Learner Centered Teaching

Introduction to Learner-Centered Teaching

Learner-centered teaching represents a paradigm shift from traditional, teacher-centered approaches by placing the emphasis on the student’s learning experience rather than on the teacher’s delivery of content (Patel-Junankar, 2017).  

The key difference between teacher-centered and learner-centered teaching is the focus. In traditional teacher-centered classrooms, the instructor controls the learning experience and provides the information; the students passively receive it. On the other hand, learner-centered pedagogy (also called student-centered learning or student-centered instruction) aims to develop learner autonomy and enhance student motivation by putting more responsibility for the learning in the hands of students.  It encourages students to deeply engage with the material and recognizes that learning occurs through the process of interaction between the instructor and students and among the students (Murphy et al., 2021).  

Learner-centered teaching (LCT) is grounded in constructivist learning theory which suggests that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction rather than passively receiving information. In this paradigm, learners are the makers of meaning and knowledge (Trinidad, 2019).  

Doyle (2011) defines learner-centered teaching as making decisions about what and how students will learn based on the following question: “Given the context of your teaching (number of students, time of day, classroom configuration, and so on), how will your instructional decisions optimize the opportunity for students to learn the skills and content of the course?” (p.2). This approach requires educators to consider which instructional activities are best for helping students learn effectively. The goal of learner-centred teaching, thus, is to create learning environments that foster students' curiosity and actively engage them in authentic, relevant and meaningful learning.  

Bloomberg (2019), in her book titled “Making Learning-Centered Teaching Work” refers to learning-centered teaching as an integrated approach composed of five constructs:

1. Role of instructor
2. Development of student responsibility for learning
3. Function of content
4. Purposes and processes of student assessment
5. Balance of power

She describes these constructs as follows:  

Construct	Essential Actions Associated With Each Construct
Role of instructor	Develops learning outcomes Uses appropriate teaching/learning methods Aligns objectives, teaching/learning methods, and outcomes   Creates a supportive and success-oriented environment Creates an inclusive environment States teaching/learning methods explicitly
Development of student responsibility for learning	Sets expectations for students to take responsibility for learning Provides scaffolding learning support, then allows for greater student independence as the course proceeds Develops student learning skills Develops student self-directed, lifelong learning skills   Fosters student reflection and critical review Fosters use of metacognitive skills, habits of mind
Function of content	Uses organizing scheme Promotes meaningful student engagement with the content Fosters development of discipline-specific methodologies Helps students understand why they learn content   Fosters thinking in discipline Helps students acquire in-depth conceptual understanding that facilitates future learning
Purposes and processes of student assessment	Integrates assessment and learning Uses fair, objective, and consistent assessment policies and standards   Provides students with formative feedback Uses student peer and self-assessment Allows students ability to learn from mistakes Uses authentic assessment
Balance of power	Establishes safe, moral, and ethical environment that empowers all students Provides syllabus that demonstrates that students and instructors share power Allows for some flexibility in policies and practices   Provides varied student opportunities to learn Empowers student learning through appropriate freedom of expression Responds to student feedback

Source: Table 2.1 The five constructs of a learning-centered teaching approach and the essential actions associated with each construct in (p.18 in Bloomberg 2019).

The principles of learner-centred teaching have been represented, visually, here.

Summary

Learner-centered teaching shifts the focus from the teacher’s delivery of content to the student’s learning experience, promoting autonomy and engagement. Grounded in constructivist theory, this approach emphasizes active knowledge construction through interaction. It involves redefining the roles of instructors and students, the function of content, and the methods of assessment to create meaningful and relevant learning environments.

References

Blumberg, P. (2019). Making Learning-Centered Teaching Work: Practical Strategies for Implementation (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003445821

Doyle, T., & Zakrajsek, T. D. (2011). Learner-centered teaching: Putting the research on learning into practice. Routledge.

Murphy, L., Eduljee, N. B., & Croteau, K. (2021). Teacher-centered versus student-centered teaching: Preferences and differences across academic majors. Journal of Effective teaching in Higher education, 4(1), 18-39. https://doi.org/10.36021/jethe.v4i1.156

OntarioTech University Teaching and Learning Centre (2024). Learner-centered instruction. Retrieved: https://tlc.ontariotechu.ca/teaching/learner-centred-teaching/index.php

Patel-Junankar, D. (2017). Learner-Centered pedagogy: Teaching and learning in the 21st century. In G. Kayingo and V. McCoy Hass (Eds.), The Health Professions Educator: A Practical Guide for New and Established Faculty (pp. 3-11). Springer Connect. DOI: 10.1891/9780826177186.0001 Retrieved: https://connect.springerpub.com/content/book/978-0-8261-7718-6/part/part01/chapter/ch01

Trinidad, J. E. (2020). Understanding student-centred learning in higher education: students’ and teachers’ perceptions, challenges, and cognitive gaps. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(8), 1013-1023.