Category Archives: Reference

“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.

Teacher-Centered: Letter and/or percentage grades are given for most subjects. Sometimes scores from standardized achievement tests are also included on the report cards received by parents.

Student-Centered: Oral reports directed to the parent are considered the ideal form of reporting pupil progress. A written report in narrative form may also be used.

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

Teacher-Centered: The tendency is to prefer more-difficult rather than easier instructional materials.

Student-Centered: The tendency is to prefer easier tasks and materials because students are expected to do much of their learning independently.

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

“Teacher-Centered: All students are expected to learn the basic skills (reading, writing, math) and the traditional content subjects (history, geography, and science) as their aptitude permits. While individual differences are recognized, all who attend school are expected to reach at least some minimal standards in knowledge and in skills.

Student-Centered: Student learning is expected to vary by interests, motivation, and ability. Therefore, not all are held to the same standards. Also, because of the knowledge explosion, students cannot be expected to learn all there might be to learn. Therefore, they should learn, not subjects, but how to learn, think, and solve problems; and they should know how to find what they need when they need it.”

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

“Teacher-Centered: Formal and informal tests are given to determine the student’s aptitude for and mastery of the subject matter that has been taught—the content and the skills. Contemporary teacher-centered schools make use of standardized tests of aptitude and achievement.

Student-Centered: There is an ambivalence about both standards and assessments. Standards are problematic because of the great emphasis on individual differences. There is a preference for qualitative and diagnostic tests and, more recently, for portfolios.”

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

“Teacher-Centered: Students learn right from wrong from their studies and from extracurricular activities.

Student-Centered: Moral behavior develops from the individual’s experience. It is best learned when not taught directly.”

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

“Teacher-Centered: Students are expected to learn what is taught. What is taught should be as interesting as possible, but it is selected because it fits with an overall hierarchy of learning tasks. The students comes to school with both good and questionable habits and attitudes. Schools are designed to “humanize” him or her into being a good citizen and good learner.

Student-Centered: Ideally, the best learning comes when students are interested in what they learn. Therefore, teachers are to encourage students to follow their own interests in their learning. Students are assumed to have good attitudes and habits and to naturally want to learn and become good citizens.”

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