Creating a Student-Centric Learning Environment in Your Classroom

Numerous educators seeking effective instructional methods to enhance students’ progress and engagement have turned their attention to student-centered learning, and the rationale behind this shift is solid. Student-centered learning not only shows promise but also has the potential to amplify student engagement, academic performance, and confidence.

This article delves into several ways educators can foster a classroom environment that embraces student-centered learning.

The Spotlight on Student-Centered Learning Why the emphasis on student-centered learning? This approach has garnered attention from astute district leaders who've witnessed its effectiveness in educational settings. It appears to offer a potent solution to persisting challenges even two years after the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in education.

This is especially true concerning boosting student outcomes. Research on student-centered learning highlights that methodologies focusing on students’ needs, abilities, and interests can notably enhance students’ involvement in education. Considering this, such strategies are poised to play a pivotal role in schools’ plans for 2022-23.

But what exactly does creating a student-centered learning environment entail?

The Attributes of Student-Centered Learning Student-centered learning is an educational philosophy where teaching methods and objectives stem from students’ own experiences, curiosities, and interests. In essence, students dictate what they learn and how they learn it.

To achieve this, educators engage students in project-based and personalized learning experiences. Additionally, student-centered learning integrates various techniques aimed at honing learners’ critical thinking abilities and addressing their specific needs.

Drs. Christopher Harrington and Kristen DeBruler encapsulate this approach concisely in their article defining student-centered learning. “In a genuinely student-centered learning setting, teachers and students collaboratively design a learning plan or pathway tailored to each individual learner,” the authors explain. “The teacher acts as an architect of each student’s learning journey.”

The Advantages How much do learners benefit from student-centered learning? Existing studies indicate substantial promise.

Student-centered learning offers an opportunity to reinvigorate waning student engagement, as highlighted in a report on student-centered learning practices by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NME) and the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. This is logical given that learners are naturally more engaged when studying topics and approaches relevant to their experiences.

Moreover, other research on student-centered learning reveals that schools emphasizing learner-centered approaches tend to outperform their counterparts on various metrics such as graduation rates, post-high school education interest, and improved assessment scores, notes early research on student-centered learning by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

Creating a Student-Centered Learning Environment Clearly, establishing a student-centered learning climate in the classroom holds promise for enhancing student engagement and relating learning modules to real-world contexts. To maximize these efforts, it’s crucial to lay a robust foundation supporting these learner-centered experiences.

Here are a few pointers to help create the groundwork for a student-centered classroom:

Establish Community Standards—Empower Students to Set Expectations Setting clear guidelines at the start of the school year or semester is essential for informing students about expectations and creating a comfortable atmosphere. This also forms the bedrock of a student-centered learning environment for the academic year ahead. Whether accustomed to outlining participation expectations, collaboration guidelines, or similar classroom attributes, consider making this more of a student-focused task with each new class.

In an article discussing learner-focused environments, Education Corner suggests initiating the process by encouraging students to brainstorm collectively about how they envision the classroom in terms of ambiance, conduct, and functionality. Allowing 15 minutes for brainstorming encourages students to shape the classroom environment as per their preferences. Once gathered, students can note their ideas on a whiteboard, even if unconventional or sensitive. As common themes emerge, guide them toward consolidating the most significant ones, thus forming a concrete set of community standards. This process can be revisited periodically to ensure relevance or to accommodate any changes desired by students. Alternatively, involving students in crafting a classroom code of conduct or a mission statement further reinforces their role in defining their learning experience.

Exercises like these foster effective and confident communication among students and demonstrate a teacher’s commitment to valuing student perspectives, ultimately entrusting young learners to shape their learning journeys.

Enable Students to Direct Their Learning—From Lessons to Evaluations Crafting a student-centered learning climate extends beyond setting initial classroom guidelines. It involves ensuring students remain in control throughout the academic year, with decisions influenced by student-centered learning principles permeating the classroom.

Remember, according to this philosophy, students should have agency in determining what they learn and how they learn it—from lesson planning to evaluating knowledge. Embracing student-centered learning doesn’t have to be an all-encompassing commitment. Educators can selectively adopt components that best suit their classrooms.

In a report on integrating student-centered learning, Suchinta Arif offers strategies educators can use to embrace learner-focused environments. Although the suggestions are based on her experience in an undergraduate ecosystems course, many apply to K-12 settings:

Lectures: Allowing learners to select lecture topics, inviting guest speakers chosen by students, letting students present part of a module's lecture, and fostering open-ended conversations among students are some ways to empower student participation.

Labs: Encouraging students to select lab topics and methodologies, involving them in designing lab assignments that emphasize critical thinking, and ensuring labs resonate with students’ interests are key methods. For instance, allowing students to create a miniature pipette “cake” while learning micropipette use. Assessments: Granting students the autonomy to choose report topics and assessment formats, offering options for answering test questions, or enabling students to self-grade using rubrics are strategies promoting learner autonomy. Additionally, align your communication approach with student-centered learning principles. Rather than being the primary focal point, consider adopting a facilitative role that guides student discussions and intervenes to steer conversations. This reinforces the sense of community and confidence established in the previous step.

Thoughtfully Integrate Technology into Classroom Activities Technology, when aligned with student-centered learning principles, can be a powerful tool for deepening lessons, engaging students, and preparing them for future careers. Integrating technology into student-centered learning should revolve around empowering students to actively participate in their educational journeys.

For educators seeking to integrate technology mindfully into a student-centered learning environment, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provides guiding questions:

What technology is appropriate for the task at hand? How can activities be structured to foster higher-order thinking skills? ISTE’s education standards, particularly those relating to diversity and inclusion, emphasize equitable access to educational technology and digital content, a critical aspect of student-centered learning. It's essential to consider the diverse needs of students in your classroom when implementing technology-driven activities. Without catering to these varying needs, willing participants might feel excluded during tech-oriented lessons.

One promising example of technology use fostering student-centered learning is virtual reality. Google's Dan Lindquist detailed a classroom experience using virtual and augmented reality to ignite students’ curiosity. During an archaeology module on ancient civilizations, students explored Mesoamerican history through a virtual tour of Chichen Itza and examined ancient artifacts using augmented reality. This empowered students to focus on their interests and drive their learning experience.

Consider Implementing an On-Demand ‘Teaching Assistant’ in Classroom Activities Given the emphasis on student independence in student-centered learning, having an instructional partner in the classroom can be beneficial. Teaching assistants can facilitate class discussions and tailor instruction to enable individual students to pursue alternative pathways or educational approaches that align with their interests.

At teacher-assistant, our expert tutors function as on-demand instructional aides for classroom educators. Here are a few ways these tutors can support a learner-centered instructional approach:

Small-group assistance: Tutors can assist different student groups during discussions while you engage with other groups.

Independent study: Students can seek help from online tutors during in-class assignments, fostering independence and comfort with online resources.

Accelerated learning: For students mastering topics quickly, online tutors can introduce new material, allowing them to progress while you continue supporting others.

Assignment brainstorming: teacher-assistant’s tutors use inquiry-based methods, guiding students toward their interests rather than merely offering suggestions.

Encourage students to collaborate with tutors on assignment topics or essay ideas. Implementing these strategies can create a student-centered learning environment that empowers learners to direct their educational journey while educators provide guidance and support as facilitators.