Learner-Centered and Teacher-Centered Learning

Learner-centered teaching is an approach to teaching that is being advocated by contemporary theorist in education. Teachers advocating and practicing learner-centered learning  do not employ a single teaching method. This approach emphasizes a variety of different types of methods that focus on what the students are learning, it changes the role of the teachers from a provider of information to facilitating student learning. The table below shows the difference between teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches.

Teacher-Centered	Learner-Centered
Focus is on the teacher	Focus is on both students and teacher
Focus is on language forms and structures (what the teacher knows about the language and how the teacher will use the language)	Focus is on language use in typical situations (how students will use the language)
Teacher talks; students listen	Teacher models; students interact with teacher and one another
Students work alone	Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone depending on the purpose of the activity
Teacher monitors and corrects every student utterance	Students talk without constant instructor monitoring; instructor provides feedback/correction when questions arise
Instructor answers students’ questions about language	Students answer each other’s questions, using instructor as an information resource
Teacher identifies and chooses topics	Students have some choice of topics
Teacher assess student learning	Students assess their own learning; teacher also assess
Classroom is often quiet	Classroom is often noisy and busy

Source: The National Capitol Language Resource Center (a project of the George Washington University)

Teacher and Society

The Teacher is a maker of man and history.
Both teacher and God are standing before me, but I don’t know, whom to bow first. I will bow to you my teacher, who has guided me to God. Teachers are literally the arbiters of a nation’s destiny - Dr. Zakir Hussain

The teacher indeed has an important role in the progress and welfare of a society. We can say that teacher is considered the yardstick which measures the achievement and aspiration of the nation. So, is it the burden of a teacher to do so?  Why?

As a tradition, our school classrooms are controlled by teachers. Because of this, children are always exposed to the influence of the teacher. It seems then that the teacher plays the most dominant role in molding and shaping the attitudes, habits, manners and above all, the character and personality of the young students. Although home is where molding and disciplining of the children start, we cannot deny the fact some parents are leaving everything to the schools.  Thus, we can say that the progress of the nation and of mankind depends to a large on the teachers. The teachers occupy an important place in the society as an architect of our future generation. 

As a teacher, your duty is not limited inside the classroom only. You owe a duty to the society and the nation. As a classroom teacher, you can help the society in achieving an all-round development by acting as a powerful agency in transmitting the cherished values of our culture to the future generation.