As local educational agencies continue to reexamine and reimagine education models to support student achievement, many are exploring learner-centered strategies.
Education Reimagined, a national nonprofit, released a report in November examining the experiences of young people already learning in these environments through surveys, questionnaires and interviews of students and administrators in nine schools located in California, Rhode Island, Colorado, Virginia, New York, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
The organization defines “learner-centered education” as an educational approach that focuses on the holistic development of young people within and as part of supportive communities and through unique learning journeys across five key elements: learner agency; socially-embedded; personalized, relevant and contextualized; open-walled; and competency-based.
“Through learner-centered education, young people can be empowered to take charge of their learning and growth, feel a sense of belonging and community, and develop the skills and knowledge that they need to thrive in all settings,” the report states. “As the practices that support these outcomes continue to evolve, they hold the potential to enrich the learner-centered movement further, offering a blueprint for educational environments that truly prioritize the holistic development of young people.”
Findings
Learner agency – Promoting empowerment, self-awareness, and personal and shared responsibility
Students in learner-centered sites are supported to learn more about who they are and experience learning that matters to them; determine what they want to learn, select goals for their learning and decide how to pursue those goals; develop their own ideas and learn a lot through high expectations and levels of support; and advocate for what they want to see happen in their learning environment while also taking action to fix societal issues.
All nine school sites reported offering passion projects or project-based learning, and six engage in learner-led conferences. The report cites research suggesting that students in these types of learning environments are likely to have higher levels of engagement.
Socially-embedded – Cultivating a sense of belonging, mutual learning and support, and expanded social networks
Students are more likely to perform better in school and show more favorable motivational, social-emotional and behavioral outcomes when they feel personally accepted, respected, included and socially supported.
Eight of the nine sites have mentorships or internships and six advisories or “home-base” structures to help provide opportunities for students and staff to build supportive relationships and networks.
Personalized, relevant and contextualized – Focusing on purposeful learning, dynamic and responsive experiences, and real-world application
Among the myriad qualities included in this element of student-centered learning, researchers noted that young people at the schools included are supported to learn what, and in ways that, interest them; have the resources to support that learning; see how their learning relates to what they have learned in the past; and apply what they have learned to their own interests and solve real-world problems.
To accomplish this, seven of the sites utilize personalized learning plans or learner profiles and eight actively engage in community partnerships.
Open-walled – Advancing community connections, exposure to new perspectives and opportunities, and equitable access
Indicators of an open-walled learning experience include students being supported to share what they are learning outside of school and have these activities valued; spend time and learn outside of the site building; experience community-service opportunities and learn from local community members on- and off-site; and have the tools to learn anywhere, from anyone, all the time.
All nine sites reported offering field experiences or other off-site learning opportunities, and five formally recognize and validate learning that happens outside of the traditional school setting.
Competency-based – Emphasizing holistic development and life skills, reflection and proficiency over pace
Eight sites each use learning portfolios or alternative records to capture students’ learning and/or hold exhibitions or other demonstrations of learning as a way of addressing some of the elements of competency-based learning.
Under this model, students are meant to explain their ideas and answers and correct their mistakes; use critical thinking skills to analyze ideas and solve complex problems; and consider other ways to understand what they are learning.
Overall, researchers found that young people from learner-centered sites reported 73 percent agreement to having experiences that reflect all five key elements of learner-centered education, which is 21 percent higher than the survey’s national benchmarks.
“The findings from this exploration suggest that young people’s experiences in the participating sites closely align with the collective goals for learner-centered education in that learners are known, feel cared for, understand their gifts, and know how they can contribute to the world,” according to the report. “The findings … indicate a strong connection between the intended vision for the approach and its actual application in practice. This is seen through the survey responses, which show that a majority of surveyed youth agree that their experiences in learner-centered environments reflect the key elements of learner-centered education.”
