There’s a pretty big chance you remember your best teacher from school.
The one who helped you out, made you laugh, gave you their time, expanded your mind. The one who inspired, engaged, or connected with you. Who dedicated their energy to helping you figure stuff out, even if you didn’t get it right away.
When you have a truly inspiring and impactful teacher, the lessons and skills they teach you stay with you for years. Even for life.
With over 50,000 creator educators on our books, we’ve been witness to a wide range of innovative teaching styles here at Thinkific.
Here’s our roundup of the most effective teaching styles to help you deliver the best possible learning experience for your students – plus top tips from educators who’ve honed their own unique teaching styles.
Follow along or skip ahead:
- The top 5 most effective teaching styles
- What are the most effective teaching styles to use today?
- What is the most effective method of teaching?
- What teaching style is best for today’s students?
- What’s the best way to adapt teaching styles to different learning styles?
- 3 expert tips to make your teaching styles more effective
- Start creating inspiring online learning experiences today
The top 5 most effective teaching styles you need to know
Most effective teaching styles | Best for | Overview | Pros | Cons |
Best for teaching large groups |
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Best for teaching practical, hands-on topics |
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Best for teaching a diverse range of learners |
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Best for teaching critical thinking and communication skills |
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Best for teaching peer-to-peer activities |
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What are the most effective teaching styles to use today?
The most effective teaching styles depend heavily on the topic and material you’re teaching, as well as your class or cohort size, and learners’ unique needs.
Here are the top five teaching styles you need to know – to see just how broad your teaching can be.
Best for: Teaching very large groups of learners
The lecturer style – sometimes called the formal authority style – will be familiar to anyone who’s sat through long lectures in giant college or university auditoriums.
In this teaching style, the teacher takes a central role and delivers information to a large group of students in a structured, organized, and unidirectional manner. The subject matter is usually singular and predetermined.
As there tends to be a large number of learners in each group, there’s not enough room or time for personalized interactions between the teacher and the students. However, students are encouraged to take notes and ask questions at the end of each lecture. There are usually no additional activities planned.
An example of the Lecturer teaching style in action is when a guest speaker is invited to a school or a corporate setting to give a presentation. After the guest speaker presents the topic for an hour or so, they encourage learners to ask questions about the topic, especially if there’s anything they don’t understand or would like to clarify. Learners can also ask for more details about a particular aspect of the teaching content.
This teaching style allows educators to deliver large amounts of information to learners in a focused way. It’s fast and efficient. But due to the lack of learner participation, it has limited knowledge retention and students may struggle to engage with the content being taught.
“I’m really big on making sure that you don’t have a bunch of fluff in your product—that you’re not just making it look pretty—but you’re actually concerned with the content inside of it.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pros of the Lecturer teaching style
- Possible to teach large groups of students at once
- Easy to prepare lectures in advance
- Provides a clear structure and organization to learning content
- Can be time-effective in covering a broad range of material
- Suitable for dense, information-heavy topics
Cons of the Lecturer teaching style
- Limited student engagement and interaction
- Learners are not able to actively engage with the lecturer, apart from asking questions at the end
- Limited knowledge retention
- This teaching method does not cater to diverse learning styles
Best for: Teaching practical, hands-on topics
The demonstrator teaching style often goes beyond formal lectures to demonstrate concepts or skills to learners. Under the demonstrator style, the teacher still retains a lot of authority but is more open to trying a student-centered approach to teaching.
You can often see the demonstrator encouraging students to come up with problem-solving strategies, ask questions, and simulate what they’ve just learned.
The demonstrator teaching style might include:
- Using visual aids e.g. presentations, images, and films
- Hands-on activities
- Practical examples
- Experiments
An example of the demonstrator teaching style in action is when a teacher conducts a science experiment or an art workshop in a classroom. Learners may huddle around the demonstrator to observe and participate in the experiment or workshop. When the teacher is done with the demonstration, they encourage learners to emulate the processes they’ve observed and conduct their own experiments or activities to create the same or similar results.
As the learners work through the activity, the teacher is there to provide them with visual aids and multimedia to enforce key concepts and principles and answer any questions they may have regarding the project. The teacher may also encourage peer sharing and feedback, which helps students to actively engage in the learning process.
Thanks to its flexible, practical approach to teaching, this teaching style is applicable to a wider range of learning styles compared to the more traditional lecture teaching style.
“I’m a big proponent of reaching out to students… I want to see how they’re doing, if they have any issues, and what setbacks and roadblocks they’re experiencing.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pros of the Demonstrator teaching style
- Incorporates a variety of teaching formats
- Hands-on learning can enhance students’ understanding of subject matter
- Visual aids and demonstrations can make concepts more memorable
- Students can ask for immediate clarification through examples and practical applications
Cons of the Demonstrator teaching style
- Less suitable for large groups
- Doesn’t accommodate the needs of all students
- This teaching style may not be suitable for all subjects or topics
- This style requires adequate resources and preparation, which can be hard if the teacher is short on time, has a low budget, or limited capacity
- During a demonstration, there’s often less time to cover a large amount of content
Best for: Teaching a diverse range of learners
The hybrid teaching style – also known as blended teaching – strives to strike a balance between both teacher- and student-centered approaches. This teaching style integrates both traditional and modern teaching methods, making it ideal for adapting to the needs of diverse learners.
Teachers who follow a hybrid teaching style often bring their own knowledge and expertise into the class. They usually have a structure for every lesson but they are able to adjust their flow and come up with a range of activities to keep students engaged.
A hybrid teaching style can integrate a wide range of teaching tools into one session, including:
- Lectures
- Demonstrations
- Group activities
- Technology
For example, a hybrid teacher may assign online readings or videos for learners to review before class. There can also be an online discussion forum where learners share insights, questions, and ideas. In class, learners can build upon the online discussion with hands-on activities, group discussions, or problem-solving tasks related to the material they studied, as well as opening up new areas for exploration.
This varied approach to teaching allows educators to cater to a diverse range of learners’ needs and continually adapt the content to keep learners engaged, putting a new spin on the content depending on the individual students in the class.
But although the hybrid approach is effective across a variety of settings, it can be challenging to cover information-heavy courses due to its slower pace.
“Myself and 15 other people could be teaching the same thing, but they’re not going to be me. So if you just sit with yourself and realize that thing that’s different about you – that you’re known for – you’ll be successful… Figure out what that thing is and incorporate it into your content or teaching style and watch how you build a layer of visibility and credibility based off of being authentically you.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pros of the Hybrid teaching style
- This teaching style uses a variety of methods that cater to diverse student needs
- Integrates both traditional and modern approaches for a balanced learning experience
- Gives teachers the flexibility to adapt to different learning preferences
- Students remain active and engaged for longer
Cons of the Hybrid teaching style
- This teaching style requires extensive planning
- Needs careful coordination of different teaching elements
- Finding the right balance between traditional and modern teaching methods may be challenging
- Dependent on the available resources and technology
- It can be less focused and slow than other teaching styles
- It requires a lot of energy from the teacher
Related: The Best Online Teaching Platforms to Earn Money in 2024
Best for: Teaching critical thinking and communication skills
Shifting to an even more student-centered approach, the facilitator style of teaching focuses on inquiry-based learning.
Instead of giving one-directional lectures, a facilitator encourages students to learn by thinking critically, asking questions, and discussing real-world case studies. Additional activities might be designed to improve problem-solving skills and help learners understand the subject matter better through practical challenges and examples.
Perhaps one of the best examples of the facilitator teaching style in action is a Socratic seminar, which promotes Socrates’ belief that asking questions, inquiring about things, and engaging in constructive debates are the best ways to learn.
In a Socratic seminar, students seek a deeper understanding of complex or vague ideas through thoughtful dialogue and divergent thinking. Here is a brief breakdown of this teaching style:
- The facilitator provides a specific topic or text for students to read through and think about before the class
- In the class, the facilitator poses open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking
- The students answer the facilitator’s questions and argue for or against a motion
- Students also share ideas, opinions, and build on each other’s responses to get an in-depth and well-rounded understanding of the topic.
Another example of the facilitator teaching style in action is a case study analysis. This is where the facilitator presents a real-life case study related to the subject matter and then prompts a class discussion where learners analyze the case, identify key issues, and offer solutions to the problem. The teacher guides the discussion without dominating it, encouraging critical thinking and collaboration among students.
This teaching style is effective for promoting communication and cooperation between learners, encouraging them to interrogate a topic and come up with their own ideas and answers. It fosters a teaching environment based on open discussion and exploration. But it may not be suitable for teaching highly technical topics.
“Life is hard enough. We don’t need to make it harder on ourselves by creating this image that we’re so professional and rigid; no one can connect with that… We need to be personable and connect with our target audience because they’ll probably never meet you in person.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pros of the Facilitator teaching style
- The teacher provides guidance and support rather than direct instruction
- This teaching style helps students develop self-sufficiency
- It fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills
- It supports student-centered learning and autonomy
Cons of the Facilitator teaching style
- This style doesn’t work well for theory-heavy or technical classes
- It requires a skilled facilitator to guide discussions effectively
- It may take more time to cover content compared to traditional methods
- Learners may need additional support if they’re not accustomed to this teaching method
Best for: Teaching peer-to-peer activities
The most student-centric teaching style of all is the delegator style – also known as the group style. Here, the teacher is merely present as an observer and it’s the group of learners who are doing all the work.
Most of the learning in the delegator teaching style happens between learners on a peer-to-peer level through frequent discussions, collaboration, and communication. The instructor is practically removed from the position of authority and only facilitates the discussions.
The delegator style works best for lab-based experiments, group tutoring classes, creative writing, debates, and other peer-to-peer activities.
In these activities, the teacher divides the class into small groups and assigns each group a project related to the course content. The students are responsible for planning, executing, and presenting their findings, while the teacher acts as a mentor, providing guidance and support throughout the project.
This approach encourages students to take ownership of their education and become self-directed learners.
“When people hit rough patches, they’re able to coach each other through it… It’s a community for the students to be able to go on their learning journey together.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pros of the Delegator teaching style
- This teaching style encourages learning and collaboration among students
- It allows for individualized learning experiences
- It promotes the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills
- It encourages self-sufficiency and independence
Cons of the Delegator teaching style
- This teaching style can be inefficient since students have to find the right answers for themselves
- It may not be suitable for all subjects or students
- It’s less suitable for theory-heavy or technical topics
What is the most effective method of teaching?
These are just five of the most popular teaching styles currently used by educators.
Depending on the system or school of thought you look at, there are even more teaching styles out there – as described in a paper titled Teaching Styles and Language Performance by Edgar R. Eslit and Mercedita B. Tongson.
For example, The Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Physical Education defines 11 distinct teaching styles that can be used to teach learners in a range of different learning environments.
Educational researchers today define at least five different teaching styles on a spectrum that moves from a teacher-centered approach to a student-centered one.
Here’s a quick recap of the difference between the two approaches.
Teacher-centered approach
A teacher-centered learning environment is where the focus is concentrated on the teacher. They talk while learners listen, and learners tend to work alone or independently. The teacher is responsible for choosing the topic, answering learners’ questions, correcting their work, and evaluating their performance.
Student-centered approach
A student-centered approach shares the focus between the learner and the teacher. Students interact with one another and explain, demonstrate, or discuss concepts and challenges with their peers. Unlike in teacher-centered learning, a student-centered approach gives students the chance to evaluate their own learning and answer each other’s questions with the teacher providing feedback or corrections as needed.
The most popular and prevalent teaching styles have changed dramatically over the past 50+ years, along with new cultural norms and technological advancements. Today it’s far more common to see a student-centered learning experience as more educators embrace collaborative and social learning environments.
While most educators can be described by a single model of teaching, the best ones adjust their teaching strategies to their students and the learning process at hand.
What teaching style is best for today’s students?
The best teaching style for students depends on your topic, your learners, and the environment you’re teaching in.
A Hybrid teaching style is ideal for teaching a diverse range of learners as it’s flexible, allowing you to adapt your teaching style to students’ preferences, learning needs, and backgrounds.
But as you can see from the list above, each style of teaching has its pros and cons. So there’s no definitive winner here — instead, try mixing and matching teaching styles based on the situation.
When preparing your course content, imagine which teaching style might help your students learn the material the easiest. And don’t be afraid to play around a bit.
Try experimenting with different teaching styles to see what works and double down on what’s most effective for your learners.
“I’m very comfortable jumping into something even if it’s scary. Coming from an education background, I really try to instill this whole sense of, ‘It’s okay to fail. Good things can come from things not going well. If something goes wrong, I can always improve it.’”
Meredith Austin, Thinkific Creator Educator
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What’s the best way to adapt teaching styles to different learning styles?
There’s no doubt that different students shine under different teaching approaches. This is because every student has their own learning style (we’ve written about the seven main types of learning styles here).
The cooperative learning style, for example – which requires more group work and collaboration – pairs well with the facilitator or delegator teaching style. And the Interactive learning style – where learners actively engage and participate in lessons – is often a great fit for the demonstrator or facilitator teaching styles too.
It’s very likely that your primary teaching style won’t be purely one of the big five discussed above, but rather an ever-changing mix that would be unique to you and the students you teach.
If you’re looking to adapt your teaching style to different learning styles, take the time to get to know your individual students and what types of learning environments they thrive in. Then adapt your teaching as you go.
As students learn better by different approaches and at a different speed, try to adjust your teaching style on the fly to maximize the learning opportunity for all.
3 expert tips to make your teaching styles more effective
To help you create the best possible learning experience for your learners, here are some expert tips from Thinkific Creator Educators who have successfully built thriving learning businesses that showcase their creative teaching styles.
Talk to your individual learners
When you’re creating learning content, try to speak to your learners as individuals, rather than as a large group. Aim to make your content a conversation.
This method helps make sure your content is engaging and interactive by keeping the individual learners at the heart of your teaching. What do they most want to hear from you? How will you reach those individuals and keep them locked in to every word you say?
“I continually asked myself… How am I going to teach these standards in an engaging way? What needs are my core understandings fulfilling? What understanding do I want my teachers to come away with?”
Meredith Austin, Thinkific Creator Educator
If you can imagine you’re speaking to an individual – and think about every individual in every class – it can help you to automatically adjust your learning content to suit a diverse range of learning styles. You also have a sounding board for every piece of content you create.
And if you’re not sure whether or not it works? Ask a real life learner for their feedback.
“I also have a muse that I’m writing the course for. So I’ll think, ‘what does Emily need to understand? Where do I need to take her so that she can apply these techniques in her business with confidence?’ This is what lays the foundation for all of my online courses.”
Fiona Humberstone, Thinkific Creator Educator
Think about the problem you’re trying to solve
Many teachers and educators find it helpful to focus on solving a specific problem when they’re creating learning content. By zeroing in on a set of problems you’re trying to help your students solve, you can craft more compelling learning outcomes that resonate with your learners – and your customers.
“When I sit down to create a mindmap, I always think first, ‘What kind of journey do I need to take my students on? Where do I want my students to be at the end? What problem is my online course solving? What am I hearing that people are struggling with?”
Fiona Humberstone, Thinkific Creator Educator
This method can also help you to structure your learning content. If you focus on the problem your learners need to solve – whatever that may be – you can make sure that every piece of content you produce is bringing them one step closer to that goal.
“It’s about providing a solution where if someone didn’t solve the problem, it would greatly affect their life.”
Diamond Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Pro tip: Knowing the problem you’re solving for learners is also an effective way to make your marketing messaging pop. If you can understand your learners’ core priorities and pain points, you can make sure your marketing content speaks directly to them. Whether on social media, email, or via your website content.
Build a community to encourage social learning
Whatever teaching styles you choose, building a community around your course can help to enhance and facilitate learning for your students.
By building a learning community, you can give your learners a space to connect, share, and learn beyond the classroom, opening up new opportunities for discussions and fresh insights.
If you’re looking to monetize your courses, building a community also opens up opportunities to connect with your learners and customers – helping to encourage reconversions and turn past students into brand advocates. Plus, your community can become a digital product in its own right too.
“My first round of BAM graduated two years ago, and they’re able to network and respond to newer members’ questions in the Slack community, as well as share their experiences, insights and stories of their journey.”
Kat Lee, Thinkific Creator Educator
Start creating inspiring online learning experiences today
Here at Thinkific we’re dedicated to making it easier for teachers and educators to deliver impactful, inspiring, and unforgettable learning experiences to their students.
We have some of the best teachers in the world in our ranks who have learnt how to engage and enthrall their learners with every lesson.
Ready to join the movement?
Create your own incredible learning experiences – and embrace your own unique teaching style – with Thinkific’s intuitive and easy-to-use platform, built for teachers and creator educators. Create, market, and sell beautiful courses online using Thinkific’s suite of AI-powered, no-code tools – and reach more learners across the world with your content.
The platform adjusts easily to various teaching styles, depending on your learners’ needs. Add multimedia materials, including presentations, videos, quizzes, and more. Plus build your own member communities to encourage and facilitate social learning and open up your learners’ eyes to what’s possible.
Get started with Thinkific for free today to see how easy creating your first learning product can be.
This blog was originally published in February 2023, this has since been updated with the newest information in October 2024.