Learner’s centred approaches

Building theoretical skills to put theory into practice

An overview: Learner-centered teaching is an approach to teaching that is

increasingly being encouraged in education. Learner-centered teachers do not
employ a single teaching method. This approach emphasizes a variety of
different types of methods that focuse on what the students are learning, it
changes the role of the teachers from a provider of information to facilitating
student learning.Traditional teaching often leads to students who are passive
learners and who do not take responsibility for their own learning, this
traditional method (“instructor-centered teaching.”) In contrast with, “learner-
centered teaching” occurs when instructors focus on student learning.
Learner- centered teaching places the emphasis on the person who is doing the
learning (Weimer, 2002). Learning-centered teaching focuses on the process of
learning. Both phrases identify their critical role of teaching in the learning
process. The phrase student centered learning is also used, but some instructors
do not like it because it appears to have a consumer focus, seems to encourage
students to be more empowered, and appears to take the teacher out of the
critical role (Blumberg, 2004).
Student-centered teaching methods include active learning, in which students
solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss,
explain, debate, or brainstorm during class; cooperative learning, in which
students work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that assure
both positive interdependence and individual accountability; and inductive
teaching and learning, in which students are first presented with challenges
(questions or problems) and learn the course material in the context of
addressing the challenges. Inductive methods include inquiry-based learning,
case-based instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, discovery
learning, and just-in-time teaching. Student-centered methods have repeatedly
been shown to be superior to the traditional teacher-centered approach to
instruction, a conclusion that applies whether the assessed outcome is short-
term mastery, long-term retention, or depth of understanding of course
material, acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem-solving skills,
formation of positive attitudes toward the subject being taught, or level of
confidence in knowledge or skills.
Characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching
1. Engage students in the learning process. On traditional teaching in most
classes teachers are working much harder than students. Students don’t
develop sophisticated learning skills without the chance to practice and
 in most classrooms the teacher gets far more practice than the students.
With Learner-Centered Teaching students have the opportunity to
implement a real task and acquire 21st century skills and key
competences through the process
2. Learner-centered teaching includes explicit skill instruction, students
learn how to think, solve problems, decision making, team work,
evaluate evidence, analyze arguments, generate hypotheses—all those
learning skills essential to mastering material in the discipline. They do
not assume that students pick up these skills on their own, automatically.
A few students do, but not all, research shows that learning skills
develop faster if they are taught explicitly along with the content.
3. Learner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they
are learning and how they are learning it. Learner-centered teachers talk
about learning. In conversations, students write( in the e-portfolio or
diary) about what they have learned, what were their difficulties and
strengths . In class they may talk about their own learning and do pair
assessment. They challenge student assumptions about learning and
encourage them to accept responsibility for decisions they make about
learning. Learner-centered teaching includes assignment components in
which students reflect, analyze and critique what they are learning and
how they are learning it. The goal is to make students aware of
themselves as learners and to make learning skills something students
want to develop. (we include the caracteristics of a good learner)
4. Learner-centered teaching motivates students by giving them some
control over learning processes. Teachers make most of the decisions
about learning for students. Teachers decide what students should learn,
how they learn it, the pace at which they learn, the conditions under
which they learn and then teachers determine whether students have
learned.. Learner-centered teachers search out ethically responsible ways
to share responsability with students. They might give students some
choice about which assignments they complete. They might make
classroom agreements something students can discuss. They might let
students set assignment deadlines within a given time window. They
might ask students to help create assessment criteria.
5. Learner-centered teaching encourages collaboration Learner-centered
teaching makes possible students can learn from and with others. The
teacher has the expertise and an obligation to share it, but teachers can
learn from students as well. Learner-centered teachers work to develop
 structures that promote shared commitments to learning. They see
learning individually and collectively as the most important goal of any
educational experience.
The American Psychological Association divides Learner-Centered Teaching
into five domains:
1. The knowledge base. The conclusive result of decades of research on
knowledge base is that what a student already knows largely determines
what new information he attends to, how he organizes and represents
new information, and how he filters new experiences, and even what he
determines to be important or relevant. (Alexander & Murphy, 2000)
2. Strategic processing and executive control. The ability to reflect on and
regulate one’s thoughts and behaviors is an essential aspect of learning.
Successful students are actively involved in their own learning, monitor
their thinking, think about their learning, and assume responsibility for
their own learning (Lambert & McCombs, 2000)
3. Motivation and affect. The benefits of learner-centered education include
increased motivation for learning and greater satisfaction with school;
both of these outcomes lead to greater achievement. Personal
involvement, intrinsic motivation, personal commitment, confidence in
one’s abilities to succeed, and a perception of control over learning lead
to more learning and higher achievement in school. (Alexander &
Murphy, 2000)
4. Development and individual differences. Individuals progress through
various common stages of development, influenced by both inherited
and environmental factors.
5. Situation or context. Theories of learning that highlight the roles of active
engagement and social interaction in the students’ own construction of
knowledge. Many environmental factors including how the teacher
teaches, and how actively engaged the student is in the learning process
positively or negatively influence how much and what students learn
(Lambert & McCombs, 2000).

A Learner-centered teaching in order to develop children as effective

learners
To achieve learner-centered teaching, teachers should focused in the following:
Content: teaching will be based on building a strong knowledge foundation
and to develop learning skills and learner self-awareness.
The role of the teacher: The role of the teacher is as facilitator of the learning
process. The teacher proposes students a real task and shares some decisions
about the learning process.
Responsability of the own learning: The teacher creates learning environments
that motivate students to take responsibility for own learning.
Assessment: Learner-centered teaching uses assessment as a part of the
learning process, we propose use of rúbricas and the use of e-portfolio and
other ICT tools.

fostering the characteristics of effective learning

We must implement in students:

Readiness: This shows in motivation, curiosity, the belief you can achieve, and
that you deserve to be successful.
Reflectiveness: This displays in looking back at your learning, improving your
learning, performance and practice.
Resourcefulness: Characterised by learning with and from others, learning
creatively in different ways, being flexible, applying what you have learned.
Resilience: This shows by keeping going, learning under stress, and managing
your feelings about learning and the people you learn with.
Responsibility: This shows you on your own self-awareness in learning and
taking ownership of your learning and being able to learn alongside others.

To be a good learner students must:

 Be motivated and ready to learn at every opportunity.
 Be willing to face a challenge
 Listen carefully and work well (with others and on my own)
 Think carefully and use the skills and knowledge I already have.
 To recognise positive learning behaviours in themselves.
 To recognise positive learning behaviours in others.
 To identify skills to use when learning becomes difficult.
 To evaluate their own learning and identify what can be done differently
next time.
 To be able to work collaboratively with their peers.
 To articulate their learning clearly.
 Understand what I have learnt and know my next target.
 Think about what I have learnt