LEARNER-CENTERED INSTRUCTION: A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM TEACHER-CENTERED INSTRUCTION IN THE TEACHING OF BASIC TECHNOLOGY IN UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

Learner centered and teacher centered instruction have been on since many years but leaner centered instruction indeed is a paradigm shift from teacher- centeredness. It gives the learner all chances of being an effective participant in teaching-learning process. Here teaching/instruction and learning have been discussed. Greater emphases were given on learner-centered instruction hence it creates room for effective participation, long retention of learned materials, individual differences of the children in learning and other benefits could be derived from it. While the enormous benefits of learner-centered instruction have been emphasized, it has some challenges such as making the class noisy, expensive in terms of resources, time consuming among others. To overcome the challenges that many learner-centered instruction/teaching some recommendations have been made herein. They among others include that only professional teachers should be employed to teach Basic Education Children, there should be adequate instructional materials for the children to work with, classrooms should be spacious enough for the children to perform and participate effectively,. All in all, it was concluded that learner-centered instruction is more academically effective than teacher-centered instruction. It was also concluded that children retain learned materials longer in their memories and it gives the teachers more chances to supervise the activities of the children hence both the slow and the fast learners will be given the attention they deserve.