Strategies and Tools Used for Learner-Centered Instruction

Abstract

Learner-centered education has the potential to meet the needs of individual students and better prepare them for a rapidly changing global world. However, it can be a challenging task to implement learner-centered education in the current education system which was designed for sorting rather than learning. Although an increasing number of research studies report that teachers have positive attitudes toward learner-centered education, there is a paucity of research that has examined teachers’ learner-centered practice. To address this gap, this study examined the strategies and tools used by 125 teachers to create learner-centered classrooms using an online survey. Further, the study explored the barriers they faced when using technology to facilitate learner-centered instruction. The strategies and tools used for learner-centered instruction are reported in six major categories: (1) getting to know individual students, (2) building a positive and supportive culture, (3) providing personalized learning experiences, (4) providing authentic learning experiences, (5) facilitating collaborative learning, and (6) facilitating self-regulated learning. The major barriers to using technology to support learner-centered pedagogy included lack of time, lack of technology, lack of knowledge of learner-centered instruction, and standardized tests.