Investigating Learner-Centered English Language Teaching at the Faculty of Languages, University of Benghazi: Towards a Dual-Focused Model of Implementation

Abstract

The teacher’s teaching approach plays a crucial role in influencing students’ learning achievements. Teaching approaches are largely classified into two main types: (1) teachercentered approaches, which typically position the teacher as the primary director of the educational process, while students are expected to receive and memorize the information presented by the teacher passively, and (2) learner-centered approaches, which emphasize learners’ involvement, responsibility, needs, and experiences. Research findings from international and local contexts endorse learner-centered teaching and highlight its impact on enhancing learning outcomes, particularly in language learning. Accordingly, and guided by the theory of andragogy, this case study investigated the feasibility of implementing a learner-centered English language teaching approach at the Faculty of Languages, University of Benghazi. To achieve this aim, it was necessary to examine the degree to which English language instructors currently integrate andragogy’s learnercentered practices into their classrooms and explore their perceptions of them. Respectively, the research was conducted in two stages. The initial stage involved 48 English language instructors and focused on assessing their implementation of andragogy’s learner-centered principles using the Adult Learning Principles Scale (PALS). The results revealed no evidence of andragogy’s practices among the instructors. Alternatively, the instructors were strongly committed to the pedagogical, teachercentered approach. Subsequently, the second stage of the study aimed to explore the instructors’ perceptions of andragogy’s principles using semi-structured interviews with ten instructors. The findings revealed a strong theoretical knowledge among the instructors of the concept and benefits of andragogy’s principles. Nonetheless, the instructors’ practices were teacher-centered due to several limitations in their environment. Analyzing this study’s findings in light of andragogy highlighted the need for adjusting its principles to suit the study setting. Consequently, the researcher proposed a dual-focused context-specific model for implementing andragogy’s principles for EFL teaching at the Faculty of Languages