EFL UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTORS’AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING – A CASE OF QATAR

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspectives that EFL University instructors and students have towards using the SCL approach in English classrooms at Qatar University. In addition, it explores the perceived teaching and learning roles among both EFL university instructors and students. Semi-structured interviews were employed as the main qualitative research method for data collection. A constructive alignment framework was utilized as the first approach to analyze the qualitative data, after which a thematic analysis was employed to identify the emerging themes as well as to answer the third research question. In comparing the perspectives of EFL instructors and students, three main findings emerged in this study. Firstly, the majority of EFL instructors have a general understanding of the essence of the SCL approach and the use of its different strategies. Secondly, there is a mismatch between EFL instructors' and students' understandings of their teaching and learning roles. Thirdly, there are a number of attitudinal and institutional challenges that hinder the effective implementation of SCL.