research paper about learner centered psychological principles

The Learner-Centered Model: Implications for Research Approaches

• First Online: 01 January 2013

Cite this chapter

• Barbara L. McCombs 4  

5801 Accesses

8 Citations

When implementing a learner-centered model in transformative ways, we must advocate and implement practices grounded in research-validated principles that address well-researched central person variables and acknowledge the value of holistic principles and practices that address the whole person. This chapter describes necessary changes in research practices and methodologies that are emerging in multiple fields involved in transforming education to twenty-first century standards. Most important are those research methodologies that allow for multiple methods within a living systems ecological framework and advocate a collaborative approach. All stakeholders, including students, must be involved in the research so that it is owned and sustained over time in a model of continuous change and improvement. Evidence of the effectiveness of new research models following a person- and learner-centered approach within a collaborative approach is presented as a challenge to those advocating the theory of Carl Rogers and its associated personalized practices into our modern world.

We’re at a crossroads, of sorts, and here’s why: Talking around notions of collaborative cultures is easy, in the same way people banter about collaborative innovation. Small wonder there’s such a buzz about it. But fostering cultures that spawn collaborative behaviors is hard work. I wonder: do we have the resolve to take it on? Collaborative Culture: Insights from Peter Senge on the Foundations of Organizational Learning January 11, 2011.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Ackerman, G. L. (2010). Bridging 21st century gaps: An essay review of Mehlenbacher’s technology and instruction. Education review , 14 ( 3 ). Retrieved Mar 4, 2011, from http://www.edrev.info/essays/v14n3.pdf .

Adams, J., Khan, H. T. A., Raeside, R., & White, D. (2009). Research methods for graduate business and social science students . New Delhi and Thousand Oaks: Response Books and Sage Publications (4th printing).

Google Scholar  

APA Work Group of the Board of Educational Affairs. (1997). Learner-centered psychological principles: A framework for school reform and redesign . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., & Tight, M. (2006). How to research (3 rd ed., pp. 122–126, 245, 246). New York: Open University Press (Read selected parts as needed of pages).

Blythe, B. T., & Machold, R. J. (2011). The human side of GRC: The essence of governance, risk and compliance. Atlanta: Crisis Management International. Downloaded on Dec 14, 2011, from http://tnwinc.com/files/Human_Side_of_GRC.pdf?webSyncID=26ed75de-ef90-4d81-87c9-edf91530a808&sessionGUID=f1484057-8d66-4fa8-b33b-e85a24d4b0ae&spUserID=NDk1MDMzOTc4MAS2&spMailingID=2457015&spJobID=35388742&spReportId=MzUzODg3NDIS1 ).

Breckler, S. J. (2010). The myopic vision of technology leaders. Monitor on Psychology, 41 (8), 23.

Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (2011). Natural learning for a connected world: Education, technology, and the human brain . New York: Teachers College Press.

Ceci, S. J., & Papierno, P. B. (2005). The rhetoric and reality of gap closing: When the “have-nots” gain but the “haves” gain even more. American Psychologist, 60 (2), 149–160.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Clark, Alison. (2007). Early childhood spaces: involving young children and practitioners in the design process . The Hague: Bernard van Leer Foundation.

Crump, G. (2011). Solving corporate IT storage challenges with big data infrastructures. Downloaded on Dec 13, 2011, from bc_newsletters@response,webbuyersguide.com.

Deakin-Crick, R., McCombs, B., Haddon, A., Broadfoot, P., & Tew, M. (2007). The ecology of learning: Factors contributing to learner-centred classroom cultures. Research Papers in Education, 22 (3), 267–307.

Article   Google Scholar  

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska symposium on motivation Vol. 38. Perspectives on motivation . Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Dede, C. (2009). Technologies that facilitate generating knowledge and possibly wisdom. Educational Researcher, 38 (4), 260–263.

Duffy, T. M., & Kirkley, J. R. (2004). Learner-centered theory and practice in distance education . Mahweh, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Elias, M. J., Zims, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Frey, K. DS., Greenberg, M. T., Haynes, N. M., Kessler, R., Schwab-Stone, M. E., & Shriver, T. P. (1997). Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators . Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Fielding, M., & Bragg, S. (2003). Students as researchers: Making a difference. Consulting pupils about teaching and learning . Cambridge, UK: Pearson Publishing.

Fullan, M. (2010). The big ides beyond whole system reform. Education Canada . Retrieved Mar 15, 2011 from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/Articles_10/BigIdeas-CEA.pdf .

Gilbos, R., & Schmeidler, D, (2011). Case-based predictions . In World scientific series in economic theory. London: Imperial College Press.

Gilburg, D. (2010). Leader as convener not problem solver . Waltham, MA: Pegasus Communications.

Graziano, A. M., & Raulin, M. L. (2010). Research methods: A process of inquiry (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Greene, J. A., & Azevedo, R. (2010). The measurement of learners’ self-regulated cognitive and metacognitive processes while using computer-based learning environments. Educational Psychologist, 45 (4), 203–209.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence . New York: Bantam Books.

Hannum, W. H., & McCombs, B. L. (2008). Enhancing distance learning for today’s youth with learner-centered principles. Educational Technology, 48 (3), 11–21.

Horwitz, J., & McEwan, P. J. (2011). Brookings small reforms report a useful contribution, Says independent review: Report highlights successful education reform efforts largely missed by media and policymakers . Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center (NEPC). Available at http://tinyurl.com/6wv43v5

Jukes, I., McCain, T., & Crockett, L. (2011). Education and the role of the future educator in the future. Kappan, 92 (4), 15–21.

Kristjansson, K. (2010). Positive psychology, happiness, and virtue: The troublesome conceptual issues. Review of General Psychology , 14 (4), 296–310.

Lambert, N., & McCombs, B. L. (Eds.). (1998). How students learn: Reforming schools through learner-centered education . Washington, DC: APA Books.

Lazarus, R. S. (2000). Toward better research on stress and coping. American Psychologist , 55 (6), 665–673.

Lazarus, R. S. (2003). Does the positive psychology movement have legs? Psychological Inquiry , 14 , 93–109.

Lee, C. D. (2011). Soaring above the clouds, delving the ocean’s depths: Understanding the ecologies of human learning and the challenge for education science. Educational Researcher , 39 (9), 643–655.

Levine, M. (2007). The essential cognitive backpack. Educational Leadership, 64 (7), 16–22.

McCombs, B. L. (2001). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: A phenomenological view. In B. J. Zimmerman & D. H. Schunk (Eds.), Self-Regulated learning and academic achievement: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 67–123). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

McCombs, B. L. (2004). The learner-centered psychological principles: A framework for balancing a focus on academic achievement with a focus on social and emotional learning needs. In J. E. Zins, R. P. Weissberg, M. C. Wang, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 23–39). New York: Teachers College Press.

McCombs, B. L. (2007). Balancing accountability demands with research-validated, learner-centered teaching and learning practices. In C. E. Sleeter (Ed.), Educating for democracy and equity in an era of accountability (pp. 41–60). New York: Teachers College Press.

McCombs, B. L. (2009). Commentary: What can we learn from a synthesis of research on teaching, learning, and motivation? In K. R. Wentzel & A. Wigfield (Eds.), Handbook of motivation at school (pp. 655–670). New York: Routledge.

McCombs, B. L., & Miller, L. (2007). Learner-centered classroom practices and assessments: Maximizing student motivation, learning, and achievement . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

McCombs, B. L., & Miller, L. (2008). The school leader’s guide to learner-centered education: From complexity to simplicity . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

McCombs, B. L. (2012). Educational Psychology and Educational Transformation, In W. M. Reynolds and G. E. Miller (Eds.), Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology, Vol. 7 Educational Psychology (2nd edn.). New York: John Wiley & Sons pp. 952–1025.

McCombs, B. L. (2013, in press). Using a 360 degree assessment model to support learning to learn. In Deakin-Crick, R., Stringher, C., & Small, T., Learning to learn for all: theory, practice and international research: A multidisciplinary and lifelong perspective . London: Routledge.

McCombs, B., & Vakili, D. (2005). A learner-centered framework for e-learning. Teachers College Record, 107 (8), 1582–1609.

McNabb, M. L., McCombs, B. K. (2001). Designs for e-learning: A vision and emerging framework . Paper prepared for the PT3 Vision Quest on Assessment in e-Learning Cultures. Available at www.pt3.org .

Mitra, D. L. (2004). The significance of students: Can increasing “student voice” in schools lead to gains in student development. Teachers College Record , 106 (4), 651–688.

Patall, E., Cooper, H., & Wynn, S. P. (2010). The effectiveness and relative importance of choice in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102 (4), 896–915.

Penuel, W. R., & Riel, M. (2007). The ‘new’ science of networks and the challenge of school change. Phi Delta Kappan, 88 (8), 611–615.

Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Daniels, L. M., Stupinsky., & Perry, R. P. (2010). Boredom in achievement settings: Exploring control-value antecedents and performance outcomes of a neglected emotion. Journal of Educational Psychology , 102 (3), 531–549.

Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us . New York: Riverhead Books.

Polsky, L. (2011). The 8 greatest lessons 2011 taught us about change leadership . Posted DEC 05, 2011, 12:00:00 AM EST, from http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/talent-management/columns/the-7-greatest-lessons-2011-taught-us-about-change/ .

Radel, R., Sarrazin, P., Legrain, P., & Wild, T. C. (2010). Social contagion of motivation between teacher and student: Analyzing underlying processes. Journal of Educational Psychology , 102 (3), 577–587.

Robson, C. (2002). Real world research (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Rogers, C. R. (1964). Toward a modern approach to values: The valuing process in the mature person. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology , 68 , 160–167.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55 (1), 68–78.

Sabelli, N., & Dede, C. (2001). Integrating educational research and practice: reconceptualizing the goals and process of research to improve educational practice . unpublished. http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/integrating.html and http://h2oproject.law.harvard.edu/educational_funding.pdf .

Sabelli, N., & Dede, C. (2012). Integrating educational research and practice: Reconceptualizing the goals and process of research to improve educational practice . (in press) http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/integrating.html and http://h2oproject.law.harvard.edu/educational_funding.pdf

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi. M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist , 55 (1), 5–14.

Stewart, V. (2007). Citizens of the world. Educational Leadership, 64 (7), 9–14.

Suarez-Orozco, M. M., & Sattin, C. (2007). Wanted: Global citizens. Educational Leadership, 64 (7), 58–62.

Surdam, G. (2011). Bright start family literacy — success stories. Email sent to team on December 19, 2011.

Sweeney, L. B. (2010). Systems thinking: A means to understanding our complex world. Pegasus Communications . Downloaded on Dec 3, 2010, from www.pegasus.com .

Walls, T. A., & Little, T. D. (2005). Relations among personal agency, motivation, and school adjustment in early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97 (1), 23–31.

Williams, C. (2011). New department of education initiative: Online communities for education professionals. Downloaded on February 18, 2012 from http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&srchtype=discussedNews&gid=2811&item=80066691&type=member&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_pd-ttl-cn&ut=2ZKSzPqf3e9B81 .

Zimmerman, B. J., & Schunk, D. H. (Eds.). (2001). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: Theoretical perspectives (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Center for Human Motivation, Learning and Development (HMLD), Applied Research & Technology Institute (ARTI), University of Denver, Denver, CO, Colorado

Barbara L. McCombs

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbara L. McCombs .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, 65897, Missouri, USA

Jeffrey H. D. Cornelius-White

, Computer Science Didactics and Learning, University of Vienna, Waehringer Strasse 29/6.41, Vienna, 1010, Austria

Renate Motschnig-Pitrik

Rehabilitationszentrum Quellenhof, Neurologisches, Kuranlagenallee 2, Bad Wildbad, 75323, Germany

Michael Lux

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

McCombs, B.L. (2013). The Learner-Centered Model: Implications for Research Approaches. In: Cornelius-White, J., Motschnig-Pitrik, R., Lux, M. (eds) Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person-Centered Approach. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7141-7_23

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7141-7_23

Published : 05 June 2013

Publisher Name : Springer, New York, NY

Print ISBN : 978-1-4614-7140-0

Online ISBN : 978-1-4614-7141-7

eBook Packages : Behavioral Science Behavioral Science and Psychology (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

LEARNER-CENTERED PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES: A Framework for School Reform & Redesign

Related Papers

Barbara L McCombs

The Elementary School Journal

Charles Reigeluth

This article, the third in a series of four installments, begins by discussing the need for paradigm change in education and for a critical systems approach to paradigm change, and examines current progress toward paradigm change. Then it explores what a learner-centered, Information-Age educational system should be like, including the APA learner-centered psychological principles, the National Research Council's findings on how people learn, the work of McCombs and colleagues on learner-centered schools and classrooms, personalized learning, differentiated instruction, and brain-based instruction. Finally, one possible vision of a learner-centered school is described. (Contains 3 tables.)

Daniel Fasko

Kevin Zayed

Dylan Wiliam

Kirmanj Gundi

Moises Salinas Fleitman

Andrew Johnson

What is educational psychology? It involves a bit of philosophy, psychology, research, and theories. This short overview explains.

Educational Horizons

This paper introduces “learner-centered” edu-cation from a research and theory base that inte-grates what we know about learners and learning both inside and outside formal school settings and describes the work of the author and col-leagues in developing self-...

RELATED PAPERS

Norwegian Archaeological Review 46(1): 126-128

Tim Flohr Sørensen

Sedat Laçiner

ghjfffd hhytfdf

Revista Argentina de Reumatología

ُEmad Ahmed

Fertility and sterility

Elisabet Clua

Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata

The Analyst

Jayathirtha Rao Vaidya

New Forests

Peter Hopmans

Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia

Fabio Ietto

Antiviral Therapy

Elizabeth Moreno

Ljuba Svobodová

Philippe Douzenel

Ranadeep Chakraborty

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Atul Bhaskar

The Journal of Medicinal Plants and By-Products (JMPB)

JWSS - Isfahan University of Technology

Asghar Mehraban

The ESPecialist

Kleber Aparecido Silva

Sapta Zuidar

Vikrant Jain

Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal

Dr. Sudhir Sarangi

Elizabeth Kuria

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024