Monthly Archives: August 2023

“Teacher-Centered: Rules of behavior are made explicit, are taught, and appropriate steps are taken when a child or class does not follow them.

Student-Centered: Discipline is seldom discussed. It is assumed that curriculum and methods that are child-centered and based on the child’s ability will minimize the need for discipline. Rules of behavior are usually not made explicit.”

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

“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.

“Teacher-Centered: Textbooks are important to assure minimal coverage of content. Additional materials are recommended as well, for example, encyclopedias and other reference works, books, newspapers, and magazines, and more recently computer programs.

Student-Centered: Original sources—for example, children’s literature, novels, historical works, original documents, and more recently computers—are preferred to textbooks. Textbooks are not preferred because they are considered dull and not geared to the individual needs and interests of students. For science, hands-on experiences are preferred to reading materials.”

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

“Teacher-Centered: Promotion is largely by achievement. If the achievement is thought to be too low for success in subsequent grades, the student may be retained for a year. Usually, a student is retained twice, at most, in the elementary grades.

Student-Centered: Social promotion is preferred. The student is promoted with his age group even if his achievement is quite low. It is assumed that the student will benefit from predictable promotion since ideally the instruction is matched to the student’s instructional level, not to his or her grade placement. Also, to hold back a student is considered questionable for his or her self-esteem.”

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