Facilitating Learning Centered

Teaching

Topic II- Paradigm shift: From teacher-centered to

learner-centered teaching
• PARADIGM is …. a theory or a group of
ideas about how something should be
done, made, or thought about.

• Paradigm Shift •
• Old – Instruction Paradigm – An
educational institution exists to
provide instruction.
• New – Learning Paradigm – An
educational institution exists to
produce learning.
 I-Philosophical perspective
Teacher -centered
philosophies

 These philosophies focus on what the teacher wants his or her

students to learn. There are a lot of factors that determine what kind
of teaching philosophies to use.

• We remember this from our own experiences in school. Do you

remember when you were in class and the teacher was in front and
she lectured to you?
• Everyone student remembers taking notes off of the blackboard.
These are just two examples of teacher-centered practices.
• Kathy Brown clarifies that “the teacher-centered
approach is associated chiefly with the
transmission of knowledge” .

• Getting the knowledge out and to the student is the

main focus.
• Students are accountable for what they have
learned and the teachers are also.
• Teachers are in control and they plan out activities
and learning strategies according to specific times
during the lesson (Teacher Vision).
Teacher-centered philosophies that are
mostly used in teaching includes:

Essentialism
Perennialism.
 Essentialism
Essentialism in the Classroom

• “Essentialism strives to teach students the accumulated

knowledge of our civilization through core courses in the
traditional academic disciplines” . (In the excerpt of the book Teachers, Schools, and
Society)

What this means is that our society has certain viewpoints and
practices that schools must pass down to students in a more
authoritarian way.
• According to William Gaudelli, “essentialists
concern themselves with teaching students
how to survive, succeed in their lives, and
not be a burden to others” .
(Gaudelli). Essentialist teachers believe that

1. what they teach will help their students in real-life situations as they grow
older
2. in the classroom, you will most likely see traditional subjects such as math,
English, science, and history as the foundations of learning.
3. achievement tests scores to evaluate progress and teachers expect that
students will leave school not only with basic skills, but also disciplined,
practical minds that are capable of applying lessons taught in school in the
real world” (Sadker and Zittleman, 2007).
4. their students to be able to use what they have learned in school and use it
appropriately in the real world.
•
 Perennialism
•Perennialism in the Classroom

“Perennialists recommend that;

1. students learn directly from the “Great Books”( relating to, or
centered in certain classics of literature, philosophy, history, and
science that are believed to contain the basic ideas of western
culture.)—works by history’s finest thinkers and writers, books
meaningful today as when they were first written” (Sadker and
Zittleman, 2007).
2. prefer past orientation, because it tends to be based on historical truth,
rather than conjecture(predicting) about the present and guessing about
the future” (Gaudelli, 2002).
 “Perennialists recommend that;
3. a student can be influence by such heroes in our past like
Washington and Lincoln.

4. in a classroom, the teacher will focus on the importance of

reading and will often use the underlying reading lessons to
make a moral point (Sadker and Zittleman, 2007).

These teachers want to teach their students how to be

excellent leaders in society just like history portrays.
 Learner-centered philosophies/
Student-Centered Philosophies
•Student-centered learning is just what is says. It
is basically learning by doing.

• Teachers believe that education should be child-

centered.
• According to Julie K. Brown, she basically says that
“student-centered instruction is when the
planning, teaching, and assessment revolve around
the needs and abilities of the students” (2008).
“Regardless of variations in
developmental levels, all children are
exposed to the same content in the
same time period and the teacher’s
role is to facilitate growth by
utilizing the interests and unique
needs of students as a guide for
meaningful instruction” (Teacher
Vision).
“Students develop analytic skills
that can be applied to other
problems and situations, rather than
accept their teachers’ explanation”
(1999). Becky A. Smerdon and David T. Burkam,
Developing analytic skills technique gives
the students the chance to

1. use their abilities and experiences to solve problems

2. find new ways of learning.

• With student centered learning, students and teachers

are committed to working together and finding the best
achievable way of learning.
Student-centered Philosophy
 Progressivism
•Progressivism in the Classroom

“Progressivisms build the curriculum around the

experiences, interests, and abilities of students, and
encourage students to work together cooperatively”
(Sadker and Zittleman).
Progressivists do not believe in
teaching “Great Books,” but use
“computer simulations, field trips,
and interactive websites on the
Internet to offer realistic learning
challenges for students, and build on
students’ multiple intelligences”
(Sadkier and Zittleman, 2007).
Progressivism in the Classroom

Role of Teachers
1. Lecturing student to find more interesting ways to
communicate important learning techniques and this “affords
students opportunities to explore ideas and construct knowledge
based on their own observations and experiences” (Smerdon and
Burkam, 1999).
2. Serve as their students’ guide and they want their students to
use problem-solving strategies they have learned in class to help
manage the challenges of life.
 Existentialism
“Existentialism places the highest degree of importance on
student perceptions, decisions, and actions” and individuals
are responsible for determining for themselves what is true
or false, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly (Sadker and
Zittleman, 2007).
Existentialism

•Students make choices and then take the

time to evaluate those choices.

• Teachers help students define their own

essence by exposing them to various paths
they may take in life and by creating an
environment in which they can freely
choose their way” (Sadker and Zittleman,
2007).
Existentialism philosophy means that;

1.students think for themselves and are aware

of responsibilities assigned to them.
2. say no to tradition and focuses on the
students’ unique talents.

The teacher views each student as an

individual and learn how to achieve their full
potential by trying new concepts.
 Humanism
• Humanism is a student-centered philosophy
that focuses on enhancing one’s innate goodness,
rejects the idea of group-oriented education, and
upholds the idea of enhancing individual
development.
 Humanistic approaches to learning are
based on:
1.the principles of humanism and are founded most
notably on the work of Abraham Maslow (1908–
1970) and Carl Rogers (1902–1987).
2.center on the learner as an individual and consider
that learning is not just about the intellect, but also
about educating the “whole person,” taking a
person’s interests, goals, and enthusiasm into
account, so that full potential can be achieved.
3. approach to learning is student centered, with learners encouraged to
take responsibility for their own learning and being intrinsically, rather
than extrinsically motivated.
4. the primary goal, that human well-being, including the primacy of
human values, the development of human potential, and the
acknowledgment of human dignity.
 Constructivism

Constructivism is a student-centered philosophy

that emphasizes hands on learning and students
actively participating in lessons.
 Constructivists believe that;
1. students should be able to discover lessons on their own through hands
on activity because it is the most effect way of learning and is
considered true learning.
2. asserts that learning is an active, constructive process. The learner
constructs knowledge rather than acquiring it.
3. In the classroom, encouraging students to
use active techniques, such as experiments and problem-solving,
 create or construct knowledge,
reflect on the process, rather than the traditional approach of absorbing
knowledge from the instructor.
•
 The three big ideas of constructivism as a paradigm for teaching
and learning are that:

Students role
1. actively constructing knowledge, rather than it being given to them.
2. actively reflecting on how they are learning.
Teacher's role
3.facilitator and a guide—providing students with the tools that they need to
construct the learning, and guiding them through pointed questions so that
they can figure out things and correct their own misconceptions
• II-Supporting research

• A paradigm shift is a major change in how people

think and get things done that upends and replaces a
prior paradigm. A paradigm shift can result after the
accumulation of anomalies or evidence that
challenges the status quo, or due to some
revolutionary innovation or discovery.
•
• Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions, identified paradigm shifts in scientific research programs.

• These occur after science-as-usual (what Kuhn called "normal science")

continues to accumulate anomalies that can no longer be explained by
the current set of theories and methods. As these anomalies grow that
challenge the prevailing paradigm, new theories and methods are
developed that challenge the status quo, ultimately leading to a
crisis. While incumbents will often rise to discount these challengers,
eventually a new paradigm may sweep over and replace the old guard.
•
According to Kuhn, Science proceeds in the
following stages:

• Pre-paradigmatic science
• Normal science
• Accumulation of anomalies
• Crisis
• Establishment of a new paradigm
Can a Person Experience a
Paradigm Shift?

While not exactly the way the term was

intended, individuals can experience what is
essentially a paradigm shift if their worldview
or ideology fundamentally changes to a new
state from a previous one.

People that convert to a new religion, for

instance, can go through a paradigm shift. If the
new way of thinking or belief system fully
replaces the old one, the paradigm shift has
occurred.
III-Resistance to change: Managing the shift ha
• Resistance to change is normal and expected, but what if
we could eliminate at least half of the resistance
encountered on a change initiative?

• The issue is not whether we will encounter resistance to

change. We will. Instead, we must understand how we
will support impacted people and groups through the
change process and manage resistance to minimize the
impacts.
Why Resistance Occurs
• Change creates anxiety and fear. The current state has tremendous
holding power, and the uncertainty of success and fear of the unknown
can block change and create resistance. These physical and emotional
reactions are powerful enough by themselves to create resistance to
change. But there is more to resistance than our emotional response.
Other drivers that influence an employee’s resistance
to change:
 The impact on their work
 The credibility of people communicating the change
 Personal factors, including finances, age, health, mobility and family
status
 The change’s alignment with their value system
 The organization’s history of handling change
• Even when impacted people and groups can align the change with their
self-interests and belief systems, the uncertainty of success and fear of
the unknown remain significant barriers to change.
 What Does Resistance to Change Look Like?
Prosci ( “professional” and “science) uses the word
“resistance” to describe the physiological and
psychological responses to change that manifest in specific
behaviors. Following categories of resistance
Emotion – Fear, loss, sadness, anger, anxiety, frustration, depression, focus on self
Disengagement – Silence, ignoring communications, indifference, apathy, low morale
Work impact – Reduced productivity/efficiency, non-compliance, absenteeism, mistakes
Acting out – Conflict, arguments, sabotage; overbearing, aggressive or passive-aggressive behavior
Negativity – Rumors/gossip, miscommunication, complaining, focus on problems, celebrating failure
Avoidance – Ignoring the change, reverting to old
behaviors, workarounds, abdicating responsibilities
Building barriers – Excuses, counterapproaches,
recruiting dissenters, secrecy, breakdown in trust
Controlling – Asking lots of questions, influencing
outcomes, defending current state, using status
• Change is an individual phenomenon and so is
resistance.

• The root cause for one person’s resistance may not

be the same as another person’s because it depends
on factors such as personal history, current events
in their life, and other current changes at work.
• Regardless of the source or what it looks like,
resistance to change has negative impacts on
initiatives and the organization.