I don’t believe it is possible to come up with a one size fits all technique for landing with maximum safety. Pilot, aircraft, runway and weather all need to be taken into account to even establish the best plan, let alone the issues about teaching and executing the plan.
But we have to start somewhere.
Let us assume an inexperienced recreational student pilot and a light aircraft of a type that is in widespread use. We have now removed two major variables.
Such a combination should ideally not be going about their business where the runway is other than plenty long enough and the weather pretty benign. In such normal circumstances, the instructor will surely be tying to get the student to develop three skills;
A Correct visual judgement of the approach and landing that is going on
B Proper control techniques
C Flying accuracy.
Not separating out these three elements and just getting on with bashing the circuit in some generalised way and hoping it will all come good one day is not helpful for the student.
In my view these skills should be taught/honed in the order listed. A and C are at the heart of this thread.
By all means teach the inexperienced student to land 1/3 in when teaching A and B. That way you maximise the chances of leaving the student to appreciate errors and correct them without instructor intervention and also enhance solo safety.
Then when A and B are sorted (and not before) you really need to beat up on the student over C. For my money this includes a touchdown point well in (for the extra safety this provides against an engine problem on finals) BUT that does not mean you accept other than the chosen point of touchdown. If undershooting - sort it, if overshooting - go around.
Once A,B and C are sorted the available skills allow the pilot to CONVERT to a new runway type. (short, narrow, bumpy, slippery, sloping, different width/length perspective etc etc)
Such a new runway may well require the (now) available skills of C to be used to land at the threshold – or wherever is appropriate for the combination of all the factors present.
When subsequently faced with a new runway, aircraft and weather combination the inexperienced pilot can then talk to him/herself downwind about the need to consider A, B and C.
JF