The Starter Activity of the Lesson; Considerable Categories and Dynamics

Abstract

Lesson planning is an established skill and teacher trainers are giving it considerable attention during teacher training. The most challenging part of a lesson plan is a starter activity. This activity is not entirely neglected but still not well explored and researched. The purpose of this research study was to discover the categories of starter activities planned by the teachers teaching the matching subjects at the same level while having a contrasting background and training i.e. developed and developing countries’ teachers. Secondary school teachers from UK and Pakistan were selected conveniently. An inventory was used to collect data from the research participants. A focus group was also conducted using ‘Teams’. A phenomenological investigation leads to considerable findings. The aim of starter activities is the same though the categories and extent of use are different. Further, it was established that teachers used starter activities as a tool and bait to engage students, create a friendly classroom environment, and arouse the curiosity of the students however some might be using the same as an opportunity to smile and achievement for everyone to ensure inclusion. It was suggested that considerable importance should be given to the subject and prospective teachers should be provided with an exhaustive list of starter activities categories to enable them to plan and deliver effectively.