Importance of regulation and the quality of teacher learning in student-centred teaching

Abstract

This study aimed to build an integrative model of the interrelations between pedagogical training, teacher regulation skills, learning patterns and student-centred teaching approach. Self-reported questionnaire data were collected from 378 higher education teachers and analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings indicated that pedagogical training was related to teachers’ regulation of their pedagogical development, which was further connected to both meaning-oriented and application-oriented teacher learning. However, only meaning-oriented teacher learning was connected to adopting a student-centred teaching approach, while application-oriented teacher learning was not. Teacher regulation was negatively connected to problematic learning, meaning that those who did not regulate their pedagogical development more often reported a problematic pattern towards teacher learning. Thus, pedagogical training, regulation skills and teacher learning patterns are important in terms of teachers’ pedagogical development to a student-centred teaching approach. The findings highlight the importance of regulation and the quality of teacher learning in increasing student-centred teaching.