Who introduced the monitorial teaching methods used in early 19th-century schools?

The monitorial system, which dominated teacher preparation and elementary education in the early 19th century, was introduced and popularized by the English educator Joseph Lancaster and the Scottish educator Andrew Bell.12

While both men independently developed similar educational efforts in the late 18th century, Joseph Lancaster became the system's most prominent advocate. His 1803 pamphlet, Improvements in Education, was highly influential, and his approach—often called the Lancasterian method—was widely adopted to provide basic literacy to large numbers of poor children in Europe and North America.13

The method functioned by having an adult teacher instruct a group of senior pupils, or "monitors," who then relayed that knowledge to larger groups of younger or less proficient students. Although the system was later criticized for its reliance on rote memorization and mechanical drill, it was initially valued for its economy and efficiency during a period when qualified teachers and public funding were in short supply.12