Staff Perceptions on Implementation and Challenges of Student Centered Pedagogy: A Case Study

Abstract

In today’s world, a teacher should remain a facilitator rather than a tutor. Students should be empowered to develop problem-solving, critical thinking and reasoning skills. Student-centred learning (SCL) is the best methodology to aim for the above. The aim of this research is to study the perceptions of staff on implementing student-centred learning and its challenges with reference to the Department of IT, Higher College of Technology, Muscat. The best SCL practices implemented in the department are explored in this research. The study participants were course coordinators from three levels – Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Bachelor. The study used the stratified sampling method to choose a sample size of 24 subjects. Two different approaches (survey questionnaire and a focus group discussion) were used in collecting the data. The objective data related to the experiences of SCL implementation was processed using SPSS and summarized in tables. Google Cloud Speech-to-text API was employed to analyse the recordings of focus group discussion. The research results show that SCL is more effectively implemented in Advanced Diploma & Bachelor levels compared to Diploma levels. Among the challenges reported are: difficulty in English language, cultural differences, decreased reading habits, lack of adequate facilities, students’ resistance, etc. This research recommends that all stakeholders in education should encourage students to be self-focused, active and life-long learners.

Keywords

• Student centred learning
• active learning
• student centred learning challenges
• Open Education Resources