Didactic pedagogy is the oldest model of pedagogy. Its philosophies were implemented by ancient scholars as early as Confucious (approximately 551-479 B.C.) and St. Benedict (480-543 A.D.). Didactic pedagogy became almost universally popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as mass, institutionalized education became prominent across the globe (Cope, 2015). This was in the midst of the industrial era. The industrial era demanded uniformity and efficiency of its workforce. The average worker performed monotonous, repetitive tasks on assembly lines such as those of Ford's Car Factories. The typical job required just a few hours or a few days of training. Employers were happy with their minimally skilled and educated employees. An employee with too much intelligence could interfere with the expectation to follow orders and complete mundane work (See Taylor on Scientific Management). 

Charlie Chaplin's parody of factory work below emphasizes the repetitive, unskilled nature of work in the industrial era:

Though didactic pedagogy has its roots in early society and in the industrial era, it is still very much alive in today's education system due to a variety of social, cultural, and even practical reasons (Cope, 2015). Here is a closer look at its methods.

Didactic pedagogy is teacher-centered. Learners are simply consumers of knowledge. As Cope and Kalantzis (n.d.) define it, 

The teacher is in command of knowledge. His or her mission is to transmit this knowledge to learners, and learners, it is hoped, dutifully absorb the knowledge laid before them by the teacher.

The ideal student for didactic pedagogy is passive and compliant (which corresponds to the ideal worker in the industrial era). Successful students accept facts and moral truths presented by teachers and textbooks - the holders of knowledge. They memorize facts and parrot them back them with little thought or interpretation. Acceptable answers are black and white, either right or wrong.

Communication is primarily a one-way street from the teacher to the students. Students have occasional opportunities to answer back to the teacher one at a time. Students are generally isolated from their peers with their desks front-facing and placed in rows and columns. The teacher's place is at the front of the classroom with a blackboard, whiteboard, or SMARTBoard - the tool through which they impart knowledge.

A 1950s classroom showcasing didactic pedagogy - a pedagogy still alive today in the 21st century. Image: Lindenwood Library (2010)

Below is a sample of didactic pedagogy practices in a Japanese Cram School where young students are studying to pass an entry test into prestigious elementary schools. The result of the test will largely determine the fate of their futures:

The main part of the lesson involves practicing sample test questions from mimeographed [copied] work sheets...

The teacher passes out mimeographed papers with three letters written at the top of the page, and fifteen pictures beginning with those sounds in random order beneath them. Bringing the children to seated attention and telling them to listen carefully, she gives directions only once. Speaking slowly and clearly she tells them,

‘Circle the “su” with green. Circle the “se” with red. Circle the “so” with orange. Now you may color.’

At this signal children pick up their crayons and circle the letters quickly with the appropriate color. After finishing, they line their crayons up again carefully.

‘Now look at the picture underneath. Draw a green circle around the things that start with “su” … Draw a red circle around the things that start with “se.” and an orange circle around the things that start with “so.” Now you may start.”

The teacher moves around the room correcting children who make mistakes.

Following this exercise, the teacher passes out another mimeographed page with a series of domino-like figures on it … Again, calling the children to seated attention she gives instructions only once.

‘Count the number of dots in each box. Draw one more than that number of circles in the small spaces below. Begin.’

She again moves about the room giving suggestions to children who make mistakes.

‘Use your finger when you count. How many dots are there? How many did you draw? You’re looking around the room, which is why you’re making mistakes.’

After children have finished they lay down their crayons and quietly await the next exercises.

References:

Charlie Chaplin. (2010, June 18). Charlie Chaplin - Factory Work [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfGs2Y5WJ14

Confucius. c.500 BCE-a. The Analects. MIT Internet Classics Archive.Chapters 5, 6, 16, 19, 2. Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-8/confucius-on-becoming-a-learned-person

Cope, B. (2015). Introducing three pedagogical paradigms [CG Scholar Update]. Retrieved from https://cgscholar.com/community/community_profiles/eps-431-new-learning-2015/community_updates/23137

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (n.d.). Learning by design: Glossary: Didactic. Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-8/st-benedict-on-the-teacher-and-the-taught

Ford, H. (1923). My life and work (pp. 103, 103–104, 105–106, 107–108, 110, 79, 111). Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-2/ford-on-his-car-factory

Lindenwood Library. (2010, March 4). 1950s student teaching [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://library.lindenwood.edu/archives/Lindenwood%20Photos/Lindenwood%20Classes/1950s%20student%20teaching.JPG

Peak, L. (1992). Formal pre-elementary education in Japan (p. 58–60). Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-8/a-japanese-cram-school

St. Benedict. (1949). The holy rule of St. Benedict (pp. Prologue, II, III, VI, VII). Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-8/st-benedict-on-the-teacher-and-the-taught

Taylor, F. W. (1911). The principles of scientific management (pp. 44–46, 59). Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/literacies/chapter-2/taylor-on-scientific-management