Applied Study Of Learner-centeredness On The Reading Instruction In Senior Middle Schools

The last few decades have witnessed the growth of attention to the learner as the center in language learning, and learner-centeredness has thus become an unquestionable goal of language education. Based on humanistic psychology and cognitive psychology, factors such as learners'motivation (learning will, learning interest, learning needs, leaning perspectives etc.), heredity, experience, capacities and various mental strategies affect the level of learner-centeredness. Particular attention was given to their learning motivation and learning strategies.This study was conducted to determine whether the awareness and level of learner-centeredness, specifically by the measurement of reading motivation and strategies in high schools, would affect reading instruction, and, to what extent they might be correlated.In the research, experimental method was employed. The data came from two aspects. One was obtained from the questionnaires responded by first-year senior students from Feixi No.1 Middle School. The other was from pre- and post test in EC and CC. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 11.0.Results generated from the research are as follows:1. The students in general possess some level of learner-centeredness by the measurement of reading motivation and reading strategies in high schools, but before the experiment the level is low both in EC and CC.2. Based on analyzing the level of learners'reading motivation and reading strategies from the questionnaires, the conclusion can be made that learners'reading scores and learner-centered reading instruction is highly correlated.3. After the experiment, the level of learner-centeredness is higher in EC than in CC and subjects'performances on reading in EC are better than in CC as well. Besides, even in EC itself the higher level of learner-centeredness will surely result in higher reading score. That indicates learner-centered approach is more hopeful in reading instruction.In light of the above findings, the implication of this paper is to shift the classroom to learner-centered instruction by strengthening reading motivation and training reading strategies. In order to motivate students to work at the best of their abilities, the appropriate reading materials should be chosen and their self-efficacy be greatly improved. As for strategies training, the teacher is to learn about the learners'interest, their expectation, learning styles, learning needs and also his own teaching method so that he can provide a wide range of reading strategies to suit different students. Above all, the evaluation of the students in learner-centered reading instruction should also take a different way from the traditional one.