Effect of Teacher-Centred Method of Teaching on Students Learning Orientation in Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria
1*Saifullahi Muhammad and 2Muhammad Musa Usman
1&2Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, Sokoto State University, Sokoto Nigeria. Email: saifullahi.muhammad@ssu.edu.ng, muhammad.musa@ssu.edu.ng
Abstract
This study examined the Effect of Teacher-Centered Method of Teaching on Students Learning Orientation in Sokoto State University, Sokoto, Nigeria. A quantitative descriptive survey design with a correlational component was adopted. Data were collected from 102 students using a structured questionnaire administered through Google Forms. The instrument assessed students’ perceptions of lecturers’ knowledge of teaching methods, teacher-centred teaching practices, perceived effects of teaching methods on learning, and students’ learning orientation. Data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, and simple linear regression. The findings showed that respondents perceived lecturers as having a high level of knowledge of teaching methods (M = 4.09). Teacher-centred teaching practices were also frequently experienced (M = 3.93), while the perceived effect of teaching methods on learning was high (M = 3.98). Students demonstrated a high level of learning orientation (M = 4.18). Pearson correlation revealed a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship between teacher-centred teaching and students’ learning orientation (r = .443, p < .001). Simple linear regression further showed that teacher-centred teaching was a statistically significant predictor of students’ learning orientation, explaining 19.6% of the variance, F(1, 99) = 24.187, p < .001. The study concludes that teacher-centred teaching is not necessarily incompatible with positive learning orientation. Rather, lecturers should combine structured direct instruction with opportunities for active participation, independent learning, and critical engagement.
Keywords: Teacher-Centred Teaching, Learning Orientation, Teaching Methods, Higher Education, University Students, Nigeria
Reference
Bakare, T. V. (2011). The use of teaching methods and styles in the Nigerian university system: The curriculum and policy implications for change. Journal of International Education Research, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.19030/jier.v7i1.3539
Gibbs, G., Habeshaw, S., & Habeshaw, T. (1987). Improving student learning during lectures. Medical Teacher, 9(1), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.3109/01421598709028976
Trigwell, K., Prosser, M., & Ginns, P. (2005). Phenomenographic pedagogy and the initial experiences of university teachers. Studies in Higher Education, 30(4), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070500249132
Adu, E. O., et al. (2023). Understanding the “Z”-generation learner for contemporary teaching in Nigerian universities. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 15(3), 840–851. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-05-2022-0148
Ames, C., & Archer, J. (1988). Achievement goals in the classroom: Students’ learning strategies and motivation processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.80.3.260
Anyanwu, S. U., & Iwuamadi, F. N. (2022). Student-centered teaching and learning in higher education: Transition from theory to practice in Nigeria. International Journal of Science Arts and Commerce, 7(6)
Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256–273. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033 295X.95.2.256
Ernest, E. M. (2023). Instructional materials availability and lecturers’ task performance in Nigerian universities. NURTURE: Journal of Management and Education, 17(4).
Feudel, F., & Panse, A. (2022). Can guided notes support students’ note-taking in mathematics lectures? International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 8, 8–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40753-021-00146-9
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
Gbenga, O. M., Surajo, A., & Ibrahim, Y. (2023). Large class size: Its implications on students and teachers of higher institutions in Nigeria. European Journal of Educational and Development Psychology, 11(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.37745/ejedp.2013/vol11n13752
Haber-Curran, P., & Dean-Scott, S. (2022). Learner-centered pedagogical practices that facilitate engagement and learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 33(3), 95–122.
Haber-Curran, P., & Dean-Scott, S. (2022). Learner-centered pedagogical practices that facilitate engagement and learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 33(3), 95–122
Heilporn, G., Lakhal, S., & Bélisle, M. (2021). An examination of teachers’ strategies to foster student engagement in blended learning in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18, Article 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00260-3
Heinonen, N., Katajavuori, N., & Södervik, I. (2023). University teachers’ professional vision with respect to their conceptions of teaching and learning: Findings from an eye-tracking study. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1232273. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1232273
Hoidn, S., & Klemenčič, M. (Eds.). (2021). The Routledge international handbook of student centred learning and teaching in higher education. Routledge.
Hoidn, S., & Klemenčič, M. (Eds.). (2021). The Routledge international handbook of student centred learning and teaching in higher education. Routledge.
Kong, S. C., & Lin, T. (2023). Developing self-regulated learning as a pedagogy in higher education: An institutional survey and case study in Hong Kong. Heliyon, 9(11), e22115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22115
Mladenovici, V., Ilie, M. D., Maricuțoiu, L. P., & Iancu, D. E. (2022). Approaches to teaching in higher education: The perspective of network analysis using the revised Approaches to Teaching Inventory. Higher Education, 84, 1329–1349. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734 021-00766-9
Oladele, J. I. (2024). Path modeling of factors that predict self-regulated learning: Case study of a public university in Nigeria. International Journal of New Education, 13, 27–56. https://doi.org/10.24310/ijne.13.2024.19607
Onwe, J. O., & Uwaleke, C. C. (2018). Effective teaching and learning: A call for paradigm shift from teacher-centred method to student-centred method and the reality in Nigerian higher education. Enhancing Students Learning Experience and Satisfaction in Higher Education.
Opdal, P. A. (2022). To do or to listen? Student active learning vs. the lecture. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 41, 71–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-021-09796-3
Pintrich, P. R. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 451–502). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50043-3
University of California, Berkeley, Center for Teaching and Learning. (2026). Lecturing strategies. https://teaching.berkeley.edu/teaching-strategies/teaching-your course/lecturing-strategies
University of New South Wales. (2026). Lectures. Teaching Gateway. https://www.teaching.unsw.edu.au/lectures
Usman, M. M., Tambuwal, N. I., Hussaina, U., & Tambuwal, M. M. (2017). Developing learner centred teachers: An assessment of students’ pedagogical training in the Faculty of Education, Sokoto State University. International Journal of Educational Research and Management Technology.
Yale University, Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (2026). Effective lecturing. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/teaching-resource-library/effective-lecturing
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15430421TIP4102_2