Teaching leadership at University : learner centred vs. teacher centred approaches.

• Main Authors: Ong, Wei Ling., Quek, Ting Zhang, Chiang, Avalynn Ting Ju.
• Other Authors: Stewart Lloyd Arnold
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Management::Leadership
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/48127
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

There have been many studies on leadership education in universities. This study aims to investigate if the style of classroom instruction, teacher-centred and learner-centred instructions specifically, affects students’ understandings of leadership concepts in two leadership modules offered at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). A qualitative research method was employed, using a pre-test, post-test design to compare the two modules. The study spanned across one academic semester, where the effects of the respective leadership modules were studied by looking at interviewees’ responses. A total of 31 student respondents participated in interviews held at the start and end of the semester. A number of approaches were used to compare responses from the students from both leadership modules in the pre and post-interviews. Our findings suggest that students in the learner-centred module exhibited more depth and insights in their responses as compared to students in the relatively teacher-centred module. We examined several limitations of our study pertaining to the sample size, population characteristics and external factors which could have affected the results of this study. Next, we recognized the positive and practical implications a learner-centred teaching style can generate. This report concludes by suggesting several practical recommendations for a university to better incorporate a learner-centred teaching instruction within its existing system. This research serves as a platform for education institutes to consider adopting a learner-centred approach in their curricula, which could potentially provide learners with a greater depth of understanding compared to a relatively teacher-centred style.