ED 123 FACILITATING LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING REVIEWER
LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING
➢ Inverting the traditional teacher-centered understanding of the learning process and
putting students at the CENTER OF THE LEARNING PROCESS.
➢ This places a learner, rather than the instructor, in the driver's seat.
➢ LCT shifts the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners
➢ Emphasizes WHAT THE LEARNERS DO as against WHAT THE TEACHER DOES
➢ It focuses on skills and practices in a lifelong learning, creative thinking, and independent
problem-solving.
➢ It insists the learners to actively construct their own knowledge.
WHY IS THERE A NEED OF LCT?
▪ Need to produce students who are good critical thinkers, problem solvers, and creative
thinkers
▪ Explosion of information: need to make sense of it, not memorize it
▪ Improve student engagement and ownership of learning
RESEARCHS SHOWS THAT LCT METHODS LEADS TO:
A. Increased student engagement with the content
B. Deep learning
C. Long term retention
D. Acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem -solving skills
E. Positive attitude toward the subject being taught
F. Confidence in Knowledge
ELEMENTS TEACHER-CENTERED LEARNER-CENTERED
1. KNOWLEDGE Transmitted from Instruction Constructed by students
2. STUDENT Passive Active
PARTICIPATION
3. ROLE OF LECTURER Leader/ Authority Facilitator/Partner in
Learning
4. ROLE OF ASSESSMENT Few tests, mainly for grading Many tests, for ongoing
feedback
5. EMPHASIS Learning correct answers Developing deeper
Understanding
6. ASSESSMENT One-dimensional Testing Multidimensional Testing
METHOD
7. ACADEMIC CULTURE Competitive, Individualistic Collaborative, Supportive
PHILOSOPHIES IN TEACHING
ESSENTIALISM
Essentialism is an educational philosophy that emphasizes essential knowledge and skills that all
students should learn. It focuses on a core curriculum, traditional teaching methods, and
discipline.
✓ Example:
▪ Focuses on teaching core subjects like math, science, and language arts.
▪ Teachers focus on structured lessons and essential skills.
PERENNIALISM
Perennialism is an educational philosophy that values enduring ideas and universal truths. It
emphasizes the study of great works of literature, history, philosophy, and art that have stood
the test of time.
✓ Example:
▪ Teaches timeless knowledge and enduring truths, such as classical works.
▪ Teachers pass on universal knowledge through direct teaching.
▪ Encourages critical thinking about ethical and moral questions.
▪ Focuses on knowledge that has stood the test of time.
PROGRESSIVISM
Progressivism is an educational philosophy that emphasizes learning through experience,
problem-solving, and critical thinking. It focuses on real-world applications, student-centered
learning, and active participation.
✓ Example:
▪ Stresses emotional, social, and intellectual development of the child.
▪ Emphasizes student-centered learning through exploration and problem-solving
Prepares students for real-world work and societal roles.
▪ Prepares students for real-world work and societal roles.
▪ Encourages self-expression and exploration at the student's pace.
▪ Students engage in collaborative projects and discussions.
▪ Favors creativity and flexibility over rigid curriculums.
▪ Learning happens best in a community with collaborative discussions.
▪ Students solve real-world problems through inquiry-based projects.
▪ Teachers focus on individual needs and interests in a democratic classroom
HUMANISM
Humanism is an educational philosophy that focuses on the holistic development of students,
emphasizing their intellectual, emotional, social, and ethical growth. It values individuality, self-
expression, and personal fulfillment.
✓ Example:
▪ Promotes self-actualization and meaningful learning experiences
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Constructivism is an educational philosophy that views learning as an active process of
constructing knowledge and understanding. It emphasizes hands-on learning, exploration, and
student-led inquiry.
✓ Example:
▪ Believes knowledge is built through hands-on experiences.
▪ Teachers guide students to build their own knowledge.
▪ Believes learning connects to students' personal experiences.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CONTENT
A. THE FUNCTION OF CONTENT
In addition to building a knowledge base, the content facilitates students to:
• Practice using inquiry or ways of thinking in the discipline
• Students engage in most of the content to make it their own, students make meaning out of the content
• Learn to solve real problems
B. THE ROLE OF A TEACHER?
• A teacher’s role is to shape the life chances of young people by imparting knowledge bringing the
curriculum to life (Harry Cutty).
• Teachers play vital roles in the lives of the students in their classrooms.
• Teachers serve many other roles in the classroom.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A TEACHER?
- Teaching Knowledge
- Creating classroom environments
- Role Model
- Mentoring
Learner-Centered Teaching
• Being learner-centered means adopting a bottom-up approach to curriculum, teaching, and
management. Rather than entering the school year with a set of fixed units and activities, a truly learner
centered teacher begins by getting to know her students and understanding their hopes, dreams, and
needs.
• Learner-centered teachers may occasionally provide direct instruction, but for the most part, their role is
one of the Facilitator.
ROLE OF A TEACHER
• Teachers who act as facilitators provide their students with materials, opportunities and guidance as
students take on agency for other aspects of their own learning.
• Being learner-centered is not easy because it requires constant flexible attention to who students really
are, how they are doing, and what might help them achieve their learning goals.
• Students in learner-centered classrooms become independent learners who are empowered to
collaborate, make
good use of available resources, and take charge of their own growth and development.
C. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING
• Students are the ones who should take the responsibility for learning.
• Learners has the ability to learn how to develop their own skills and think for themselves
• Often it is the faculty who does because we adapt our teaching to fit requests/ needs of students through detailed
notes, study guides
• Consequence of faculty taking responsibility for learning
• Students remain passive • Students do not gain confidence in their ability to learn on their own
• Yet a common goal of higher education is for graduates to be self-directed learners who can continue to learn the
rest of their lives• Faculty need to teach students how to take responsibility for learning
• There are specific skills that can be taught, practiced and mastered
WHY DO YOU ASSESS STUDENTS?
D. THE PURPOSES AND PROCESSES OF ASSESSMENT
- Assessment is integrated within the learning process
- Instructors give formative feedback for the purposes of fostering improvement
- Students have multiple opportunities to assess themselves and their peers
- Students can learn from their mistakes and then demonstrate mastery
- Instructors encourage students to justify their answers when they do not agree with those of instructor
- Instructor uses authentic assessment throughout the course
HOW WILL YOU ASSESS YOUR STUDENTS?
- Names
- Needs
- Dreams
- Hopes
- Preferred learning styles
- Cultural backgrounds
- Important relationships
- Interest
- Personalities
• Knowing your students is one of the tough role of a teacher.
• In a classroom of 20 children, you have 20 different learning styles and 20 different personalities, 20 different
ways of taking in information and giving information. Great teachers know this and know that one lesson
plan, one mode of teaching, is never going to be good enough. Can that teacher create 20 different lesson
plans?
- Of course not, but that great teacher knows that their students are on different levels and have different
ways of processing information. What happens if students have some control over how the course is
run
E. THE BALANCE OF POWER
• Learner-centered approaches empower students to take responsibility and to share in some of the
decisions about their courses
• Students can have some say over some policies, deadline
• Once students begin to gain some control over the course, they will engage more in the course and will
learn more dimension
Definition of this Dimension
The Function of Content - Content includes building a knowledge base, how the instructor and the
students use the content
The Role of the Instructor - An essential role of the instructor is to assist students to learn.
The Responsibility for Learning - Students should assume greater responsibility for their own learning
over time.
The Purposes and Processes - There are additional purposes and processes of assessment beyond
assigning grades.
The Balance of Power - The balance of power shifts so that the instructor shares some decisions about
the course with the students.
