A Teacher-Centered Approach is a traditional teaching style where the focus of learning is dependent on the knowledge and information a teacher can provide to others. This can be done in a classroom setting or in a workspace. However, in recent years schools and teaching environments have begun to shift away from the teacher-centered approach towards a student-centered approach because of the lack of student participation that is in the teacher-centered approach. This article will share a few advantages to the teacher-centered approach that should be considered when utilized in a classroom or workspace.
Here are five distinct advantages to the teacher-centered approach:
- Focus
- Planning and Goals
- Class Management
- Student’s Independence
- Teacher’s Expertise and Confidence
Content
- 1) Focus: A Continued Focus On the Topic Being Taught
- 2) Planning and Goals: a Teacher’s Authority Over the Plans
- 3) Class Management: Maintaining Management of the Classroom
- 4) Students Independence: Steps Towards Academic Success
- 5) Teacher Expertise and Confidence: Showcasing What You Know!
- Final Thoughts – Advantages of the Teacher-Centered Approach
- Related Posts
1) Focus: A Continued Focus On the Topic Being Taught
Being fully in control minimizes a teacher’s concern that students may be missing key material because of distractions.
Those that have been or are currently in a teaching role may have experienced a situation where those they were teaching became distracted by other students, distracted by other topics or discussion, or simply were not getting to teach certain topics on the agenda because of distraction outside of their control.
With the teacher-centered approach, teachers will have a higher chance to control the focus of the students that they are teaching, the discussion happening in the classroom, the timing, and pace of each meeting, and the material being covered because all of those factors will be reliant on the teacher.
The ability to regain the focus of a group of students allows the teacher to guide the lesson towards the subject at hand without unnecessary distractions or sidetracks of discussions. Students will obtain the material that is necessary for the topic because it is being taught by the teacher in that controlled environment.
2) Planning and Goals: a Teacher’s Authority Over the Plans
When a teacher takes full responsibility for educating a group of students, the class benefits from a focused approach to research, planning, and preparation.
The planning of the subject and the steps needed to achieve the planned goals are one of the main steps that will be done when using this teacher-centered approach style. The teacher-centered approach allows for the teacher to have full control of the way the activities and discussions will be structured. Having the responsibility of planning activities and discussions of each class meeting ensures the material is being taught as expected and all information of the content is being taught by the expert.
The ability to plan and make goals for the group of students also prevents errors of unnecessary information that may come from outside sources, which then can allow for time to be effectively used. The students would leave the unit with the goals of the lessons fulfilled, and if planned properly, allows time for the teacher to then answer any questions students may have, revise materials that may need changes, move forward or back from the planned lectures, or conduct assessments that can guide the students and group further towards the class goals.
The advantage of having control of the lesson plans and goals allows for the teacher-centered approach to be utilized in many different learning environments.
3) Class Management: Maintaining Management of the Classroom
Students are quiet as the teacher exercises full control of the classroom and activities.
Commanding the attention of a room is daunting and takes skill all on its own, but utilizing the teacher-centered approach can help those using the method to command the attention and control of the class management. To help maintain control over class discussions and objectives, a teacher can implement instructional methods that promote a focus on the teacher.
Using certain methods like lectures, guided discussions, quizzes and demonstrations allows a teacher to sustain a teacher-centered approach. These forms of instruction lend themselves to having the teacher stand in the front of the classroom while all students work on the same task. Similarly, the choice of physically designing the classroom where the teacher is the primary focus limits student activity that may disrupt that focus.
While using these methods, the teacher would continually be instructing a hopefully engaging lecture and discussion thus resulting in students listening and being engrossed with the information they are receiving. Once the teacher is able to command the attention of the students, the information can be successfully received.
4) Students Independence: Steps Towards Academic Success
Students learn to direct their own learning, ask questions, and complete tasks independently.
Another benefit of a teacher-centered approach to teaching is that students could gain a sense of independence because with this approach students are expected to take their own notes of the information provided, complete each task at hand, and ask questions when they need additional information.
These individual duties during the class will build a student’s desire for academic independence because it will improve their academic success. The students are able to see the structure and process teachers make when instructing on materials which then may be useful for the students in the future.
Once the teacher has done their role of providing an engaging and informative lecture and discussion, students may begin to become more interested in the lessons and the process of learning, thus more knowledgeable with the content the instructor is giving. Students’ independence should lead to greater chances for academic success for the students in the future.
5) Teacher Expertise and Confidence: Showcasing What You Know!
Teachers feel comfortable, confident, and in charge of the classroom activities.
Lastly, the best advantage to having a teacher-centered approach in the classroom is the teacher’s ability to feel confident, comfortable, and in control of the space they are in and the materials they choose to teach.
A way for teachers to gain this confidence can be to think of why the content is important, to begin with. Teachers can reevaluate why the content is a passion to share with others. If students have this realization that the information they are receiving is a passion of their instructor, the class will gain insight and possibly appreciation to what was being taught in the class.
When a teacher is confident in their skills, the lessons tend to be more organized because the teacher is the sole person knowledgeable in the content in that classroom. Confidence allows teachers to plan the lessons in the way that best suits their style of teaching and be able to have a clear understanding of the results expected from the students. The teacher is able to revise and adjust lessons when things do not go as planned, so the structure of the lesson and class will overall always be in control of the teacher.
When a teacher is comfortable in knowing the content, they can handle the questioning, explaining, and providing feedback to students that may have difficulties during the lesson. When a teacher is comfortable in their expertise, any questions regarding the material can be answered or provided because the teacher should be knowledgeable of the material at hand.
When a teacher has confidence in the role they play in the room, the teacher controls the progress of the lessons. The teacher will be able to keep students on task while also providing the tasks needed to meet any objectives made.
Every step can be successful when looking at using the teacher-centered approach, but this can happen only if the teacher is confident in their skills and comfortable with the information that they bring to the classroom.
Final Thoughts – Advantages of the Teacher-Centered Approach
In a teacher-centered approach classroom, success is defined by the level of efficiency that exists in the learning environment. The advantage of focused leadership by the teacher prevents wasted time and more on-task behavior, which can benefit everyone. Having organized planning in the lessons and activities whilst always having a clear goal will keep the class on task and provide a structured goal to guide them towards.
Displaying these skills can give students the independence to take responsibility for the notes and information they are receiving. Students displaying trust and obedience towards the teachers shows that the teacher is being a great example of structure and discipline for the students. With the students observing and replicating the structure of the teacher this could produce better chances at academic success for students.
The advantages of the teachers teaching in a subject or field that they feel confident and comfortable in are the positive impact that it produces from the instruction of the lesson. The advantage in a teacher-centered class is the ends –students who have a leader that has focus, productivity, and time management in a class – that justify the means – teacher-centered direction and instruction of the content.
If you are looking to utilize the teacher-centered approach in your classroom and are unsure how it can be beneficial to your classroom? Think of these advantages and how they can be produced when it is used to share your knowledge with others.
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- What is the Teacher-Centered Approach?
- 4 Different Types of Teaching Methods
FAQs
What are the Advantages of the Teacher-Centered Approach? ›
Pros. When
The underlying goal of a teacher-centered class is order. The underlying goal of a student-centered class is student self-reliance. � In the teacher-centered class, success is defined by how well the students execute their responsibilities and the level of efficiency that exists in the learning environment.
What are the advantages of teaching approach? ›- Promotes adult learning.
- Encourages learners to solve problems, connect, prioritise, and incorporate conceptual knowledge.
- Affects the development of attitudes and values.
- Promotes social and intellectual experience.
- Develops oral presentation skills.
- A change in the attitude on the part of learners, teachers and community is difficult to develop.
- Lack of sources and resources.
- Hinderance due to rigid administration, planning and management.
- It will become difficult to maintain a common standared in various institutions.
- Encourages Better Memorization. ...
- Improves Participation. ...
- Develops Problem-Solving Skills. ...
- Enables Personalised Learning. ...
- Makes Learning an Enjoyable Experience. ...
- Inspires Collaboration and Teamwork.
An example of direct (teacher-centered) instruction is when a teacher lectures a class on how a certain class of chemicals function. The advantages of its use include that it is simple, straightforward, and can work with the material in a state-mandated curriculum.
What is the importance of centered approach? ›Why take a learner-centred approach? Utilising a learner-centred approach and placing students at the centre of the learning process means the student is the focus. Having a tutor act as a facilitator means students guide their learning so they can put their interests first.
What is the advantage and disadvantages? ›A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, a lucky or favorable circumstance. At the root of both words is the Old French avant, "at the front." Definitions of disadvantage. the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position. Antonyms: advantage, vantage.
What are the pros and cons of teacher directed learning? ›Pros: Teacher-directed learning is helpful in maintaining a focused classroom and encourages students to develop listening skills. Cons: This style discourages collaboration and can cause students to disengage.
What are the three main approaches of teaching? ›Three approaches to teaching and learning in education: Behavioral, piagetian, and information-processing.
What are the criticism of teacher Centred approach? ›
The teacher-centered approach has been critiqued for its lack of engagement and failure to promote deep understanding. Students who are passive learners often do not retain the information they are taught and have difficulty applying it to new situations.
What is the difference between teacher centered approach and learner-centered approach? ›Teacher centered approach is an approach that encourages students to completely focus on their educator, while learner centered approach is an approach where both the educators and the students share an equal focus.
What are the disadvantages of learning centered approach? ›1. It requires a longer time for students so it is difficult to achieve curriculum targets. 2. Take a long time for teachers so that teachers in general do not want to use cooperative learning.
What are three benefits of child centered approach? ›Child-centred education inspires students to explore what they are most curious about. Children direct their own learning; fostering a curiosity that will stick with them for life. Every child responds better to a different learning style. The child's ideas, preferences, and curiosities are all taken into account.
What are the disadvantages of child centered method of teaching? ›- One of the main disadvantages of this is that the classroom would be noisy and busy most of the time. ...
- As the students take over the learning process there is a chance that the students might miss some important facts.
- There arises a problem with the introverts and the students who prefer to learn alone.
A learner-centered environment facilitates a more collaborative way for students to learn. The teacher models instructions and acts as a facilitator, providing feedback and answering questions when needed. It's the student that chooses how they want to learn, why they want to learn that way and with who.
Which teaching strategies are teacher centered? ›As the primary teaching strategy under the teacher-centered approach, direct instruction utilizes passive learning, or the idea that students can learn what they need to through listening and watching very precise instruction.
What are the different teacher centered methods of teaching? ›Teacher centred approaches are more traditional in nature, focussing on the teacher as instructor. They are sometimes referred to as direct instruction, deductive teaching or expository teaching, and are typified by the lecture type presentation.
How do teachers teach through a student-centered approach? ›Rather than a teacher leading students through a lesson where the students are all doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, the teacher serves more as a facilitator of the learning, helping to give each student the support that they need when and where they need it.
What are pros and cons advantages and disadvantages? ›The pros and cons of something are its advantages and disadvantages, which you consider carefully so that you can make a sensible decision.
What is advantage and disadvantage cons? ›
As nouns, the difference between disadvantage and advantage is that disadvantage is a weakness or undesirable characteristic; a con while the advantage is any condition, circumstance, opportunity, or means, particularly favorable to success, or any desired end.
What is difference between pros and cons and advantages and disadvantages? ›Pros are listed as arguments in favor of making a particular decision or action. Cons are arguments against it. Creating a list that details both sides of the argument makes it easier to visualize the potential impact of your decision.
What are the benefits of teacher-directed instruction? ›Direct instruction is the cornerstone of effective instruction. It facilitates the process of learning. Teachers can plan projects, tasks, and classes so that students can work together to achieve a common goal. It also enables teachers to give clear directions, illustrations, explanations, and descriptions as needed.
Why is teacher-directed learning important? ›Teachers who keep their students actively engaged or participating in their own learn- ing achieve greater class performance than teachers who do not. Teachers can improve the amount of time students spend engaged by improving their (a) teaching behaviors, (b) instructional management, and/or (c) behavior management.
What is teacher-directed approach? ›Teacher-directed behavior strategies are ones in which the teacher plays the central role in identifying, monitoring, and reinforcing student behavior. The teacher is seen as controlling the students' behavior.
Which is the most appropriate approach to teach? ›There is no “best” method of teaching. However, many researchers today agree that including more student-centered learning approaches in the classroom can improve learning. Using only a teacher-centered approach leaves out many skills and learning opportunities for students.
What is an example of a teaching approach? ›There are a variety of teaching methods and strategies available to instructors to help their students learn or develop knowledge and skills. Some examples of teaching methods and strategies include: lectures, seminars, project-based instruction, dictation, and assignments.
What is the meaning of teaching approach? ›TEACHING APPROACH It is a set of principles, beliefs, or ideas about the nature of learning which is translated into the classroom.An approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning. Underlying any language teaching approach is a theoretical view of what language is, and of how it can be learnt.
What are the challenges of learning centered teaching? ›- Student mindsets. Making the switch from passive, teacher-directed learning to active, self-directed learning.
- Adviser time. Juggling multiple demands from managing many student projects.
- Math. ...
- Consistency across advisories.
Limitation of Teacher Centred Approach:
Since the teaching is very often imposing facts and ideas by the teacher, children do not like and tend to lose interest. If the knowledge of the teacher is limited, then he/she cannot meet the needs of individual children.
How is teacher-centered learning different from student-centered learning? ›
Student-centered mindsets view the learner as primary and unique agents of learning, engagement, and connection, as opposed to teacher-centered mindsets which tend to view learners as passive and uniform vessels.
What is student-centered vs teacher-centered coaching? ›Student-centered coaching differs from teacher-centered coaching by keeping student work at the center of the entire coaching cycle. During student-centered coaching, teachers and coaches analyze student work to gauge students' progress toward one or more specific learning targets.
What is the problem centered approach? ›What's the idea? A problem-centred curriculum is a cross-curricular, inquiry-based, student-centred approach that is built around real-world problems. Within a problem-centred curriculum, learning transcends subject disciplines and brings together elements of the curriculum that would otherwise be separate.
Why do some teachers prefer teacher directed approaches to instruction? ›Direct Instruction Allows for More Interaction
Lastly, direct instruction is important because it allows for more interaction. Students are able to ask more questions and request assistance. They are also able to discuss their interests, enabling me to add those to my lessons.
Disadvantages of learner centered approach
It requires more skill on the part of the teacher as well as their time and resources. It is often difficult for teachers to make an acceptable balance among competing needs and interests of students.
The main critique of student–centred learning is its focus on the individual learner. In addition, there are some difficulties in its implementation, i.e. the resources needed to implement it, the belief system of the students and staff, and students' lack of familiarity with the term.
What are the advantages of problem centered learning? ›In addition to course content, PBL can promote the development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. It can also provide opportunities for working in groups, finding and evaluating research materials, and life-long learning (Duch et al, 2001).
What are child centered approaches to teaching? ›Child-centered instruction means using the child as the starting point for lesson plans and for developing curriculum. Within that is this notion of whole-child education, which means that we're not just looking at children to fill up with academic information.
What is the first thing you should do as a teacher to create a learner-centered classroom? ›Creating an environment where students feel comfortable taking risks is essential in a student-centered classroom. They'll be more likely to try new things and step outside their comfort zones. One way to do this is to provide opportunities for students to share their work with the class.
What is the impact of a child centered approach? ›The child-centred approach looks at the child's holistic development. It will enable the child to make decisions and solve problems. It allows the child to develop confidently and independently. It contributes to self-esteem so the child can feel comfortable with who they are.
What is the difference between child centered and teacher directed teaching? ›
In child-centred teaching, children are viewed as active constructors of knowledge and the teachers' role is mainly to facilitate their learning. The teacher-directed approach holds that basic academic skills are acquired through direct instruction and practice.
What is effective teaching approach? ›Effective teaching is the knowledge, strategies, processes and behaviours which lead to good student outcomes. Effective teachers have a positive impact on their students and use their expertise to improve learning. These good outcomes are often those that can be measured easily, usually through summative assessment.
What is a teaching approach in teaching? ›Refers to the manner in which different teachers design of instructional strategies in different ways as a result of their individual pedagogical beliefs, preferences and attitudes.
What are approaches of teaching? ›There are 5 different Pedagogical approaches, being the constructivist approach, the collaborative approach, the reflective approach, the integrative approach, and, finally, the inquiry-based approach.
What are the characteristics of teaching approach? ›A conducive classroom environment with, in particular, a task-oriented climate, mutual respect between the students and teacher and among students themselves, orderliness, and safety. Teachers with appropriate subject matter mastery, verbal intelligence, a broad teaching repertoire, and motivation to achieve.
What makes effective teaching and learning? ›The review shows that in order to achieve good teaching, good subject knowledge is a prerequisite. Also, the skilful use of well-chosen questions to engage and challenge learners, and to consolidate understanding, is an important feature, as is the effective use of assessment for learning.
What are student centered teaching methods? ›Learner-centered teaching methods shift the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners. These methods include: Active learning, in which students solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate, or brainstorm during class.
What are the two types of teaching approaches? ›There are two main approaches to instruction in higher education: teacher-centered and student-centered. Your approaches will significantly impact your students' learning experiences as well as their ability to understand new concepts and transfer knowledge.
What is the difference between teaching approach and teaching method? ›Furthermore, approach sets the general rule or general principle to make learning possible. A method, on the other hand, is an organized, orderly, systematic, and well- planned procedure aimed at facilitating and enhancing students' learning.
What are teaching approach methods and techniques? ›An approach describes the theory or philosophy underlying how a language should be taught; a method or methodology describes, in general terms, a way of implementing the approach (syllabus, progression, kinds of materials); techniques describe specific practical classroom tasks and activities.
What is the most important approach in teaching? ›
Experiential learning is a great teaching method because it encourages creativity, helps students learn from mistakes, fosters reflective thinking, and prepares students for future experiences. It can be effective for several subjects, especially during science experiments, sports coaching, and group projects.
What are the 5 approaches to teaching? ›- The Constructivist Approach. The constructivist approach is based on the concept of constructivism. ...
- The Collaborative Approach. ...
- The Reflective Approach. ...
- The Integrative Approach. ...
- The Inquiry-Based Approach.
Student-centered mindsets view the learner as primary and unique agents of learning, engagement, and connection, as opposed to teacher-centered mindsets which tend to view learners as passive and uniform vessels.