INTRODUCTION

This module is designed to explore and equip pre-service teachers

with the fundamental principles, processes, and practices anchored
on learner-centeredness and other educational psychologies
supportive of learning environments as these apply to facilitate various teaching
learning delivery modes to enhance learning. It also includes the demonstration of
knowledge and understanding of differentiated teaching to suit the learners’ gender,
needs, strengths, interests and experiences. Further, pre-service teachers will be
trained to implement teaching strategies that are responsive to learners’ linguistic,
cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds.

Learner-centered teaching: Foundations and

characteristics 1

Learning Outcomes (OBJECTIVES)

At the end of the course, students should be able to: BTIs covered:

[1] demonstrate understanding of the concepts and principles of learner-centered

teaching based on educational philosophies and research and their application in
actual teaching and learning;

[2] demonstrate understanding of learning environments that promote fairness,

respect and care to encourage learning;

[3] demonstrate knowledge of managing classroom structure that engages learners,

individually or in groups, in meaningful exploration, discovery and hands-on activities
within the available physical learning environments;

[4] demonstrate understanding of supportive learning environment that nurture and

inspire learner participation;

[5] demonstrate knowledge of learning environments that motivate learners to work

productively by assuming responsibility for their own learning;

[6] demonstrate knowledge of positive and non-violent discipline in the management

of learner behavior;
 [7] demonstrate knowledge and understanding of differentiated teaching to suit the
learners’ gender, needs, strengths, interests and experiences;

[8] implement teaching strategies that are responsive to learners’ linguistic, cultural,
socio-economic and religious backgrounds;

[9] demonstrate understanding of the special educational needs of learners who

have been displaced due to urban resettlement, calamities and armed conflict; and

[10]demonstrate knowledge of laws and policy documents that promote learner-

centered teaching.

What do you know? (PRE-TEST)

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. The process of metacognition helps every learner how to learn effectively.

Which of the following statements is not a result of metacognition?
a. It makes the learner realize his strengths and weaknesses in learning
b. It develops the learner’s self-motivation to learn and improves his study
habits.
c. It trains the learner how to learn on his own more efficiently and effectively.
d. It reaches the learner to know what to learn and for him to accumulate
more knowledge.
e. It develops the ability of the learner to evaluate his own thinking and learn
more effectively.

2. Below are the six aspects and/or processes of study habits listed in no
particular order. Which should be the habit correct logical and systematic
sequence of the six aspects.
1.Note-taking and reading
2.Organizing and planning the work
3. Preparing an assignment/project
4. Motivation
5. Managing school work stress
6. Working with others

a. 1-2-3-4-5-6
b. 4-2-5-5-1-3
c. 4-2-5-6-3-1
d. 4-3-5-2-6-1
e. 3-4-1-5-6-2
3. According to John Flavell, metacognition consists of metacognitive knowledge
and metacognitive experience of regulation. This simply means _____.
a. “Thinking about thinking” or “learning how to learn”
b. Learning focuses on the accumulation of verbalized information.
c. Learning by rote and memorization with emphasis on knowledge of
specific facts
d. Knowing what to learn through reading books and other vicarious
experiences
e. Gaining knowledge in the most abstract and symbolic way

4. Which category / variable of cognitive knowledge refers to the knowledge

about how human beings learn and process information.
a. Strategy variable
b. Task variable
c. Person Variable
d. Space variable
e. Time variable

5. The Task Variable of Metacognitive knowledge includes the following except

one. Which is an exception?
a. Knowledge about the nature of the learning tasks to be accomplished
b. Type of processing demands placed upon the individual
c. Cauging the difficulty of the tasks to be done by the learner
d. Kind of effort it will demand from the learner for him to exert
e. Knowledge of various and appropriate strategy to be used in learning

6. That variable of cognitive knowledge in which the learner is made aware of

the procedure to be used in trying to learn the topic/lesson and for him to
evaluate whether the procedure is effective or not is the ___.
a. Task variable
b. Strategy variable
c. Person variable
d. Time and Space variable
e. Resources – variable

7. In a Science class, Mr. Santos guided his students to state a scientific

problem, formulate hypothesis and identify the experimental and controlled
variables for an experiment which the class performed by groups. From the
variables identified, each group designed their respective procedure on how
to go about the experiment. Which psychological principle of learner-centered
learning is involved in this situation?
a. Developmental and Social
b. Motivational and effective
c. Individual differences
d. Cognitive and Metacognitive
e. None of these
8. In the cognitive and metacognitive factors, what process is involved when the
learner is able to link new information and experiences in meaningful ways?
a. Construction of knowledge
b. Goal-directed learning process
c. Learning of complex subject matter
d. Strategic thinking process
e. Thinking about thinking process

9. When the successful learner can create and use a repertoire of thinking and
reasoning ways to achieve complex learning goals, what cognitive and
metacognitive factor is involved?
a. Nature of learning process
b. Goals of the learning process
c. Construction of knowledge process
d. Strategic process
e. Context of learning process

10. Which of the following does not intrinsically motivate and influence the learner
to learn?
a. Emotional state
b. Beliefs
c. Interests and goals
d. Habits of thinking
e. High scholastic ratings

11. On condition/conditions can a learner effectively learn despite different

opportunities and constraints for learning that interfere/
a. When learning materials for learning are appropriate, suited to his
developmental level
b. When the learning activity is interesting and enjoyable
c. When the learning task is catered to his intellectual/mental capacity
d. When he is ready and capable to perform a particular task
e. All these mentioned are favorable conditions for effective learning

12. Which of the factors below does not make an individual learner different from
another?
a. Mental and intellectual factors
b. Social and environmental factors
c. Physical and emotional factors
d. Materials used for learning
e. Family background and culture
13. In Jean Piaget’s “genetic epistemology” (theoretical framework), what was
the main focus of the study?
a. To determine how knowledge developed in human organism at
different developmental stages
b. To determine the rate of learning among children
c. To distinguish between dull and intelligent individual learners
d. To identify linguistic, social and manipulative abilities of a young child
e. To determine the hereditary traits manifested at every developmental
stage of a child.

14. When a small child calls another animal that looks a little bit like a dog, he
thinks and calls it a “dog”. What learning process is illustrated on Piaget’s
cognitive development theory?
a. Reversion
b. Accommodation
c. Assimilation
d. Equilibration
e. Centration

15. A child was presented two identical glasses with equal amount of water. The
water in one glass was transferred to a taller and narrower glass. The child
said that the taller and narrower glass contains more water that the other
glass. What function in the pre-operational stage of child development is
illustrated?
a. Symbolic function
b. Egocentrism
c. Centration
d. Reversibility
e. Transductive reasoning

16. John, a two-year old boy, pretended to be drinking from a glass which was
actually empty. His idea about the glass was for him to drink water from it.
What function for the pre-operational stage is illustrated by the situation?
a. Symbolic function
b. Centration
c. Conservation
d. Transductive reasoning
e. Animism

17. This is the tendency of the child in the pre-operational stage to only see his
own point of view and to assume that everyone also has the same point of
view as his.
a. Animism
b. Centration
c. Symbolism
d. Reversion
 e. Egocentrism
18. Considering the same situation in item number 15, the child who is now in the
concrete operation stage can now judge rightly that the amount of water in the
taller and narrower glass is still the same as when the water was in the
shorter but wider glass. What function does this illustrate?
a. Seriation
b. Reversibility
c. Decentration
d. Conservation
e. Centration

19. In the Formal Operational Stage of cognitive development of a child ages

between 12-15 years, he has already the ability to perceive the relationship in
one instance and then use that relationship to narrow down possible answers
in similar situation or problem. What do you call this ability?
a. Hypothetical Reasoning
b. Analogical Reasoning
c. Deductive Reasoning
d. Inductive Reasoning
e. Abstract Reasoning

20. According to Erickson, what years are crucial for the development of self-
confidence?
a. High School years
b. College years
c. Pre-School years
d. Elementary years
e. In all years

21. Which of the following does not belong to the stages or personality
dimensions of Erik Erickson’s Pscho-Social Development during infancy and
childhood?
a. Trust versus mistrust
b. Autonomy versus shame and doubt
c. Initiative versus guilt
d. Intimacy versus isolation
e. Industry versus inferiority

22. In what stage of Erickson’s Theory of development is identity versus identity

confusion prevalent?
a. Infancy
b. Childhood
c. Adolescence
d. Adulthood
e. In all stages
 23. Scaffolding is a teaching technique in assisting a learner to accomplish a
given learning task. From whom and what theory development was this
technique based?
a. Erickson’s Pscho-Social Theory
b. Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory
c. Kholberg’s Stages of Moral development
d. Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
e. Socio-environmental factors

24. According to Vygotsky, what are the two central factors in cognitive
development?
a. Social interaction and language factors
b. Emotional and mental factors
c. Intellectual and language factors
d. Pscho-social factors
e. Socio-environmental factors

25. Which of the six stages of moral development advocated by Lawrence

Kholberg states that an individual is motivated to do what is desired of him to
do in order to avoid punishment?
a. Mutual benefit
b. Social approval stage
c. Punishment -obedience stage
d. Law and Order stage

Explore

Learner-centered teaching

Over the last decade, the principles of learner-centered teaching have gained
widespread use throughout all levels and disciplines of education. Unfortunately, as
the principles have gained popularity, the definition of learner-centered teaching has
become a bit muddied and over simplified. Although strategies like student
engagement, active learning and other practices that involve students in their own
learning are a necessary component of learner-centered teaching; these practices
do not represent the entire philosophy of what it means to be a learner-centered
teacher.

According to Weimer (2012), there are five characteristics of learner-centered

teaching:

1. Learner-centered teaching engages students in the hard, messy work of learning.

2. Learner-centered teaching includes explicit skill instruction.
3. Learner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they are
learning and how they are learning it.

4. Learner-centered teaching motivates students by giving them some control over

learning processes.

5. Learner-centered teaching encourages collaboration.

Students may be less than enthusiastic, or even rebellious, when confronted with
learner-centered teaching. There are four likely reasons for this resistance, and you
may deal with any one or all of them in the classroom. The four most commonly
encountered reasons for resistance include:

1. Learner-centered approaches require more work

2. Learner-centered approaches are threatening

3. Learner-centered approaches involve losses

4. Some students are not ready for certain learner-centered approaches

Colleagues may resist learner-centered teaching

1. One common reason is the belief that you are not “covering” enough content.

2. A second common reason for colleague resistance is the belief that only very
advanced and mature students would benefit from this type of teaching practice.

3. The third common reason is that faculty can feel threatened when shifting the
responsibility for learning to the students. I

Experience

Answer the following questions and discussed it with your co-students. Assumed that
you are already a teacher:

What does the power shift look like? It does not entail handing all of the power to the
students and losing control as a leader. There is a reason you are the teacher. The
power shift is more about sharing responsibility for learning with the students.

How can you address fears of the power shift?

 How would you characterize your students?

 Are they empowered, self-motivated learners who tackle learning tasks with
confidence and ingenuity?
 Why are so many students anxious, indecisive, and unsure of themselves as
learners?

 Is there something about the way we teach that makes students dependent
learners, that inhibits their development, making it so they cannot learn unless
teachers tell them what and how?

Paradigm shift: From teacher centered to learner-

centered teaching 2

Explore

Teaching-Centered vs. Learning-Centered Paradigms

Some of today’s educators are suggesting that colleges and universities should
consider a paradigm shift. This shift involves moving from the Teaching-Centered
Paradigm to a Learning-Centered Paradigm in the classroom. Courses which employ
the Teaching-Centered Paradigm are those where the instructor is the primary
information giver and the primary evaluator. Courses which employ the Learning-
Centered Paradigm are those where the instructor is the facilitator and coach,
learning together with students. The following table compares the differing
paradigms:

Comparison of Teaching-Centered and Learning-Centered Paradigms

(Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses by Huba and Freed
2000)
Teaching-Centered Paradigm Learning-Centered Paradigm
Knowledge is transmitted from professor Students construct knowledge through
to students gathering and synthesizing information
and integrating it with the general skills of
inquiry, communication, critical thinking,
problems solving and so on
Students passively receive information Students are actively involved
Emphasis is on acquisition of knowledge Emphasis in on using and
outside the context in which it will be communicating knowledge effectively to
used address enduring and emerging issues
and problems in real-life contexts
Professor’s role is to be primary Professor’s role is to coach and facilitate
information giver and primary evaluator Professor and students evaluate learning
together
Teaching and assessment are separate Teaching and assessment are
intertwined
Assessment is used to monitor learning Assessment is used to promote and
diagnose learning
Emphasis is on the right answer Emphasis in on generating better
questions and learning from mistakes
Desired learning is assessed indirectly Desired learning is assessed directly
through the use of objectively scored through papers, projects, performances,
tests portfolios and the like
Focus is on single discipline Approach is compatible with
interdisciplinary investigation
Class culture is competitive and Class culture is cooperative,
individualistic collaborative and supportive
Only students are viewed as learners Professor and students learn together

Why is it important to begin to transform our classroom practices?

In the Learning-Centered environment students learn how to use a discipline,

integrate disciplines to solve problems, and master learning objectives. In the
Teaching-Centered environment material is covered, but not necessarily mastered.
The pedagogy is different, too. In the Learning-Centered environment students learn
by doing. They engage in the material and practice the discipline. In the Teaching-
Centered environment faculty cover the material through lecture where information
and learning are based on the delivery of information. If we are to understand how
learning occurs, thinking about creating neural pathways that perpetuate and ensure
life-long learning, it becomes important to think about how instructors can facilitate
this learning. If, as in the Teacher-Centered classroom, the faculty role is that of the
sage on the stage, students are not the focus of the teaching. However, if, as in the
Learning-Centered environment, the faculty role is that of a designer of a learning
environment, the student becomes the focus of the teaching and has a greater
chance of mastery and life-long learning.

Experience

Make a research paper about paradigm shift in education.

 Dimensions of Learner-Centered Teaching 3

Excite

In teaching, consider the following questions:

 What is the role of the teacher?
 What is the balance of power?
 What is the function of content?
 Whose responsibility is it for learning?
 What is the purpose and process of evaluation?

Explore

What does LCT look like in practice? Phyllis Blumberg (2009 pg 19-20 table 1.2) developed
the rubric below that contrast instructor-center and learner-center approaches to teaching
based on Wiemer's 5 dimensions of of LCT. 

Definition An Instructor-
Learner-Centered
Dimension of this Essential Centered
Approach
Dimension Component Approach
Content
includes
Instructor
building a
encourages
knowledge Level to
Instructor allows students to
The base, how which
students to transform and
Function of the students
memorize reflect on most the
Content instructor engage
content. content to make
and the content.
their own meaning
students
out of it. 
use the
content.
The Role of An essential Instructors Instructor: Instructor
the role of the use teaching intentionally uses
Instructor instructor is and learning  Does not various teaching
to assist methods have and learning
students to appropriate specific methods that are
learn.  for student learning appropriate for
learning goals student learning
 and/or
 Uses
teaching
and
learning
goals.  goals.
methods
that
conflict
with
learning
goals
Instructor
assumes all
responsibility for
Instructor provides
Students students learning
increasing
should (provides
opportunities for
assume Responsibilit content to
The students to assume
greater y for learning memorize, does
Responsibilit responsibility for
responsibilit should rest not require
y for their own learning,
y for their with the students to
Learning leading to
own students.  create their own
achievement of
learning meaning of
stated learning
over time.  content, tells
objectives. 
students exactly
what will be on
examinations).  
Instructor

There are  Uses only

summative Consistently
additional
Formative assessme throughout the
purposes nt (to make
The assessment learning process,
and decisions
Purposes (giving instructor integrate
processes to assign
and feedback to
of grades)  Formative
Processes of foster
assessment assessment
Assessment improvement  Provides
beyond
.  students  Constructive
assigning
with no feedback 
grades. 
constructiv
e
feedback 
The Balance The Flexibility of Instructor Instructor is flexible
of Power balance of course mandates all on most
power shifts policies, policies and
 Course
so that the assessment deadlines. policies
instructor methods,
or  Assessment
shares learning
some methods, Instructor does methods
decisions and not adhere to  Learning
 methods
 Deadlines
about the and
course with
deadlines.   policies.   Instructor always
the
students.  adheres to what
instructor has
agreed to with the
students. 

Experience

Make a concept mapping about the dimensions of learner-centered teaching.

Learner-centered Psychological Principles 4

m
Excite
g

Go to the link provided and watch the short video clip. Follow up questions will be
given after watching the video.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/learner-centered-teaching-strategies-me

thods.html#lesson
 Explore

The following 14 psychological principles pertain to all learners and the learning
process. They are best understood as an organized set of principles; no principle
should be viewed in isolation. This document is adapted from the principles
developed by the American Psychological Association.

1. The learning of complex subject matter is most effective when it is an

intentional process of constructing meaning from information and experience.

2. The successful learner, over time and with support and instructional guidance,
can create meaningful, coherent representations of knowledge.

3. The successful learner can link new information with existing knowledge in
meaningful ways.

4. The successful learner can create and use a repertoire of thinking and
reasoning strategies to achieve complex learning goals.

5. Higher order strategies for selecting and monitoring mental operations

facilitate creative and critical thinking.

6. Learning is influenced by environmental factor, including culture, technology,

and instructional practices.

7. What and how much is learned is influenced by the learner’s motivation.

Motivation to learn, in turn, is influenced by the individual’s emotional states,
beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking.

8. The learner’s creativity, higher order thinking, and natural curiosity all
contribute to motivation to learn. Intrinsic motivation is stimulated by tasks of
optimal novelty and difficulty, relevant to personal interests, and providing for
personal choice and control.

9. Acquisition of complex knowledge and skills requires extended learner effort

and guided practice. Without learners’ motivation to learn, the willingness to exert
this effort is unlikely without coercion.
10. As individuals develop, there are different opportunities and constraints for
learning. Learning is most effective when differential development within and
across physical, intellectual, emotional, and social domains is taken into account.

11. Learning is influenced by social interactions, interpersonal relations, and

communication with others.

12. Learners have different strategies, approaches, and capabilities for learning
that are a function of prior experience and heredity.

13. Learning is most effective when differences in learners’ linguistic, cultural, and
social backgrounds are taken into account.

14. Setting appropriately high and challenging standards and assessing the
learner as well as learning progress – including diagnostic, process, and outcome
assessment – are integral parts of the learning process.

Experience

Make an abstract about learner -centered teaching principles.