Jeanne Chall on Key Differences Between Teacher-Centered and Student-Centered Instruction 13: How Students’ Difficulties Are Explained and Treated

“Teacher-Centered: The emphasis is on learning and teaching. If the student is failing, the tendency is to look into what he or she has not learned and how it can be provided by the school. Behavioral and emotional problems are also recognized as possible causes of learning difficulties. But there is a greater emphasis on treating academic difficulties directly, even if the causes are nonacademic.

Student-Centered: The cause for academic difficulties is usually sought in noneducational factors—lack of motivation, emotional problems, or a troubled or dysfunctional home. For students in first grade, a lack of progress is often stated in terms of readiness for schooling.”

Excerpted from: Chall, Jeanne S. The Academic Achievement Challenge: What Really Works in the Classroom? New York: The Guilford Press, 2002.