Learner-Centered Teaching: Can It Work in Kenyan Public Primary Schools?

Abstract

Learner-centered teaching is known, through research, to enhance effective learning. In these methods, learners play the key role in learning while teachers only help them to develop the necessary knowledge and skills that will enable them handle life issues and tasks independently. The developed countries to a greater extend practice these methods but many of the developing countries, Kenya included have continued to use the old teacher-centered teaching methods. Through a review of related literature, this study sought to uncover the factors that have hindered the use of learner-centered teaching methods in Kenyan public primary schools. The findings revealed multiple elements that have combined to prevent the practice of learner-centered teaching. These are grouped into teacher factors, teaching and learning material factors and learner factors. It was concluded that if Kenyan youth are to be prepared effectively to face life challenges of the 21st century, the country’s education stakeholders should endeavor to make teaching learner-centered rather than teacher-centered. The most important recommendation is that systematic teacher training should be provided for effective implementation of learner-centered teaching.