DIDACTIC MATERIAL: CHARACTERISTICS, FUNCTIONS, TYPES, IMPORTANCE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The teaching material includes all kinds of elements and devices specially designed for teaching. That is, they are resources that a teacher or teacher can use to carry out the learning process with their students.

These are material means that simplify or facilitate teaching activities. They can be delivered physically or virtually and are aimed at stimulating and developing student interest. They are a type of resource that works as a guide through the content of a subject.

The didactic material is everything that allows to facilitate the teaching and learning process. Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Usually, the didactic material is prepared by the person who will put it into practice, that is, the teacher, who uses his learning method to achieve objectives within his classes. However, there are many specialized publishers that develop these teaching resources.

It is important to note that an educational learning method is that set of steps to follow to generate a change in the student, so that he can learn and enhance his skills.

Characteristics of the teaching material

The characteristics of a didactic material may vary according to the objectives, the characteristics of the students and the study conditions, as well as the infrastructure and access to technologies. For example, a teaching material for the area of ​​mathematics cannot be prepared in the same way as for art history.

Among some characteristics, the didactic material:

- It can be adapted to be used with or without the help of the teacher.

- It is possible to use it individually or in groups.

- It is versatile. A teaching material can be designed for different contexts.

- It is oriented to motivate. Your design should arouse interest and curiosity about the topic.

- It is a source of information.

- Establish a work rhythm. A teaching material can mark a pace of evolution or progress in the cognitive development, abilities, interests and other aspects of the student.

- Allows the student to be able to develop strategies to evaluate, plan and organize their own learning.

- Proposes a review or reflection of their own knowledge, modifies schemes.

- It must be available when it is needed.

Functions of the teaching material

The material is prepared according to the group to which it is directed and it is essential that it be really useful. Among the main functions of a teaching material are the following:

Report

They are containers of relevant material for the person who uses them. It is important that the information can be understood with some ease.

They fulfill a goal

The starting point to develop a teaching material is to define the reason or objective that needs to be met.

It is a guide between teaching and learning

It has a content structure that is supported by both the objective and the selection of the strictly necessary information that allows maintaining a constant orientation on the route of teaching and learning.

Increase communication between student and teacher

The teaching material can provide tools for students to also participate and generate ideas at the time of class.

Seeks to relate ideas to the senses

The teaching material can encompass sensory experiences such as touch, taste, smell, hearing or sight, thus achieving more personal and meaningful learning.

Types of teaching materials

The teaching material includes all the resources used within the classroom to carry out the teaching of educational content

Image by Steve Riot from Pixabay

Depending on the way in which the didactic material is prepared, it may vary in its classification. It also depends on the type of use that it is given, the space it covers, the activities it involves or who it is directed to. Some types of teaching material include:

Printed materials

They include all those printed resources such as books, reading or reference texts, dictionaries, encyclopedias, specialized magazines, guides, manuals, articles and more.

Area or spatial materials

They are usually part of specific spaces or may require a delimited area for their use. Some examples are games, laboratory materials, giant maps, sports items such as rings or balls, models, herbariums, among others.

Materials for work

They are all those that are used to carry out work in the classroom and that support the learning process. These include workbooks, index cards, colors, pencils and other resources that are requested according to the context.

For example, in the basic levels of education such as preschool, the development of writing skills and knowledge of shapes and language implies that students learn to color, draw, make figures or shapes and identify them, as in the case Of letters.

All these steps are necessary for the child to learn to write and to know written language and reproduce it.

Materials for the teacher

The didactic material can also include all the resources that the teacher uses to obtain or share information and thus improve their teaching processes. Depending on the context, teaching materials of this type can be laws, bibliographies, manuals, and more.

Electronic materials

They are those resources that are linked to electronic devices and are transmitted in this way. It includes information in digital form such as files, documents, images, slides, videos, audios, films, documentaries and more.

Thus, they integrate technology such as tablets, computers, video beams, projections, sound equipment, calculators, printers, etc.

Importance of teaching materials

Since the didactic material is one that is used during the educational processes, it is of great importance so that the relationship between teaching and learning can really bear fruit. Everything that serves as didactic material allows creating the appropriate conditions for the methodology that the teacher has planned to apply.

It is the most appropriate way in which the teacher will be able to have a certain mastery in creating an adequate environment to achieve the objectives set within his class.

The didactic material facilitates the learning process, establishes connections between the teacher and the students and allows to have a structure with organized content so that progress can be experienced. This is why it becomes a significant resource for any educational process.

References

1. Warrior A (2009). Teaching materials in the classroom. Digital magazine for teaching teachers. CCOO Teaching Federation. Recovered from feandalucia.ccoo.es
2. Morales A Preparation of didactic material. Third millennium network. Recovered from aliat.org.mx
3. (2009). The importance of didactic resources in teaching. Digital magazine for teaching teachers. Recovered from
4. What are didactic materials ?. Edupedia. Recovered from theedadvocate.org
5. Didactic materials. Le Voyelles Colorées. Recovered from lesvoyellescolorees.com