Does student-centred learning improve learning outcomes in Indian classrooms?

Thesis

In an effort to improve education quality in developing countries, as outlined by the EFA2015 goals, student-centred learning (SCL) has been identified as a promising avenue for pedagogical reform. The promotion of SCL, usually through teacher-training programs, has received wide support from international development agencies. Situated within a case study of the TESS-India project, the present research explores whether SCL actually improves student learning outcomes. It contributes both theoretically to the debate on SCL efficacy, as well as to the policy debate on pedagogical reform.

The research, conducted in 15 government schools in Karnataka, finds that SCL has a positive correlation with learning outcomes in primary schools but not in secondary schools. Furthermore, it finds that SCL is already a marked feature of Indian classrooms, despite the fact that teachers lack a sophisticated understanding of how SCL contributes to learning. Lastly, this research identifies a number of barriers to the successful promotion of SCL in Indian classrooms, and suggests a number of institutional, infrastructural, and intellectual reforms that might need to go hand-in-hand with pedagogical reform.

Authors: Robinson, N

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-g7pjanrnz
• Type of award: MSc
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: MScEducation; CIE2015; CIE
• Subjects: Education; Comparative and international education