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Moreover, research has highlighted the cyclical nature of instructional theories,
with educational paradigms shifting between teacher-centered and student-centered
approaches over time (Krogh & Morehouse, 2014). However, a need remains for
further investigation into how teachers perceive and implement these instructional
styles within the context of evolving educational standards and evaluation systems
like T-TESS.

Adeline Nors is an Historical Perspective on Student-Centered and Teacher-Centered
elementary educator Instruction
in the Texas Public Over the decades, educational instruction theories have shifted cyclically between
School System. Nors
earned her master’s teacher-centered and student-centered approaches. The Industrial Revolution
degree in Curriculum prompted a teacher-centered approach in the early 1900s to equip children with
and Instruction from basic skills for the workforce. However, shifts occurred with the influence of John
Texas A&M University- Dewey’s student-centered approach in his laboratory school founded in 1896 and
Commerce. She has spent later returned to teacher-centered methods during the Cold War era beginning with
the last 3 years teaching the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik in 1957. The success of student-centered
mathematics and science,
while taking on leadership approaches in countries like Japan and Finland influenced a return to such practices
roles that focus on in the United States (Krogh & Morehouse, 2014).
curriculum, assessment,
and intervention based Benefits of Student-Centered Learning Environment
on data. Speaker (2001) demonstrated the benefits of student-centered instruction in a

adelinenors@gmail .com study on children’s museums, revealing a significant correlation between interactive
museum components and children’s interest and engagement. Interactive activities
in museum exhibits held children’s attention longer than less interactive ones,
suggesting that incorporating such interactive methods in the classroom can enhance
students’ motivation to learn. Successful rural schools exhibit many of these specific
practices and characteristics.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) conducted interviews with successful rural
Texas schools, identifying key attributes such as education systems, culture, and
shared leadership (TEA, 2017). Notably, a “student-centered focus” emerged as a
crucial element within the cultural aspect of these schools. According to Ghazal
(2016–2017), the success of high-achieving rural schools is driven by a “student-
first” mentality. This focus on students translates into a profound respect for
their role in the school, accompanied by a dedicated emphasis on their academic
achievements and future success. The presence of a student-centered focus within
rural schools proves to be a significant factor in overcoming the obstacles inherent
in these educational settings.
Not only does student-centered instruction benefit student
learning, but it also benefits the teacher through a reciprocal
...the success of learning experience. Teachers who implemented student-
centered approaches reported more Pedagogical Content
high-achieving rural Knowledge (PCK) learning, which entails an understanding
of how to teach specific content effectively (Woods &
schools is driven Copur-Gencturk, 2024). While curriculum resources such as

by a “student-first” textbooks and teachers’ guides can be educative for teachers,
they cannot fully anticipate the unique knowledge, needs, and
mentality. preferences of individual students. Therefore, teachers must
adapt these resources to create effective student-centered
instruction tailored to their specific context (Rich, 2021).

36 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators