The Process of Transitioning from Teacher-Centered Learning to Student-Centered Learning
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Authors
Heath, Joshua
Issue Date
2023-05-24
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Educational leadership , Education--Curricula , Student-centered learning , Teachers , Learning , Dissertations, Academic
Alternative Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand how four middle school teachers in an urban area in the south experienced and made sense of the transition from teaching in a predominantly teacher-centered learning (TCL) environment to one that was a predominantly student-centered learning (SCL) environment in relation to the shared culture of the classroom (Quinn, 2005). Three interviews were conducted with each participant. Analysis included in vivo and emotion coding alongside the creation of narratives for each participant. Emotion coding yielded the following categories of data: sadness and joy from the K-12 experience, confident and challenged from the college years, assertive and overwhelmed from the transition toward SCL, and undermined and passionate from teaching during the COVID era. In vivo coding pointed to discussions of success and achievement, fear and frustration, resisting change, and focusing on students.
Four themes were prominent in the narratives: (1) Participants needed clarity on daily routines, expectations of roles and learning, and support from a variety of sources to be successful and believe in themselves when changing instructional styles. (2) The education system is grounded in expectations from parents, teachers, and students that participants believed created pressure on them to use specific instructional styles and behave in a certain way. (3) Participants believed that nonacademic skills were an important part of the K-12 student experience and should be emphasized alongside academic content skills. (4) The culture of the classroom was an important part the connection that participants shared with their students and impacted the instructional choices participants made every day.
Keywords: culture of the classroom, hidden curriculum, student-centered learning, teacher-centered learning
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.