CHAPTER 6 Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice

The Responsability for Learning

One of the problems that teachers have to face in the classroom is that most of the students prefer to take passive role because they do not have a good motivation for learning (intrinsic motivation); as the desire to be well educated (love of learning), instead of that they learn because they want to get a well paid profession (extrinsic motivation) and so on. However, students are not accepting the responsability for learning, they do not like the independent study. Thus, some ways of responding to passive students used by teachers are the following: make use of policies and requirements to keep the control, use the extrinsic motivators (bonus points). Therefore, the use of all of these techniques is not the answer because it only can create a vicious circle where teachers are creating a more structured learning environment and making that the students are not able to take decisions in their own learning. Teachers should indentify alternatives to create good environments and a good rapport in order to motivate learning. One of this altenatives is the learner- centered teaching which has the purpose of creating an appropriate classroom where the students can take an active role. Thus, as the autor says when students are in classroom environment they prefer, they achieve more, it motives students to take action. Some ways to motivate learner independece are: logical consequences, consistency, high standards, caring and commitment to learning. Also, there are activities which involve students in creating, maintaining, and enhancing climates suitable for learning. For example: letting students set one or several policies to contribute in the classroom management, write on the board what the teacher did in the best class students have had, the use of the technique “stop, continue and start”. Finally, an implementation issue that can arise during the use of any of these activities is to know the kind of consequences that are appropriate.

References: 

• Spratt, M., Pulverness, A., & Williams, M. (2011). The TKT course. Ernst Klett Sprachen.The TKT course. Module 1,2,3

• Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. John Wiley & Sons.

• Barkley, E. F. (2009). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

• Abbey, A. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching Methods: An Overview [Video]. Avaliable from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlcJqnwvKZo