From learner-centred to learning-centred: Becoming a 'hybrid' practitioner

This study examined the educational life histories of five Mexican EFL teachers, and specifically how learner-centred they felt their beliefs and practices were at different points in time. The methods used included semi-structured interviews and a written timeline activity. All five teachers began with mainly teacher-centred beliefs and practices, but eventually became more convinced by more learner-centred approaches. However, they struggled to fully put these beliefs into practice due to contextual constraints in their working contexts. This led them to adopt a hybrid combination of teacher- and learner-centred practices. The study casts further doubt on the notion of learner-centred education as a best practice of education, and stresses the need for contextually appropriate pedagogies to be promoted at policy level.