Perbedaan Learner-Centered Approach dan Teacher-Centered Approach

Bagi seorang guru/dosen mengajar tanpa konsep dan mindset berupa "pendekatan" atau "approach"ibarat memancing tanpa umpan, berjalan tanpa tujuan, artinya semua sia-sia. Namun, apakah pendekatan itu penting dalam proses belajar mengajar? Untuk lebih jelasnya, akan dijabarkan perbandingan 2 pendekatan atau approach yaitu Learner-Centered Approach  (pendekatan yang bertumpu pada siswa) dan Teacher-Centered Approach (pendekatan yang bertumbu kepada guru) di bawah ini. Let us read it carefully!

Aspect	Teacher-Centered Approach	Learner-Centered Approach
Preferred teaching methods	Lecture	Lecture, discussion in large and small groups, application  of theory
Instructor’s role	Direct the learning process, be source of knowledge, clarify and interpret written texts.	Present content, facilitate dialogue, and demonstrate analytical skills.
Learner’s role	Listen to lectures, take notes, read assigned texts, memorize content, demonstrate memorization through tests and written papers	Listen, take notes, read, think, critically about content, express perspectives in class, participate in dialogue, demonstrate understanding
Who directs learning process	Instructor	Instructor and student.
Use of the computer and internet	Considered only as an adjunct to the lecture.	Can be an intrinsic part of achieving the course objectives, and used by the professor to engage the students in further exploration of the topic as well as out of class discussion topics.
Learning mode	Top down, i.e. instructor imparts knowledge to students	Cooperative, participatory, interactive between instructor and learner
Evaluation methods	Written and oral exams.	Written and oral exams, presentation, class participation, papers, quizzes, group projects, classmates’ evaluation.
Who conducts evaluation	Instructor evaluate students	Instructors evaluate students, students evaluate instructors, classmates evaluate each other
Desired outcomes	Memorize texts, absorbs knowledge	Gain knowledge, apply concepts to new situation, use critical analysis skills

Source: Alisa Eland, Michael Smithee, and Sidney, L. G., U.S. Classroom Culture, 

First Edition, USA, NAFSA, 2009

Berdasarkan tabel di atas dan hasil penerapan di  dalam kelas di berbagai tingkatan baik Sekolah Dasar (SD), Sekolah Menengah Pertama (SMP), Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA), penulis menyimpulkan bahwa "learner-centered approach" lebih baik dibandingkan dengan "teacher-centered approach". Itu tampak dari hasil refleksi peserta didik dan hasil observasi; yang mengindikasikan nilai positif dan ungkapan menyenangkan selama pembelajaran. Namun, jika ini bisa diterapkan hingga perguruan tinggi maka mahasiswa pun akan lebih menikmati dan termotivasi untuk belajar lebih giat.