 113-146). Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

The first part of their definition reads the same as their 1990 definition. That we have a system, a very precise system, for evaluating instructional tactics used by a teacher or the students progress within a curriculum.

West and Young also layout elementary components of PT. Many of these appear in other definitions we have discussed so far. Namely:
-Using the Standard Celeration Chart
-Using frequency
-Student knows best


West and Young also touch upon direct and continuous measures, and how people can use PT to describe behavior and analyze it.

The consensus building continues! :)

Rick

You asked for more definitions of PT, I can supply! :)

Another fine definition of Precision Teaching coming from 1990.

“... a method of measuring student performance regularly and frequently and using an analysis of the measurements to suggest instructional and motivational strategies capable of correcting failures to learn.... Precision Teaching is not so much a method of instruction as it is a precise and systematic method of evaluating instructional tactics and curricula.” (p. 5).

West, R. P., Young, K. R., & Spooner, F. (1990). Precision Teaching: An instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 22(3), 4-9.

I see a very strong consensus building. We have across the definition I shared so far:

-a system for measuring behavior
-used frequently with instruction
-helpful for evaluating and analyzing data
-designed to improve decisions made on behalf of the learner
-not a method of instruction

Now that I have enabling commenting on this blog please feel free to let me know what you think! :)

Rick

PS. I will continue to add PT definitions, I have found even more.

Hello Friends, Colleagues, and Random Internet Surfers,

I have found another very good definition of Precision Teaching. This one comes from 1970.

“Precision Teaching is not a way of teaching. Precision teaching is not another method of teaching. Precision Teaching is not a refined behaviorist approach to teaching. Precision Teaching is one way to plan, use, and analyze any teaching style, technique, method, or theoretical position - old or new” (p. 12).

Kunzelmann, H. P., Cohen, M. A., Hulten, W. J., Martin, G. L., & Mingo, A. R. (1970). An initial training sequence: Precision Teaching. Seattle, WA: Special Child Publications.

Negative examples and positive examples help define a concept. Kunzelmann et al.’s negative examples nicely clear up some typical confusions. Precision teaching has teaching in its name. Therefore upon hearing its name one might thinking, Hey, this is about teaching.” I have heard Og say before he that Precision Teaching may have been better served by name such as Precision Learning or some other term more closely related to the PT system.

The positive example shared by Kunzelmann et al. nicely captures the many features of PT. teacher have used PT to help plan what they will teach, count response, chart the data, and make subsequent changes if necessary.

Moving onto other prominent Precision Teachers who have defined PT I share a definition from Patrick McGreevy. Pat founded the Journal of Precision (later renamed the Journal of Precision and Celeration) and wrote a text on using PT. Pat provided the following definition for PT:

“Precision Teaching is a set of measurement and teaching strategies that can be used with the Standard Celeration Chart. Some of the early Precision Teaching strategies were:

‘Child Knows Best’ ‘Try-3-At Once’ ‘Dead Person’s Test’ ‘Is-Does Plan’ ‘Accuracy pairs’ ‘Slice Backs’

These strategies were organized around four steps of good teaching:

(1) Pinpoint (2) Record (3) Change (4) Try, try again”

(p. 1-1).

McGreevy, P. (1983). Teaching and learning in plain English (2nd ed.). Kansas City, MO: Plain English Publications.

Comparing McGreevy and Lindsley’s definitions we do see similarities. For one, both recognize the Standard Celeration Chart as core to PT. Both also state that Precision Teaching has some distinct methods. I do not believe McGreevy has stated anything that Lindsley would not also agree with.