Science Teachers' Perception And Practine Of Learner Centered Pedagogy

The learner centered pedagogy has been a topic of discussion in the education research worldwide for quite sometime. Learner centered pedagogy places the emphasis on the learner who is doing the learning. That means, learners are given more opportunity to construct knowledge on their own and the teacher should act as a facilitator.This paper examines teachers'perception and practice of learner centered pedagogy in science subjects which are biology and chemistry in junior secondary schools in China and Tanzania. Both countries have been implementing learner centered curriculum which advocate the practice of learner centered pedagogy.The study was conducted in junior secondary schools in Changchun City in the Peoples Republic of China and Mwanza City in the United Republic of Tanzania. Four secondary schools were chosen in each city, and the sample constituted ninety six science teachers. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative designs.The results show that science teachers in both countries practice learner centered pedagogy by employing teaching methods which have the features of learner centered education. However Tanzania is facing many challenges such as scarcity of teaching and learning facilities, too much syllabus content, high teacher's work load, big class size, inadequate training for teachers, and disappointed teachers.Finally the study provides suggestions for further research and recommendations to improve the current practices of learner centered pedagogy in China and Tanzania.