3.1 Student-centred education

On this page

  1. Importance of student-centred education
    1.1 Student-centred education
    1.2 No student-centred education
    1.3 Starting with student-centred education
  2. Your activities in student-centred education
    2.1 Preparation for working independently
    2.2 Structure and freedom
    2.3 Your roles during working independently
    2.4 Your actions during working independently
    2.5 Observing students during working independently
    2.6 Reinforcing positive behaviour during working independently
  3. Pitfall student-centred education
  4. Student’s activities in student-centred education
    4.1 Students assess themselves
    4.2 Collaboration in student-centred education
    4.3 Students adhere to the framework
    4.4 Expectation management folder
    4.5 Formal and informal learning
    4.6 Make an implementation plan (whole task first)
    4.7 Find information, ask for help from experts
    4.8 Learning style
    4.9 Intrinsic motivation
    4.10 Exchange of expertise
    4.11 Dealing with obstacles when working independently
  5. Quotes about learning
  6. Talent
    6.1 Pupate
  7. Question based education
  8. Combining multiple perspectives of FFT
  9. Summary student-centred education
  10. Credits

In “Student-centred education,” a student sets goals (in part) by himself and realizes them with the help of peers and experts. The teacher acts as a coach and invites students to work together. They work at their own pace on basic material and on topics of their own choosing. They connect maturely with the subject, with each other and with the world. Individual talent emerges that requires individual assessment. In student-centered education, the emphasis is on the educational goal of Subjectivation.

 

When my students are working independently, they make their own plans and work on them at their own pace. I encourage my students to work together and consult fellow students and/or experts. In the role of coach, I mainly ask my students questions. Making their own decisions, and the way I assess, motivates my students and ensures that each student emerges as a unique person. In the learning environment that I prepare for my students, Qualification, Socialization and, above all, Subjectivation are central.

 The American psychologist with whom the revolution in thinking about motivation began, Edward Deci, believes the question is no longer how we motivate each other. The real question is: How do we create a society in which people motivate themselves? This question is not left or right, nor is it capitalist or communist. We are talking about a new movement. About a new realism. Because nothing is more powerful than people who do what they do because they want to do it.” Bregman (2019), Rutger

Motivation is not self-evident when you start something. Motivation arises when you do something that you find worthwhile. Important factors are: Am I autonomous, am I competent and am I connected to others? This applies to both students and teacher.

Nietzsche:
The most effective way to plunge a youngster into ruin: teach him to esteem like-minded people more than dissenters…….Let the young soul look back on his life and ask the question: what have you truly loved so far, what has attracted your soul, what has controlled it and made it happy at the same time? Put these things in order, and perhaps, by their nature and order, they yield a law, the fundamental law of your very self.” Prideaux (2018)

Hanna Holborn Gray:
Education is not meant to put people at ease; it is meant to make them think.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg

Van Jones:
I don’t want you to be ideologically safe, I don’t want you to be emotionally safe. I want you to be strong. That is something else. I’m not going to pave the path through the jungle for you. Put on boots and learn to deal with adversity. I’m not going to take the weights out of the gym, that’s what the gym is all about. This is gym.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg

Introduction video

For more information check out our other introductory videos here.

News

Vita Contemplativa – Alternating action with contemplation

Current approach:

Until now, how did I give my students control over (part of) their learning?

Future approach:

How do I give my students control over (part of) their learning in the future?

Examples

A student profits from this challenging assignment:
‘In your own discipline, create something with social relevance. Choose a subject that itches, that does something to you. Do your best and try to get the best out of yourself.’
This assignment led to a student writing a book: read more: Haas goes undercover

a site with focus on ‘Student-Centred Education’:

  1. Khan Academy

Introduction to student-centred education

Student-Centred Education is one of the four modules of the ‘Planning lessons’ perspective of Friendly and Fair Teaching (FFT).

Figure 32: Planning lessons (overview)

With this module you give students the opportunity to shape (in part) their own educational process. The emphasis in this module is on the educational objective of Subjectivation. This includes independence, responsibility (for yourself, others and the world) and also maturity.

You teach with the knowledge that students are ultimately on their own. Therefore, you prepare your students for that reality by giving them, if possible, more responsibility.

In ‘Student-Centred Education’, you take the risk of students temporarily (first lessons of a period) doing nothing. You expect that over time they will find their own course and then apply themselves to the maximum. When they get to work on their own they compensate for the temporary inaction. To start working is primarily their own responsibility when students are working independently.

When taking on responsibility, students face obstacles. After a certain amount of time your job is to help them overcome those obstacles.

During ‘Student-centred education’ you observe how students work. If a student disturbs a fellow student, you reinforce positive behaviour.

By alternating ‘Teacher-centred education’ with ‘Student-centred education’ you offer both structure and freedom. With ‘Student-centred education’ you give students the opportunity to discover and utilize their talents.

With student-centred education you make it possible for students to work at their own pace on what interests them. You make it possible for them to work at their own level. In doing so, you increase their intrinsic motivation and prevent frustration (See figure below).

To keep it fair, I will give you all the same assignment: Climb this tree.

Figure 35: Assessment 

Time for working independently

In vocational education, the amount of material to cover is limited. In secondary education, students may be taught for seven hours at a time by different teachers who all mostly teaching the entire class and require all students to pay attention. Students have a limited attention span. If you do a lot of broadcasting and your students have to listen to you for a long time, you thereby invoke control problems. FFT therefore recommends setting aside time in which your students can work independently on their own planning. With that planning, they will work at their own pace.

Own interests

In student-centered education, each student chooses something that suits him or her (learning style). After a student chooses a topic for themselves, they describe what they want to achieve with the topic. If they choose topics that match their perceptions, prior knowledge and needs, it increases their motivation. Students then see that classmates choose other interesting topics. They then choose those topics next term. This creates trends and groups with different areas of expertise. By encouraging (voluntary) cooperation among students during independent work, exchange of knowledge takes place. Students constantly discover new ways to work with your subject.

With student-directed education, a student shapes education rather than undergoing it. This type of education aligns with an understandable desire of every human being expressed by Simon & Garfunkel in the song El condor pasa: I’d rather be a hammer than a nail. Rather do something, make something, than suffer something.

You follow all students. You ask your students to come to you one after the other during independent work to show how far they have come. During teacher-centred instruction, you offer plenty of explanations; you can also record your explanations and offer them online so a student can watch them at their own time (flip the classroom). By being clear about which basic skills should be studied, you provide a structure that prevents students from getting lost.

Not only do you bear responsibility. You ask your students to deal responsibly with the freedom you provide. The more often a learner sets a goal and self-assesses whether the goal has been achieved, the more this learner gains a real picture of his or her own abilities. In student-centered education, everyone works at their own level. They get used to working independently, taking responsibility and gaining self-confidence. With acquired skills, learners strike out in new directions, even outside your field. Students are now masters of themselves.

In student-centered education, you have high expectations of your students and trust in your students. Giving confidence to your students means letting them go (partially) and no longer having them (constantly) ‘on a leash’. Giving freedom in this sense can be understood as an act of creation:

The act of creation implies separation. Something that remains connected to the creator is only half created. To create is to have something taken over that did not exist before, and therefore it is new. And the new is inseparable from pain, for it is alone.” Berger (John) 2021

Combine teacher-centered and student-centered education

With the combination of teacher-controlled education plus student-controlled education, you stimulate both formal and informal learning: Because your offer matches students’ own needs, they continue working at home. Even after an assessment, they keep going. Your students do this of their own free will, out of interest in your subject, because they have chosen a particular topic themselves. Because students are at the helm themselves, make decisions and because they pay sufficient attention to the basic material, their results improve.

Reinforcing positive behaviour

By giving students space to direct part of their learning, there is less incentive to disrupt the lesson. To give all students the opportunity to work constructively and intently, a quiet environment is necessary. Read how to get started with the framework and the Ladder of action here. At the right column of this link. see how to show your students the number of Tips you give during independent work.

Students work on their own projects as well as on basic material.

A challenge during independent work is to let students work on their own projects as well as pay sufficient attention to the basic material. You can do this by:

  • agreeing with your students until when they have time to work on the basic material,
  • asking them to show you (at a time of their choosing) their progress on both the basic material and their presentations.
  • encourage your students to plan during independent work.

With this approach, your students will meet the requirements at the end of a report period. Because you have one-on-one contact with your students in advance about the basic material, you can predict well what the results of a final test will be.

Minimum requirements but no uniformity

With student-centered education, you set minimum standards but you don’t force students to be uniform. Instead of deciding minute by minute what everyone does, you are now a coach for your students. That feels like a liberation for you and an adventure for your students. You let their results surprise you.

How would a (model) student describe this process?

“Practicing the basic material provides me with the necessary subject knowledge. Whenever I master a skill in the basic subject matter, I demonstrate it to the teacher. When choosing a topic, I set a goal taking into account my prior knowledge. During independent work, I follow my own route. Because I evaluate my presentation together with the teacher, I get a real picture of my abilities. Because I evaluate the result myself after each reporting period, I can better assess which goal is achievable for the next reporting period. This gives me control over and insight into (part of) my own learning process. After each period, the teacher asks me for suggestions to improve the learning material.”.

When can you stop teaching?

When you discover a student knows more about your own subject specialism then yourself, it is time to refer to a more specialized colleague.

Every teacher must learn how to stop teaching when the time comes. (Biesta) 2022

Following this quote, read the blog: Former student Kizzo pushed out of the nest

1. Importance of student-centred education

1.1 Student-centred education

It is important for students to be heard and seen. By coaching your students, you contribute to that. When they work on a subject for a longer period of time, they notice the need to plan and increase their perseverance. To make this possible you reserve, adapted to the degree of independence of your students, a large part of the available teaching time for independent work.

Prior to independent work, if necessary, you give a brief general explanation of how you supervise independent work. Each student will work at his or her own pace on the basic material or on a self-selected topic. The more choices a student makes in different subjects, the more personal the result. In this way, you (and your colleagues) create a situation in which your students show what they can achieve with a different subjects. This leads to surprising results not previously achieved. Not only the students discover new aspects of your subject, through the students you discover new aspects. By placing the initiative during independent work with the students, you are not the only transmitter. The students are also transmitting! If you notice a new promising initiative from a student, you translate that initiative in the next series of lessons into an assignment that other students can also choose. With their knowledge and intrinsic motivation, students inspire you and each other.

‘Student-Centred Education’ brings students into contact with multiple aspects of your profession. In the process, they break new ground and make new discoveries. They get the chance to discover their talents. This creates an attractive learning climate in which you can consider yourself lucky to be working with an enthusiastic, close-knit group that shows enthusiasm for your profession.

Student-centered education brings students into contact with multiple aspects of your profession. In the process, they break new ground and make new discoveries. They get the chance to discover their talents. This creates a positive learning climate in which you can consider yourself lucky to work with an enthusiastic, close-knit group that enjoys working with your profession.

During independent work, the students’ attention is focused on:

  1. working on a self-chosen topic. This ties in with the educational goal of Subjectivation
  2. working on basic material (Qualification).
  3. Students decide for themselves with whom they cooperate and whom they consult (Socialization).

1.2 No student-centred education

You stick mainly to teacher-centred education. You feel obliged to do so by government, school leadership, or head of department. Rules and procedures, no matter how useful they seem, can have a negative effect on your mental leeway. Gradually, a narrowing of consciousness occurs. You decide what your students do, and in doing so, you limit your students’ freedom to explore on their own. You keep students on a leash too much. Students have little opportunity to make decisions independently. See pitfall teacher-centred education

A slave literally involves a line/chain:
Enslave a man and you destroy his ambition, his enterprise, his abilities.” Lepore (2018), Jill

1.3 Starting with student-centred education

Prior to independent work, during whole class teaching, you let your students silently choose a topic and formulate a goal in the process. Before your students get started, ask them to engage in a serious way on two types of assignments:

  1. Self-selected open assignments
  2. Closed assignments set by you (Compulsory assignments).

You can start with ‘Student-Centred Education’ if your students can choose from several options and if it is clear what you ask of them in terms of compulsory assignments.

What do students do during student-centred education?

Before getting started, they make a schedule that includes:

  1. sufficient attention to the basic material.
  2. sufficient attention to their self-selected assignment. During independent work, students have time to freely decide what to do, how to do it and at what pace to do it. See practical examples from music lessons

With the form in which you assess students, you can prevent your students from focusing exclusively on either option. You clearly state the minimum effort you expect from your students each period. You keep track of their progress. You decide which assignments are compulsory and which free assignments they can choose from.

Ask colleagues to work together to improve the various assignments associated with your (your) positive learning environment. Divide the improvement of assignments among yourselves and share experiences in implementing them.

To allow everyone to work undisturbed, you reinforce positive behaviour with a student who disturbs another student. During independent work, you give your students freedom while making sure they adhere to the framework. By monitoring the framework, you prevent students from feeling free to disrupt the lesson. Student-centred education also involves restrictions: What is and isn’t allowed? How do students resist impulsive tendencies? How do you teach them to deal with delaying desires? Read more about reinforcing positive behaviour when students are working independently.

Meirieu finds project based education for students an appropriate form for exploring their freedom. Quote from Meirieu on the duty to resist:
Educators do not leave children to nature, imagining that these same children could then spontaneously build a democratic society – indeed, everything points to the opposite -, but they create situations that are both approachable and challenging, and in which children can at the same time both learn what has been imposed on them and explore their freedom.” Meirieu (2016).

She [psychology professor Angela Duckworth, author of the book Gritt] wants young people to “devote themselves to pursuits that are intrinsically fulfilling.” Lukianoff (2018), Greg and Jonathan Haidt.

Her book Gritt is about parents’ desire to give children “grit,” which too often manifests as perseverance without passion. With FFT, you strive to combine perseverance with passion.

2. Your activities in student-centred education

Before you let your students work independently, ask yourself these questions:

2.1 Preparation for working independently

In student-centered education, you demand self-efficacy from your students. The extent to which students are able to do this varies. That’s why you let students pick a custom assignment. If a student is not used to being self-directed, you start carefully by offering two alternatives. As your students become accustomed to making choices over time, you increase the number of alternatives and thus their ability to choose.

Consider working with colleagues to improve several assignments belonging to your learning environment. Divide among yourselves the assignments to be improved and share experiences in implementing them.

You strive to create a learning environment with a structure that ensures that each student maintains his or her own course and that each action contributes to meeting the requirements set forth in the curriculum.
You are aware that independent work focuses on the educational goal of Subjectivation and the need for a good relationship between you and the students. To maintain that rapport, it is important that if a student disturbs fellow students, you stop it as imperceptibly as possible so as not to disturb other students who are working well.

In your preparation, keep in mind that students have different learning styles. Within each topic you offer, you let your students decide for themselves how they study that topic. You offer them the opportunity to work on both closed and open-ended assignments.

With student-centered education, you respond to abilities, prior knowledge and desires of your students. You provide materials with which each student makes a personal trek. You create an environment of freedom with opportunity for creativity and enough structure to prevent students getting lost. Your teaching materials provide starting points for students with different learning styles. You prepare topics and prepare them online. At the beginning of a period, you indicate which basic material your students should have mastered by the end of the period.

Focus areas

  1. Before you start with student-centred education, consider whether you are able to reinforce positive behaviour with students during independent work. Only when you are able resolve a disruption during independent work, it pays to give your students more freedom.
  2. Find a way of assessment that fits independent work. Ask your students to regularly show you their progress. The number of successful moments of contact between you and the student determines their grade. Thus, their effort translates into an ever-improving grade that keeps students motivated for your subject throughout the grading period.
  3. Provides a balance between structure and creativity. Structure enables creativity. A student who makes something himself, creates something, shapes a project, can be proud of it. Acquiring individuality is different from imitating others. Individuality contributes to Subjectivation.
  4. Specify the minimum requirements that your students’ work must meet and  when they should be done with it.
  5. Prepare different topics. This is especially labor-intensive the first time. Therefore, consider using programs with Artificial Intelligence such as Learning Levels and Khan Academy (see examples above), or partner with other teachers.
  6. Finally, a quote that fits with your considerations as you prepare working independently:
    It requires educational wisdom from the teacher who always makes and determines the choices, brings in something new and helps the young person break free from the logic of their own whims. An educational wisdom that allows for risk.” Biesta (2013)

2.2 Structure and freedom

Offering structure to students and giving freedom to students seem to contradict each other. This tension falls away if students are motivated and thereby motivate each other. If that is the case, they will be eager to get to work and give each other the opportunity to take turns taking the lead.
If students like the way you teach the entire class, they will use elements of it (such as the way you use gestures) among themselves in independent work, allowing them to work better together. Similarly, a student can use the silence gesture to ask a fellow student for silence.

You allow students to work independently because you are aware that each student is ultimately on their own. You prepare students for this reality by giving them more and more responsibility. Therefore, you make time available for independent work. The more independent students become, the more freedom you give them. The dot on the horizon is the moment when your students can manage themselves.

If, when providing structure, you (too often) see it as your job to discipline students, there is a chance that by doing so you are robbing students of (some of) their freedom. They may engage in discipline, but they remain dependent on you. You are not making them independent. Good results can be achieved with (external) discipline, but this is the downside. Pitfalls with (too much) discipline:

  • What happens when a student doesn’t meet your expectations?
  • To what extent are your students willing to do what you ask of them?
  • How independent are your students when they are on their own?

2.3 Roles of a teacher

With the following roles, you guide your students during independent work. More roles

1 Coach

In ‘Student-Centred Education’, you act modestly and see the student as an individual. Instead of an exalted “sage on the stage,” you are an approachable “guide on the side” for a student. In doing so, you make students (in part) owners of their own development (Motivation Coach).

2 Gardener

Underlying student-centred education is the idea that students (in part) shape their own development. Your role as a teacher when working independently can be compared to that of a gardener.

  1. A gardener gives time to grow.
  2. A gardener provides the right conditions.
  3. As a gardener, you know that your students grow according to an inner plan, that you cannot accelerate the growth process by ‘pulling them out of the ground’. Therefore, you allow the growth to proceed quietly and organically. You avoid slowing down the growth process or worse, preventing it.
  4. Everything that receives attention grows; a gardener knows that.
  5. You guide the growth process partly inaudibly with gestures because you know that if you draw too much attention, you distract students.
  6. You approach your students friendly and fair. You avoid a dominant attitude because that can lead to conflict and  can be disturbing for students who are working well.

3 Metaphor roadside assistance

When working independently each student makes a personal trek. When a student is working in his own way on a subject and gets stuck, you play the role of ‘Roadside assistance’. If necessary, you help this student get back on track. For you this is a varied job because students always come with different questions. You first answer their questions with a counter-question that puts the student on the track of an answer. Students are happy with your help and continue on their own afterwards. You are there for your students when they need you.

4 Maker of a pedagogical context

In addition to being a “gardener” and “motivational coach,” you are also a “creator of a pedagogical context” where you seek a reciprocal pedagogical relationship with students (Mutual assessment). In that relationship, you ask students questions and are open to their questions and suggestions.
Your students experience the time in which they work independently as a personal trek all the more so because, with the right motivation, they can also continue working at home and elsewhere (formal- informal learning).

5 Midwife

This noble tease [Socrates] had deeply understood what is the highest thing that one man can do for another: to make him free, to help him stand alone. But also in this understanding he had understood himself, that is, he had understood that for this to be realized, the helper must know how to hide himself, must magnanimously want to make himself into nothing. In a spiritual sense he was a midwife – that is what he called himself – and in this service he exerted himself selflessly with all sacrifice. The selflessness lay precisely in the fact that it remained hidden from the one he helped that he had been helped and how.” Kierkegaard (2007), Soren

Comment on this quote:

By not prompting a student at the beginning of a report period you set yourself up as a midwife. You quietly wait for the moment of delivery (the moment a student starts working on his own accord). That doesn’t mean you do nothing. There will come a time when you hasten the delivery.

2.4 Your actions during independent work

  1. With the managing expectation folder, you indicate when students have the opportunity to work independently. With a picture containing instruction in that folder, show your students that you expect them to work seriously.
  2. During independent work, you act friendly, honest, humble and expectant.
  3. You play different roles.
  4. Your primary task is to guard the framework. If you help one student first while another student is disrupting, then multiple students may be affected by the disruption. You reinforce positive behaviour when a student disturbs another student. You write down Tips directly on a list. The advantage of a list is that students see that you are monitoring the framework. Read more at Listing tips when working independently
  5. When everything is going well, you don’t intervene. Parenting is the art of letting go more and more. You adopt the attitude of the ‘lazy teacher’. You ask questions and probe. In doing so, you encourage your students to actively come up with their own solutions. Not giving a ready answer or paying attention is a conscious pedagogical choice.
  6. You talk softly so as not to disturb students who are working well.
  7. You monitor who is on track. You ask your students to inform you of their progress on a regular basis. Your notes then show who is on track and who is lagging behind.

2.5 Observing students during working independently

As your students work independently, observe your students and see if they:

  1. are working well. If students are working well you give an inaudible compliment with a thumbs up.
  2. are disturbing other students. First you use an inaudibly gesture to ask students to stop disturbing. Then all students can concentrate.

You watch the way your students are working. Because you give them the responsibility in the first part of a report period to decide for themselves how they make an effort and to what extent, you leave alone students who are not working AND not disturbing other students. Little effort at the beginning of a period does not necessarily mean that a student will not learn anything. You take into account that the degree of a student’s effort is related to motivation, talent, prior knowledge, learning style and personal obstacles. Only if a student has not achieved results in the latter part of a report period do you coach the student so that he or she achieves at least minimal results.

Read more about observing during independent work

2.6 Contemplation and deliberate action

What is the value of not getting started for a student? On this topic, read this blog.

Case study secondary education

Student does not work but also does not disturb.
A student chooses to play the guitar. He puts the guitar next to him and looks around like a Buddha for the first four lessons. At that moment Kees van der Meer is researching my lessons and asks me: did you see that student not doing anything? I indicate that I have seen that. He asks me if I shouldn’t do something about that. I reply that “being bored” has value. By not prompting the student directly, I give him a chance to quietly consider what is important to him. With this restraint, I respect the freedom each learner needs to discover his own learning style.
In practice, I did encourage this student in the latter part of a period to make at least minimal effort anyway. In a subsequent report period, this student did go straight to work.

3 Pitfall of student-centred education

Some activities are ideally suited for a teaching the entire class.

If you let your students work exclusively independently then :

  1. you deprive yourself of the opportunity to explain something to the whole group. This can lead to a lack of knowledge and skills.
  2. you do not give them the opportunity to work together in changing assemblies during exercises that follow frontal teaching. Those very encounters offer students the chance to get to know each other. If you deny them that opportunity, it is too big a step for your students to face an unfamiliar student during independent work with the result that the group composition becomes rigid.

Resistance

If you free up a large portion of your teaching time for student-centred education, keep in mind that some colleagues may not trust it.

Nor do the authors, Paul A. Kirschner , John Sweller & Richard E. Clark, of the article “Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching,” which is available for download as a pdf. have confidence in experiments where you give students space. To support this, they combine data from many studies.

You overcome these objections when you combine student-centred education with teacher-centred education. Also read about the pitfall of a one-sided approach with teacher-centred education.

4. Student’s activities in student-centred education

What do students do during student-centred instruction?

Each student chooses a topic, formulates a goal and plans for their own work.

4.1 Students self-assess

  • A student first self-assesses the basic material with an app. Then the student shows you the new level achieved with the app (Assessing basics with app)
  • Prior to the presentation of the chosen topic, a student answers a few questions about the presentation. Also, a student estimates the quality of the presentation and gives himself a grade for it. After the presentation, teacher and student compare the grade the student gave himself or herself with the grade the teacher gives the presentation. The teacher determines the final grade. Students notice that you are thinking along and grading in a personal way.

In addition, you ask students to assess your teaching style and materials.

4.2 Collaboration in student-centred education

In student-centered education, you let your students decide with whom they collaborate. This cooperation can translate into a long-term cooperation (Collaborating – right column).

You reduce the step for a student of asking another student for cooperation: When teaching the entire class, you give  assignments where students can meet. On these assignments you decide what group composition students work with (Collaboration – left column)

4.3 Students adhere to the framework

Students can work in concentration in peace if they adhere to the framework. The framework provides the initial impetus for this. If you monitor the framework during independent work, a learning environment is created in which students:

  • do not disturb anyone.
  • can concentrate well.
  • choose topics
  • determine with whom they collaborate
  • plan their activities.
  • work at their own pace.
  • evaluate their own results and show them to you.
  • evaluate your teaching material.

4.4 Expectation management folder

Working independently, students can read your instructions on a page of the management folder. It tells them to spend their time well on the chosen topics (Managing expectations).

4.5 Formal and informal learning

Students making their own decisions will continue their education outside of school. With their intrinsic motivation, they achieve good results at school and elsewhere.

4.6 Planning work (whole task first)

Once accustomed to student-centered instruction, your students are capable of planning there work themselves (whole task first). They ask themselves these questions:

  1. What is my next challenge?
  2. What is a realistic goal in doing so?
  3. How do I test and evaluate myself?
  4. How do I motivate myself?
  5. How do I organize help from fellow students or external experts?

They make their planning at the beginning of a new report period

4.7 Find information, get help from experts

Your students consult the material you prepare for them. In doing so, they consult classmates, experts, parents and acquaintances. In addition, they seek answers to questions online.

Learning to ask questions online

With your students you can practice the skill of searching for information online as follows: Ask your students a random question and have them search for the answer on the internet. Whoever knows the answer first, ask them to indicate which search term led to the answer. The student who finds the answer gets to work independently first. The others get a new question. This continues until everyone is the first to find something on the internet. This way you increase your students’ ability to find answers on their own.

4.8 Learning Style

Practice shows that the majority of students choose closed assignments and clear structure. A smaller group of students goes out to investigate and choose open assignments. In this way,  students discover different aspects of your subject specialism. Creative students get plenty of opportunity to use their talents with ‘Student-centred Education’.

Different forms of Intelligence

Learning styles are related to “forms of intelligence. Students possess different types of intelligence: musical, physical-kinaesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence.” Gardner (1993)
The degree to which one possesses a particular intelligence varies from person to person. When students share abilities related to different intelligences, the whole group benefits.

4.9 Intrinsic motivation

Students get the most out of themselves when they are intrinsically motivated. In this overview, Ryan & Deci distinguish these forms of motivation:

Figure 36: Motivation continuum Ryan & Deci

If you set a challenging learning environment, some students will have problems with the freedom offered. Some students are not used to make decisions independently. These students can initially feel uncomfortable and can have problems starting. For these students, getting used to the idea of being at the helm themselves can be a lengthy process. You give these student time to get used to making decisions. Only with a successful self-initiative does a student increase intrinsic motivation.

That this completely free will is a figment of the mind, a dream image, can be seen very clearly, for example, in the difficulties, the often extremely long process of continued striving that it takes to unlearn a habit, even if you have made such a serious decision to do so.” Visser (2019), Andries

4.10 Exchange of expertise

While working independently, students develop expertise in different areas. A student or a group of students can share their expertise with the whole group with an interactive presentation.

During independent work exchange of expertise also occurs when fast students teach lagging students.

4.11 Dealing with obstacles when working independently

Not every student gets started right away. This does not necessarily mean that a student does not have an affinity for the learning goal. Perhaps there is some obstacle preventing the student from working. If you notice that a student is not working, first give the student a chance to find a solution on his or her own. If that fails, you offer support until the student knows enough to proceed independently. Often an initial helping hand helps a student get over a threshold (Example 1).

This assignment can be enlightening for your students:
Research shows that some people learn very well with summaries, and some do extremely poorly with summaries. How can this be? Indicate why you personally do or do not use summaries.

Observing includes a list of ways of reasoning. That list of items hinder students during independent work. It is then your job to help students avoid those modes of reasoning.

5. Quotes about learning

Now follow some quotes that make clear how you learn and what it takes to do so:

Quote 1

Much of what brains do can be characterized as balancing between order and chaos. The brain cells try to maintain an optimal level of order. Too much disorder is downright dangerous. Too much order makes one vulnerable in the long run by reducing adaptability and creativity.” (Mark Mieras)

By alternating “teacher-centred education” with “student-centred education,” you help students balance between chaos and order.

  1. In ‘teacher-centred education’ you guide students and prevent them from getting lost.
  2. In “student-centred education,” students make their own choices, learn to take charge and thus create order out of chaos.

Quote 2

Making mistakes is a prerequisite for the brain to make meaning and learn.” (Mark Mieras)

Quote 3

Nietzsche:
To give birth to a dancing star, you must first carry chaos within you. Lack of consistency, change of mind and an urge to roam were a matter of duty. A fixed opinion was a dead opinion, a determined mind a dead spirit, worth less than an insect; it should be crushed under your foot and totally destroyed.” Prideaux (2018)

‘Student-Centred Education’ involves wandering, getting lost and making mistakes.

Quote 4

That is precisely the genius, the intellect that knows its limits. An artist, who knows his limits, never oversteps them, and in that uncertain playground to which their mind is set, possesses a marvellous and masterful ease.” Camus (1942), Albert

The now following quote from Camus can be understood as a plea for limitation. It is precisely by limiting yourself that you get a grip on something. Therefore, in ‘Student-Centred Education’, make clear to your students this advantage of limitation.

6. Talent

Two types of talent can be distinguished:

Already present talent

At the beginning of the school year, research what talents your students already possess in your subject area. Even at the first meeting, a student may have more skills than you in a particular area. Therefore, scout for talent and offer students with talent that is already present the opportunity to take the lead in your lessons right away and give them the chance to help their classmates. When you do this, you show that you recognize their talent by bringing it into the lesson. If you don’t, talented students who have already developed their talents in your subject area will feel ignored.

Potential talent

Each time a student chooses a new subject, there is a chance that this student has talent for this new subject. If a student demonstrates talent, look for opportunities where that student shares expertise with classmates or look for opportunities for that student to use this expertise at a higher level, such as in performance.
Talent takes time to develop. This requires always to be able to make choices. Therefore, make independent work a recurring part of your lessons. The more space you give, the greater the chance that talent will manifest itself.

In both types of talent, students can exceed your level in a particular subject specialism.

6.1 Pupate

A consequence of ‘Student-centred education’ is that some students choose new directions all the time. Here the image of a pupation or shedding of a skin fits. You may get the impression that a student is not working efficiently and is missing opportunities. It is better to wait with a judgment and leave the chosen course to the student as much as possible. A student who has determined the final chosen path himself possesses intrinsic motivation, autonomy, self-determination. These are important aspects of Subjectivation.

7. Question based education

If you notice that some students have a similar problem during independent work, you take these students aside and give them explanation about it. In the meantime students who don’t need this explanation continue working independently. In question based teaching, you give a small group of students the information they need just in time.

Question based education unites aspects of ‘Teacher-Centred Education’ and ‘Student-Centred Education’:

You teach a (small) group, therefore it has similarities with teacher-centred education. Meanwhile, the other students work independently. This is only possible if the group working independently does not disrupt your teaching.

Therefore question based teaching is only possible you have a good relationship with the whole group.
If nevertheless a student disrupts your teaching, you finish the instruction to the small group earlier and let everyone work independently again. When the disruption is resolved, you continue teaching the small group.

8. Combining multiple perspectives FFT

To successfully apply ‘Student-Centred Education’, combine all perspectives of FFT. You combine a positive learning environment with class control in which you:

  1. You encourage students to make good use of the learning environment.
  2. When a student disturbs a classmate you resolve the disruption so that everyone can concentrate (Behaviour management strategies).

Figure 5: Observing learning

9. Summary student-centred education

FFT lets students work harmoniously together during ‘Student-Centred Education’. Your students set their own goals and decide how to work. You give them the opportunity to choose topics that match their level,  prior knowledge and learning style. Over time, this leads to increasing intrinsic motivation. You are coaching this process. Working this way, you increase the chance that students also continue working on their assignments at home on their own initiative (informal learning).

10. Credits

Gert Biesta

Gert Biesta has contributed to the way in which the module ‘Learner-Centred Education’ has been designed.

In an email to Johan ‘t Hart in 2015, Gert Biesta wrote:
‘It requires educational wisdom of the teacher who always makes and determines the choices, brings in something new and helps the young person to break free from the logic of his own whims. An educational wisdom that allows for risk.

Nick Sorensen – Emeritus Professor of Education Bath Spa University

Nick is involved in translating the Dutch site ‘Vriendelijkordehouden.nl’ into ‘Friendlyandfairteaching.com’,

In 2014, Nick sent Johan ‘t Hart an article on Assessment: ARF_beyond_blackbox.pdf
Johan put these ideas into practice. This led to this module ‘Student-Centred Education’

Nick published the book The Improvising Teacher in 2023.

Evert Bisschop-Boele – Prince Claus Conservatory of Music

Evert Bisschop Boele wants to make education relevant to students. He advocates appealing to the identity of the individual student (idio-culture) and to make student choices decisive.

Kees van der Meer

In 2017, Kees van der Meer did research on the music practice of Johan ‘t Hart at the invitation of Evert Bisschop-Boele. The reason for the research was that in 2015 Evert wrote a article in the magazine Kunstzone that largely coincided in content with Johan’s plans for his coming lessons. Then Johan contacted Evert.

In response, Evert asked Kees van der Meer to research Johan’s musical practice. The questions Kees and Evert asked Johan about his music practice and about his form of ‘Student-Centred Education’ helped Johan shaping it.

Kees is now in charge of teacher education in the conservatory in Groningen.