Title: Becoming a 'guide on the side': learner-centred teaching in the internationalised classroom

Authors: Brie Willoughby-Knox

Addresses: Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia; School of Access Education, Central Queensland University, 400 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia

Abstract: This in-depth case study looks at the transition from teacher-centred education (TCE) to learner-centred education (LCE) in two pathway program classrooms. LCE has the power to transform the learning experience into one of security, creativity and autonomy. It is suggested that teachers need to extend their understanding of their roles, by raising their awareness of their students' academic, social and emotional needs. The pedagogical approaches adopted by these teachers were directly related to the relative success of their transformation from 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side'. A robust relationship was found between how the teachers understood this pedagogical approach, the dynamics that emerge in the classes and whether the transition was successful.

Keywords: learner-centred education; LCE; narrative inquiry; emotion; pedagogy; creative teaching; democratic facilitation; nurturing environment; case study research; internationalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2017.084418

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2017 Vol.8 No.1, pp.1 - 15

Received: 22 Jun 2016
Accepted: 19 Nov 2016
Published online: 06 Jun 2017 *

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