The document discusses the skill of stimulus variation in teaching. It defines stimulus variation as bringing desirable changes or variations in the stimuli used to sustain students' attention in the classroom. It identifies several component behaviors of this skill, including movements, gestures, changing voice, focusing, varying interaction styles, pausing, switching between audio and visual, and involving students physically. Each component is then described in more detail. The document concludes by providing an observation schedule to rate a teacher's use of the different components of stimulus variation.

1. 4. SKILL OF STIMULUS VARIATION
Dr SAJEENA S.

2. SKILL OF STIMULUS VARIATION
 Generally, a teacher makes use of an appropriate stimulus for evoking the
desired responses. However, a continued use of such stimulus may induce
disinterest and inattention on account of many physiological and psychological
factors.
 The stimulus variation, that is, variation or change in the stimuli available in
the learner's environment, provides an answer. Thus, the skill of stimulus
variation may be defined as a set of behaviours for bringing the desirable
change of variation in the stimuli used to secure and sustain pupils attention
towards classroom

3. COMPONENTS OF THE SKILL
 The skill of introducing change or variation in the attention capturing stimuli in a classroom comprises
the following component behaviours:
 (i) movements, (ii) gestures, iii) changes in voice iv) focusing (v) change in the interaction styles, (vi)
pausing (vii) aural-visual switching and (viii) physical involvement of the students.

4. MOVEMENTS:
 The moving objects are capable of capturing more attention than those
non- moving or static. Therefore, the movements of the teacher in the
class carries wide significance in securing and sustaining the pupils'
attention. However, all types of movements do not bring positive results.
So, a teacher while practising the skill of stimulus variation should learn
to make well-planned, meaningful movements.

5. GESTURES
 These are non-verbal cues provided in the oral message given by the
teacher for enhancing the value of the message. They are usually made
with the help of eye, hand, head, body movements, facial expression,
such as extending the hands in a typical shape to indicate how big or
small an object is.

6. CHANGE IN VOICE:
 This attention-capturing behaviour of the teacher is related to the art of
bringing appropriate variation or change in the tone, pitch or speed of his
voice.

7. FOCUSING:
 It refers to the behaviours that help in focusing the pupil's attention on a particular
object, word, idea, rule or generalization. Such behaviours may take the following
forms
 1. Use of verbal statements like "look here in this map", and "it is important to note"
 2. Use of gestures.
 3. Use of both verbal statements and gestures.

8. CHANGE IN INTERACTION STYLES:
 The communication process going inside the classroom is termed as interaction. There are
three main styles of this interaction
1.Teacher-group interaction (teacher conveys and gets response from the class or
group as a whole)
2.Teacher-pupils interaction (Here, the teacher communicates with an individual
pupil)
3.Pupil-pupil interaction: (Here, the teacher employs many pupils in a dialogue
without doing direct discussion)

9. PAUSING:
 This refers to the behaviour related with introducing silence during talk. A
pause of approximately three seconds is regarded as quite effective in
securing and sustaining pupil’s attention.

10. AUDIO-VISUAL SWITCHING:
 This behaviour refers to the introduction of the change or variation in the
use of a medium. Eg. from aural to visual, from visual to aural or a
combination of aural and visual.

11. PHYSICAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS:
 This behaviour involves the introduction of the change or variation in the types,
forms, styles of the physical involvement of the pupils in the class. Sometimes, they
may be engaged in dramatizing and other times in writing on the black board,
participating in the demonstration or handling some instruments or aid material etc.

12. Observation schedule-cum-rating scale for the skill of stimulus variation
Name of the Student-teacher:
Class:
Session: teach/Re-teach
Date:
Concept/Topic:
Supervisor:
Tallies (Frequency of frequency of
occurrence of Component
Behaviour)
Components Ratings (Performance with Regard to
the Use of Component)
1. Movements
2. Gestures
3. Change in voice
4. Focusing
5. Change in interaction styles
6. Pausing
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6