Learner-centered

teaching: Foundations and

Characteristics
Topics
1. Learner-centered teaching
Definition, Description/Characteristics
2. Paradigm shift: From teacher-centered to learner-centered teaching
A. Philosophical perspectives
a.1 Teacher-centered philosophies
Essentialism
Perennialism
a.2 Learner-centered philosophies
Progressivism
Humanism
Constructivism

November 22, 2023 Page 2

Teacher-centered
Teacher centered instruction
is where the teacher is the
center of knowledge and in
charge of learning. In such
models knowledge is
transmitted from instructor to
students. Students are usually
passively receiving information.
The emphasis is on acquisition
of knowledge outside the
context in which it will be used.

November 22, 2023 Page 3

Subject Matter-Centered
The subject matter -centered
approach is one of the most
widely used methods for
organizing educational
experiences. In this approach,
the subject matter becomes the
basis around which learning
experiences are organized and
the mastery of subject matter
becomes the basis for the
attainment of educational
objectives.
November 22, 2023 Page 4
Learner-Centered Teaching
Learner-centered teaching
methods shift the focus of activity from
the teacher to the learners. These
methods include: Active learning, in
which students solve problems, answer
questions, formulate questions of their
own, discuss, explain, debate, or
brainstorm during class.

November 22, 2023 Page 5

Characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching
1. Teachers Work Harder than their Students
2. Students learn from Classmates
3. Students learn more through experiences and active
involvement
4. Students apply new learning to real-life, authentic
experiences
5. Students receive frequent directed, and timely feedback

November 22, 2023 Page 6

Characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching
6. Students are Encouraged to Explain Material to Themselves
and Others
7. Students Regularly Engage in Communication
8. Students Know what They are Learning and Why
9. Students Use Personalized Technology to Produce an activity
10. A higher Degree of Engagement

November 22, 2023 Page 7

Who is a 21 century learner?
st

This refers to a student under the age of 25 who is considered a

digital native and has been school age within the last 20 years.

The 21st century learners need to understand how to command

the digital and informational world. This requires skills
necessary to exist on the global scene.

November 22, 2023 Page 8

What are the 21st Century Skills to be developed?

November 22, 2023 Page 9

Why did we shift to learner-centered teaching?
Learner-centered education empowers the students to take
ownership of what they learn by focusing on how the new
knowledge solves a problem or adds value.

Instead of simply pouring information over the child's mind, the

facilitator presents the student with an issue and guides the
class as they build a solution.

November 22, 2023 Page 10

Philosophical perspectives of a Teacher-centered
Teaching
1. Essentialism is fundamentally about designing and taking
control of your life. The same amount of energy, when directed
purposefully, can bring you much closer to your goal. Know the
right things you must do, reject everything else and direct your
time and energy to create the biggest impact where it matters.

November 22, 2023 Page 11

Philosophical perspectives of a Teacher-centered
Teaching
Essentialists believe that teachers should try to embed
traditional moral values and virtues such as respect for
authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for
others, and practicality and intellectual knowledge that
students need to become model citizens.

November 22, 2023 Page 12

Philosophical perspectives of a Teacher-centered
Teaching
Perennialism

Derived from the word perennial, which means to endure the

test of time, perennialism in education means to teach what is
everlasting. Just as perennial plants last for years, a perennial
curriculum focuses on principles that have been constant
throughout human history.

November 22, 2023 Page 13

Philosophical perspectives of a Teacher-
centered Teaching
Perennialists believe that the focus of education should be the
ideas that have lasted over centuries. They believe the ideas
are as relevant and meaningful today as when they were
written. They recommend that students learn from reading and
analyzing the works by history's finest thinkers and writers.

November 22, 2023 Page 14

Learner-centered philosophies
Progressivism

Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change

are fundamental to one's education. Believing that people learn
best from what they consider most relevant to their lives,
progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences,
interests, and abilities of students.

November 22, 2023 Page 15

The main goal of progressive education is to get students to
have a hands-on learning experience, aka learn by doing. Also
known as experiential learning, this method sees active
participation by students in hands-on projects.

November 22, 2023 Page 16

It (progressivism) also imparts to them the skills they require in
order to learn any subject, instead of focusing on transmitting a
particular subject. This enhances discovery and self-directed
learning through active engagements, inculcating in them the
spirit of communalism, tolerance, justice and democratic
equity.

November 22, 2023 Page 17

Students learn by doing and are encouraged to follow their own
curiosity. With carefully scaffolded instruction, expert teachers
guide students to find the connection point between their own
interests and various topic areas.

November 22, 2023 Page 18

Humanism

Humanism is an approach to life based on reason and our

common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly
founded on human nature and experience alone.

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Humanism stresses the importance of human values and dignity.
It proposes that people can resolve problems through science
and reason. Rather than looking to religious traditions,
humanism focuses on helping people live well, achieve personal
growth, and make the world a better place.

November 22, 2023 Page 20

Humanistic teachers believe that students will be motivated to
learn a subject if it's something they need and want to know.
The goal of education should be to foster students' desire to
learn and teach them how to learn. Students should be self-
motivated in their studies and desire to learn on their own.

November 22, 2023 Page 21

Humanism is a student centered philosophy that focuses on
enhancing ones innate goodness, rejects the idea of group-
oriented education, and upholds the idea of enhancing
individual development.

November 22, 2023 Page 22

Constructivism

Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct

knowledge rather than just passively take in information. As
people experience the world and reflect upon those
experiences, they build their own representations and
incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge
(schemas).
November 22, 2023 Page 23
Constructivism

One of the key figures in the development of constructivism is

John Dewey, who believed that education should be centered
around the learner and their experiences. Dewey believed that
learning should be interactive and that students should be
encouraged to explore and discover new information on their
own.
November 22, 2023 Page 24
Constructivist classrooms focus on student questions and
interests, they build on what students already know, they focus
on interactive learning and are student-centered, teachers have
a dialogue with students to help them construct their own
knowledge, they root in negotiation, and students work
primarily in groups.

November 22, 2023 Page 25

Why constructivism is important in teaching and learning?

The democratic and interactive process of a constructivist

classroom allows students to be active and autonomous
learners. Using constructivist strategies, teachers are more
effective. They are able to promote communication and create
flexibility so that the needs of all students can be met.

November 22, 2023 Page 26

Constructivism fosters the development of critical thinking
skills. Students are encouraged to analyze information, evaluate
evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and solve complex
problems. These skills are essential for success in higher
education, careers, and everyday life.

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