Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of the Student Centered Learning Approach through a Metaphoric Perspective

Abstract

Changing needs of society require higher education institutions to promote new forms of knowledge, skills and responsibilities. This requires a shift from teacher centered curricula to learner centered curricula which leads to a change in the roles of teacher and student, activities to be designed and the approaches to be implemented. This study aims to examine the pre-service teacher's perceptions of student centered learning methodology based on their experiences in an elective course titled student centered education (SCE) through a metaphoric perspective. The study was done within qualitative research paradigm wherein an interpretive methodology was adopted. Phenomenology was used as the research design within interpretivism. Data were collected qualitatively within the format of using metaphors from 37 third year students in the Faculty of Education at Eastern Mediterranean University and analyzed through content analysis method. The study provided data regarding the importance of cooperative learning, teacher-student roles, self-regulation, autonomy and interaction in the student centered learning process. The contribution of student centered learning on the development of academic and social skills were underlined in the study. It can also be concluded from the study that student centered learning is effective due to the variety and diversity it provides in the ideas being exchanged and the strategies being developed.