Learner-Centered or Teacher-Centered Medical Teachers’ Preferences: a Pilot Study

Background and purpose: While learner-centered language teaching has been advocated in higher education in the recent years, teacher-centered pedagogical styles seem to be predominant in several instructional settings. The bottom line is that all teachers must be equipped with a deep knowledge of pedagogical improvements and use them as instructional innovations for the betterment of their pedagogies. Methods: The present study investigates the preference of the instructors for teaching in traditional vs. learner-centered styles of teaching at the Zanjan Medical University. Method: A questionnaire was used to investigate the teachers’ preferences for either of these styles. A total of 30 faculty members of the Zanjan Medical University from different fields of study were included as subjects in this study. Results: Results indicated that most instructors (90%) still use traditional/teacher-centered approaches in the University, despite the call for a shift to learner-centered approaches. Conclusions: This study indicated that the instructors needed more facilities and enhanced fundamental knowledge of learner-centered approaches in order to apply this mode of instruction in their teaching process.