The Learner-Centered Approach: Key to Effective Environmental Training

Abstract

The study explores the use of the Learner-Centered Approach, specifically, the Learning by Teaching, in aiding students’ interests and acquisition of knowledge during environmental training. It used Thematic Analysis through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), the Pre/Post Training surveys, and the critical selection of literature materials to discourse the findings.  It revealed that students escalated their effort to learn more when they were tasked to teach others about the environment, similar to the protégé effect concept. Their effort started by assessing their own limitations, progressing to teamwork and open communication, and then doing extensive research for information. Their teach-to-other experience is characterized as satisfactory and fulfilling, and it consequently escalated their environmental knowledge and awareness, reduced passiveness, and developed their soft skills.   It is therefore, recommended that environmental training design should not be trainer-focused only. Instead, it should also brace the learner-centered approach through learning by teaching since it reduces passive learning and turns every trainee into an active learner of the environment.  Most literature suggests that the Learning-by-Teaching Approach that results in the protégé effect is often used in the classroom but is unheard of in environmental training. Thus, this study fills the gap in the latent literature on the subject.