Outside the Box and Inside the Curriculum: How Active Learning Enhances Teaching and Enlivens Classrooms

Abstract

In classroom teaching, especially in multicultural settings, conflict-affected regions, or other challenging contexts, the gap between expectations and reality can be jarring for students and teachers alike. However, child-centered approaches can be particularly helpful in quieting this dissonance. The active learning approach places students and teachers on the same team and fosters confidence and agency in the classroom. While this approach may be particularly difficult in cultures with high power distance, where a strong separation exists between superior and subordinate actors—in this case, teachers and students—child participation is critical to building the 21st century skills in problem solving, analysis, and critical thinking that will be essential to a brighter, more sustainable future. By engaging students in discussions about their lessons, providing differentiated learning opportunities that acknowledge and celebrate a variety of learning styles and competencies, and granting students the freedom to explore and discover, teachers can cultivate memorable, lasting learning.