Adopting Learner-Centered Education and Perceptions of School Effectiveness

Abstract

Learner-centered educational practices and school effectiveness are among the remarkable emerging research areas of educational realms. In this study, it is aimed to describe the relationship between administrators’ and teachers’ adoption of learner-centered psychological principles and their perceptions about the effectiveness of their schools. The study includes the characteristics of quantitative research methods. Utilizing the survey model, the sample of the study consisted of 429 participants including 364 teachers and 65 school administrators from 32 public secondary schools. The data of the study were gathered through “Learner-Centered Educational Principles Adoption Scale” and “Effective School Scale”. Depending on the distribution of the data gathered, parametric and non-parametric analyzes were executed. The results revealed that administrators and teachers adopted learner-centered psychological principles at high level. It was explored that there was a significant and positive linear relationship between the participants’ adopting learner-centered approach and their perceptions about the effectiveness of their schools. The results finally suggested that the participants’ perceptions of school effectiveness varied significantly depending on their commitment to learner-centered understanding. It can be interpreted that school administrators and teachers as the key practitioners of educational policies bear a certain level of readiness for adapting to the change efforts centering the learner in educational processes. The findings in this respect can guide policy-makers, administrators, and teachers in their efforts to increase school effectiveness through a learner-centered perspective.

Keywords

• Learner-centeredness
• learner-centered education
• school effectiveness
• administrators

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