Student-centred approach to teaching large classes: friend or foe?

Abstract

Purpose -The aim of this paper is to report on the development and implementation of two student-centred teaching approaches, not usually thought to be appropriate for large group situations. These projects involved adapting teaching methods to facilitate a move away from the conventional lecturer-centred approach (the "chalk-and-talk" of earlier generations) and to respond to an environment challenged by the perpetually changing requirements of professional bodies, increasingly large classes and high student-staff ratios. Design/methodology/approach -Two student-centred projects were implemented at a South African residential university in the discipline of auditing, and the topic of general controls in the information technology (IT) environment was addressed. This study reports on two cycles of the development and implementation of the projects following an action research methodology. Findings -It was found that "non-standard" teaching practices can be implemented successfully and that active student involvement, even in a large class environment, is achievable and is therefore recommended, not least because this could positively impact on students' overall skills development. The action research methodology was successfully used to incorporate changes, enforced by the challenges accounting academics are faced with.Research limitations/implications -Limitations associated with this study are that it was conducted at only one South African university, and that it was in a specific and technical topic within the single field of auditing. The study also did not measure whether deep or surface learning had taken place. As various factors contribute to learning, it was also not possible to report on whether positive changes to students' normal learning processes have been achieved as a result of the initiatives. Originality/value -The contribution this study makes is twofold. First, it adds to the field of accounting education research by indicating that student-centred projects can successfully address the abovementioned challenges faced by accounting academics. Second, it demonstrates that action research, as a methodology for examining and developing accounting education, can be used effectively by academics to improve their teaching practices.

Active or Passive-What Do Pre-Service Science Teachers Prefer in Their Professional Training?

“…In the past, most academic institutions have adopted a teacher-centered approach in which the lecturer is the center of the lesson (Ishii, 2017). This approach is, in most cases, based on frontal instruction in which student participation is passive and the lecturer has control over the class and classroom (Kirstein & Kunz, 2015). This approach includes a teaching environment in which there are only two elements.…”

“…The prevalent assumption in this view is that there is a transfer of knowledge from the lecturer to students based on lecturer explanations and lectures (Sadler, 2012). Therefore, the use of teaching methods that include, among other things, discussions, observations, experiences and work in small groups is much less important in this approach because the lecturer is the center of the lesson and the students are less active in the lessons (Kirstein & Kunz, 2015). Accordingly, most school teachers and parents believed that learning is a passive activity, and teachers should spend most of their time in frontal lectures transferring knowledge, keeping track of students as they read textbooks and complete writing assignments individually.…”

“…In most cases, this approach is considered surface learning (Plate, 2010;Varunki et al, 2017)Surface learning is where there is extrinsic motivation for learning and fear of failure (Marton & Saljo, 1976). This learning is considered learning that encompasses short-term memorization and recall techniques (Biggs, Kember, & Leung, 2001) rather than long-term learning (Kirstein & Kunz, 2015) or information replication (Chan, 2014). This approach hinders the possibility of understanding the learned context and how knowledge can be applied in other circumstances (Baeten, Struyven, & Dochy, 2013) and the underlying meaning of information (Biggs et al, 2001).…”

“…In contrast, teaching that promotes student centrality in the teaching process uses a diverse teaching environments (Bocconi & Trentin, 2014) that make the student active and engaged in learning (Kirstein & Kunz, 2015). In this approach, the diverse teaching environment includes a learning space, which can include different environments such as a laboratory, out-of-class outings in the immediate vicinity, or outings requiring transportation.…”

“…The dimension of teaching methods is varied and can include mobile learning, game making, learning through drawing, modern technology and making a scientific poster. In this approach, students contribute to the learning process, and the lecturer conducts few frontal lectures (Kirstein & Kunz, 2015).…”