Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Ruby Burgess

Abstract

Learner-centered education (LCE) has historically proven difficult to implement in non-Western countries, despite being perceived as synonymous with quality education. Although context-responsive pedagogy has been proposed as the key to successful LCE implementation, the literature on context-responsive pedagogy has not focused on LCE specifically, but on education in general. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Nigerian teachers’ understanding of context-responsive LCE. The conceptual framework consisted of Fernandes et al.’s curricular contextualization framework and Schweisfurth’s minimum standards for LCE. The research question examined teachers’ perceptions of context-responsive LCE. Participants were 10 teachers in a Nigerian urban secondary school known for promoting LCE. Teachers had a minimum of 2-year post-qualification experience. The remotely conducted, semi-structured interviews were analyzed using open coding, and then codes were clustered into meaningful categories. The emergent themes from the categories were (a) affirmation of the LCE educational model, (b) teachers’ leadership role in promoting LCE, and (c) LCE-supporting instructional strategies. Subthemes focused on the role of the teacher as guide and caregiver, the positive benefits of creating a student-friendly learning environment, and the usefulness of improvisation as a practical and effective teacher response in resource-challenged settings. The findings offer teachers and school leaders alternative and potentially more motivating ways of engaging with their students. This may have implications for positive social change in the Nigerian educational system, where strong teacher-centered methods persist.

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