Student-centered teaching across OECD countries: An ecological perspective

Abstract

Student-centered teaching (SCT) is recognized worldwide as a best-practice instructional method. This study, guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, investigates the influence of country, school, classroom, and teacher factors on SCT. Using a large international education dataset, we examine how the Human Development Index, Power Distance Index, and Individualism Index affect SCT at the national level. School dynamics like innovativeness, teacher cooperation, and teacher-student relationships are also considered, along with classroom autonomy and teachers' self-efficacy at the classroom- and teacher-level respectively. Combining advanced modeling techniques, the results show that power distance and individualism interact to influence SCT. Additionally, school innovativeness, teacher cooperation, and teacher self-efficacy significantly predict SCT at both school and teacher levels.