The influence of learner-centered pedagogy on the achievement of students in Title I elementary schools

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 guides school policies on teaching and assessment and promotes school interventions that focus on learner-centered pedagogy. Despite this emphasis on learner-centered pedagogy, significant numbers of Title I elementary students in Florida achieved below state standards from 2006 to 2009. This study used a causal-comparative (ex post facto) research design to examine the influence of learner-centered pedagogy on student achievement in Title I schools in Florida. Purposeful non-probability convenience sampling was used to select participants. Two 20-item Likert-type questionnaires were used to collect data about the participants' experiences with learner-centered pedagogy. Five hundred student-questionnaires and 65 teacher-questionnaires were sent to grade three to five students and teachers in four Title I South Florida elementary schools. Four hundred and thirty students (183 boys and 247 girls) and 38 teachers (13 males and 25 females) responded to the surveys. Analysis of Variances and Least Square Linear Regression were used to determine the relationships between variables. The findings indicated that participants' associations with learner- centered pedagogy were ineffective in the effort to raise student achievement. The study indicated that inappropriate matching of learner-centered pedagogy to student interest might be among the causes of this ineffectiveness. The author recommends that school districts consider providing pedagogy management workshops for teachers. Teachers could also seek learner-centered pedagogy education from colleges. The Parent Teacher Association can be utilized to improve parent awareness of learner-centered pedagogy. It is recommended that consideration be given to students' intellectual maturity in other studies. Moreover, this study could be repeated after the NCLB Act is reauthorized in order to explore the learning environment the revised act will create. Finally, the study could be replicated with an emphasis on examining socioeconomic status (SES), or in another geographical location utilizing participants from middle schools.