Higher Education Pedagogy Student-centered learning Zh.T.Makhambetova

Student-centered learning, also known as learner-centered education, broadly encompasses methods of teaching that shift the focus of instruction from the teacher to the student. In original usage, student-centered learning aims to develop learner autonomy and independence [1] by putting responsibility for the learning path in the hands of students.

Student-centered instruction focuses on skills and practices that enable lifelong learning and independent problem-solving.[5] Student-centered learning theory and practice are based on the constructivist learning theory that emphasizes the learner's critical role in constructing meaning from new information and prior experience.

Student-centered learning puts students' interests first, acknowledging student voice as central to the learning experience. In a student-centered learning space, students choose what they will learn, how they will learn, and how they will assess their own learning.[4] This is in contrast to traditional education, also dubbed "teacher-centered learning", which situates the teacher as the primarily "active" role while students take a more "passive", receptive role.

In a teacher-centered classroom, teachers choose what the students will learn, how the students will learn, and how the students will be assessed on their learning. In contrast, student-centered learning requires students to be active, responsible participants in their own learning and with their own pace of learning.

Definition of student-centered learning (SCL) Student-centered approach to teaching and learning is based on constructivist views of learning. It is a shift in responsibility from lecturer to student with the latter assuming greater ownership of their learning. SCL was credited to Hayward as early as 1905 and to Dewey’s work in 1956. Carl Rogers was then associated with expanding this approach into a theory of education in the 1980s and this learning approach has also been associated with the work of Piaget (developmental learning) and Malcolm Knowles (self-directed learning)

The key features of the SCL are as follows: The reliance on active rather than passive learning. An emphasis on deep learning and understanding. Increased responsibility and accountability on the part of the student. An increased sense of autonomy in the learner. An interdependence between teacher and learner. Mutual respect within the learner/teacher relationship A reflexive approach to the teaching and learning process on the part of both the teacher and the learner.

SCL is broadly based on constructivism as a theory of learning, which is built on the idea that learners must construct and reconstruct knowledge in order to learn effectively, with learning being most effective when, as part of an activity, the learner experiences constructing a meaningful product. SCL is also a akin to transformative learning which contemplates a process of qualitative change in the learner as ongoing

process of transformation which focuses on enhancing and empowering the learner, developing their critical ability. Attard et.al highlight that “student-centered learning” represents both a mindset and a culture within a given higher education institution and is a learning approach which is broadly related to, and supported by, constructivist theories of learning. It is characterized by innovative methods of teaching which aim to promote learning in communication with teachers and other learners and which take students seriously as active participants in their own learning, fostering transferable skills as problem-solving, critical thinking and reflective thinking.

Education researchers and historians have found that teacher-centered instruction has been the dominant mode in American public schools for more than a century, and evidence suggests that only a small fraction of instructional settings in American public schools could be considered authentically “student-centered” (though a greater proportion of teachers might describe their approach to instruction as “student-centered”).

That said, some aspects of student-centered instruction—such as the arrangement of desks into circles or small groups, or assignments that allow students to choose their own reading materials—have been widely adopted by teachers. In many cases, the typical instructional setting in public schools likely features a blend of teacher-centered and student-centered approaches.

While student-centered learning has sometimes been criticized as a fuzzy concept that refers to a vague assortment of teaching strategies, or that means different things to different educators, in recent years some education reformers and researchers have sought to define the term with greater precision. While the definition of the term is still evolving, advocates of student-centered learning tend to emphasize a few fundamental characteristics:

1.Teaching and learning is “personalized,” meaning that it addresses the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students. 2.Students advance in their education when they demonstrate they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn (for a more detailed discussion, see proficiency-based learning).

3. Students have the flexibility to learn “anytime and anywhere,” meaning that student learning can take place outside of traditional classroom and school-based settings, such as through work-study programs or online courses, or during nontraditional times, such as on nights and weekends. 4. Students are given opportunities to make choices about their own learning and contribute to the design of learning experiences.

1. S. U. Naushabayeva. Pedagogy of Higher Education 2. wikipedia. 3 1. S.U.Naushabayeva. Pedagogy of Higher Education 2. wikipedia. 3. http://edglossary.org/student-centered-learning/. The Glossay of Education reform. Student-centered learning.