The Real Student-Centered Approach
Is the one that gradually shifts learning responsibility from a teacher to students !
The two perennial questions in education:
To be specific, within the context of teaching and learning are:
a. Which approach is more effective: teacher-centered or student-centered?
b. How can a teacher decide on which approach to implement?
Currently, the student-centered approach has been presented as the “antidote” to all educational problems. The ones who propose this approach fall in the progressivist camp.
While teacher-centered approach has been given the title of the “villain” in education. The ones who practice a teacher-centered approach fall into the traditionalist camp. They are also called anti-progressives.
To let you know where I’m coming from, here is a short disclaimer first:
I am not anti-progressivist or even anti-traditionalist for that matter. If I have to put on a tag, I would say I am pro-effective teaching and learning. Simple.
(मेरो मूख्य प्रश्न भनेको: प्रभावकारी पढाइ सिकाइ कसरी हुन्छ र एउटा शिक्षकले कसरी प्रभावकारी तरिकाले पढाउन र सिकाउन सक्छ?)
If you are blinded by progressive education’s sweet but vague ideology, you will even scoff at the above two questions. Because you already know the answers. You have been told again and again: that teaching should be student-centered. The teacher ‘just’ facilitates, and the students learn. They create their own knowledge. But if they don’t learn, then it’s because the teacher could not create a learning environment.
And, if you are the ironclad traditionalist with a rigid approach and mindset, you will also scoff at the above questions. Because you already know the answer. The teacher teaches, the students learn. But if they don’t learn, then it’s because students are less disciplined, less motivated, and less obedient.
But I assume you are open-minded and skeptical at the same time. You can think critically. You value evidence. And, you care more about effective teaching and learning, and less about which camp you want to represent.
I assume you are still reading through this.
All Learning Happens on the basis of Prior Knowledge:
One of the most helpful approaches to thinking about learning is to look into it through the lens of “prior knowledge”. It’s already evident that all new learning happens on the basis of prior knowledge.
So, the first step for every teacher is to assess their learner, figure out their prior knowledge and skills regarding the subject or content, and then put the learners in the novice-expert continuum.
Imagine, you want your students in Grade 6 to come up with a descriptive essay on “Climate Change”.
You found out that some students of Grade 6 have fairly average reading and writing skills, and some have quite poor levels of reading and writing skills.
You can’t treat a student with poor writing skills and another one with average writing skills in the same way. You can’t ask all of the students to stay motivated, do some independent reading and writing, and come up with an essay.
If you do that, it will be madness.
Novice - Expert Continuum:
Novices:
These are the beginners with zero or very little prior knowledge.
They need direct instruction, worked examples (demonstrations), modeling, and quick step-by-step feedback.
Otherwise, their minds will experience a heavy cognitive load. Try facilitating with only minimal instruction, they will more likely feel lost, frustrated, and even dumb.
So before asking them to write a descriptive essay, SHOW them how to write one. Give them a sample. Tell them to follow a pattern. And give them concrete feedback right away. Write along with them.
Gradually, give them samples of a well-written essay and a poorly written essay. Ask them to practice more. Even imitate the style.
Near-Experts:
On the other end of the continuum, we have near-experts or even expert learners.
They have a significant amount of background knowledge. They have a deeper, stronger, connected knowledge base and ideas, and they are better at thinking effortlessly.
In other words, they don’t experience a similar amount of cognitive load when compared with the novices. In fact, they can free up their cognitive space for problem-solving, and critical and creative thinking.
They require less direct instruction. They enjoy goal-free problems, and they crave autonomy to think and implement their ideas. They also value summarized feedback rather than detailed step-by-step feedback. Your quick feedback will instead interrupt their thinking process. They will need hints here and there, rather than explicit guidance.
So at this level, students already have a better understanding of climate change and they can even think about it from different dimensions (like sociology, history, science, etc). Similarly, since they have already practiced the skills of writing an essay several times and gotten concrete feedback, now they can go at it more effortlessly. Now they can think more about their argument, the structure of an essay, the language they will use, etc rather than their understanding of the topic.
Gradual Release of Responsibility:
Naturally, when the learners are at the novice stage, the teacher has more responsibility for teaching and learning. The teacher will plan more. Think more. Do more. Talk more. Guide more. Give feedback more.
And, when the learners move towards the expert stage, the teacher shifts the responsibility of learning to the students themselves. The students will plan more. Think more. Do more. Talk more. Experiment more.
Fisher and Frey explain this model in terms of I do - I and You do - You do together - You do stages.
The point is, that the teacher gradually moves from a teacher-centered towards student-centered approach. From the students being dependent on the teacher to them being independent.
When the teachers know the student’s general level of expertise, they can make an informed decision on which approach to take. To take the instruction-heavy approach or to take the minimal guidance approach?
The Real Student-Centered Approach..
.. is the approach that helps students move from novice towards the expert stage. It gradually shifts learning responsibility from a teacher to students.
There's an appropriate time for you to be the “sage on the stage” and the “guide on the side”. Likewise, there’s a time to be in 100% control and a time to let go of the rein.
Being adamant about choosing to be sage only or the guide only is just your ego. It’s childish.
Whether you identify as a progressivist or a traditionalist, that’s just a distraction. The only thing that matters is whether the students are learning and progressing.
Further readings, if you may:
Report: What makes great teaching?
Blog: The Progressive-Traditional Pedagogy Tree
Book: How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice
Article: The Biggest Trend in Teaching Today
Research: Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work