Student-Centered, Teacher-Centered, Pedagogy, OH MY!

The field of education can engender a great number of buzzwords, cialis such as “student–centered, treat ” “teacher-centered,” and “pedagogy.” These are the three primary terms discussed in the Seminarium Elements book, Pedagogies for Student-Centered Learning: Online and On-Ground. Student-centered vs. teacher-centered—what does that mean? Does it mean online vs. face-to-face? Does it mean students become the teacher and the teacher becomes the student? Does it make a difference on the content/curriculum, lessons, or activities that are or will be used during instruction? What pedagogies are commonly used with student-centered learning vs. teacher-centered learning, and do any of these cross over? What do professionals in the field have to say and contribute to student-centered learning?

Student- Vs. Teacher-Centered Learning

Student-centered learning is a learning model placing the learner in the center of the learning process. Students are active participants in their learning, learning at their own pace and using their own strategies; they are more intrinsically than extrinsically motivated; and learning is more individualized than standardized. Student-centered learning is not merely about the mastery of content or high-tech content-delivery systems. Student-centered learning is about “metacognition,” learning how to learn. (Jane Webster provides an excellent outline covering the four step process of How to Learn in her blog which I highly recommend; Jane Webster, Metacognition: Teach Me How to Learn.)

Teacher-centered learning, simply stated, is the opposite of what we just defined. Teacher-centered learning is defined as an approach to learning where the teacher is the center of the classroom, providing instruction with little input from students and the teacher decides the goals, based on outside criteria. The teacher-centered approach to learning focuses on the teacher and his or her expertise (as he or she is the holder of knowledge); the teacher lectures and the student listens; students work alone; and the classroom is quiet. A very traditional approach to teaching and learning and this method does not always meet all the learning styles of students. Truth be told, teacher-centered learning is less a pedagogical method than it is a habit based on suppositions about what’s more difficult or personally convenient. I am making the case; however, that student-centered learning will revolutionize your classroom and reinvigorate your career.

Student-centered learning is distinguished from teacher-centered learning, which is characterized by the transmission of information from a knowledge expert (teacher) to a relatively passive recipient (student/learner) or consumer.

Peda…What?

Pedagogy—it’s a strange word, especially when used in reference to adults, but what exactly does it mean? There are a number of different definitions for pedagogy, a few of which include: the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept; the art, science, or profession of teaching—especially in the field of education. Pedagogy may also be defined as the function or work of a teacher; teaching and/or the art or science of teaching; education; or instructional methods.

The Seminarium Elements book, Pedagogies for Student-Centered Learning: Online and On-Ground highlights a number of pedagogies specific to the field of education.  In Chapter 2, The following pedagogies summarize the methods and approaches to instruction that help today’s students to learn more effectively. What you will find as you read through these pedagogies is how similar many of them are or how these pedagogical theories were built upon the framework of others in the field. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the currently used educational pedagogies: pedagogy of the oppressed, pedagogy of privilege, theater pedagogy, critical pedagogy, public sphere pedagogy, creative pedagogy, institutional pedagogy, social pedagogy, collaborative pedagogy, and cognitive emotional pedagogy are investigated.

One pedagogy that particularly sticks out throughout the book is Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed.  There are five different aspects of education emphasized in this pedagogy, these include: dialogue, praxis, conscientization, experience, and the final aspect of Paulo Freire’s pedagogy, the use of metaphors drawn from Christian sources, suggests that learners develop their consciousness through “class suicide” of the teacher, that is, that the teacher relinquishes power to the student.

In the End

Student-centered learning illustrates a means to engage students in structured dialogue and complex emerging issues in society. Student-centered learning is the process of serving the student within the instructor’s core expert areas, sustaining a high academic quality within budget restrictions, and meeting the goals of the targeted populations while fulfilling student-learning obligations. The student-centered learning approach is a powerful framework to use for decision making, problem solving, and planning. By understanding the various pedagogies, learning methods, and theories, and integrating these into the curriculum and architecture, you can fulfill the learning goals for the students and enhance the quality of educational programs and services to improve the learning environment and learner’s experience.

You may have your own pedagogical theory (not listed here) from which you work or you may elect to create a hybrid pedagogy that incorporates various elements from different pedagogies. Either way, your pedagogy should clearly identify the knowledge and understanding of the content for teaching, the knowledge and understanding of how students learn, and the knowledge and understanding of how to facilitate the learning process.

Selecting the appropriate pedagogy can be a challenge.  If you do need to utilize lecture as part of your teaching-learning process, try to integrate some pre- or post-learning pedagogies that incorporate a student-centered environment. There are a great many more tactics that could be introduced into your adaptations of student-centered pedagogies.

Pedagogies for Student-Centered Learning: Online and On-Ground is part of the Seminarium Elements book series. Look for it November 15, 2014.

Preorder today at fortresspress.com and Amazon.com.

Photo credit: “The Central Garden, Getty Center” Copyright brewbooks. Licensed for reuse by CC BY-SA 2.0 license

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