Students' Reactions to a Student-Centered Learning Environment in Relation to Their Beliefs about Teaching and Learning

With the growing interest in student-centered approaches to learning, it becomes important to look at student learning experiences in the self-directed learning environment as students may feel uncomfortable and unprepared for the demands associated with student-centered learning environments (SCLEs). This qualitative study explored student beliefs about teaching and learning and described how students reacted in a technology-intensive SCLE. The results showed that students' learning experiences in the SCLE resulted in different types of reactions in relation to their beliefs about teaching and learning: match, conflict, confirmation, appreciation, withdrawal, and transformation. This study suggests that teachers and educational practitioners acknowledge individual differences, provide personalized support and guidance, and encourage students to become self-directed learners.