Developing a model of student-centred teaching which enhances active engagement

This study sets out to explore a change in curricula in response to an observed decline in student engagement. It traces the steps of the first author who observed increased diversity of student backgrounds, larger classes and declining engagement in her tertiary classes. The action learning methodology provided a sequence for introducing student-centred learning, assessing the changes based on the feed-back and reflection on ones own practice, refining the intervention and re-trialling it. This paper reviews literature that discusses the rationale for introducing more student-centred classes as an effective strategy for engaging students from a variety of backgrounds. It highlights ways to facilitate student learning and the implication for the role of the teacher and students and provides examples of how this approach might be incorporated into a curriculum and reports on preliminary outcomes.