"STUDENTS CENTERED LEARNING: SCL IS A FRUITFUL ALTERNATIVE FOR SCHOOLS"

Schools should be immersed in dynamics in which learners can engage in more interaction as a process of learning. Learning settings such as classrooms should be open and pleasant. According to Sylvester (1994) the classroom must provide opportunities for involvement, interaction and socialization to explore meaning. Drawing on Jones (2007) students should be given frequent opportunities to confront new information and experiences as a process of personal discovery. Besides, learners should engage in collaborative problem-solving that relates to real world activities. If the learners are given the opportunities to be responsible for their learning according to their needs and choices, the learning would be more productive and students would be sooner responsible for their own learning. On the other hand, if students are exposed to stressful school environments it might reduce students? ability to learn. In SCL, classroom setting plays a crucial role since environment has a great impact on learning. Jones (2017) states that students learn better when they are in friendly classrooms, thus they feel actively engaged and motivated. The more materials that are displayed in the class, the better the classroom outcomes. Specially the language class should be structured in such a way that the physical environment stimulates learning emotionally and physically. Student-centered methods have repeatedly been shown to be superior to the traditional teacher-centered approach for the reason that the assessed outcome is short-term mastery, long-term retention, acquisition of critical thinking or creative problem-solving skills (Brown 1998). Students who feel empowered are more confident, hence can increase a person's ability to think and manage basic challenges. Given that, many developers have created different approaches founded from SCL approach. These methods include active learning, in which students solve problems, answer questions, explain, or debate during class; cooperative learning, in which students work in teams on problems and projects; and inductive learning in which students are presented with challenges (questions or problems). Inductive methods include inquiry-based learning, case-based instruction, problem-based learning, and project-based learning. Some activities that should be tried in SCL environments are the following: assigning open-ended problems and problems requiring critical or creative thinking that cannot be solved by following text examples, involving students in simulations and role plays, and using self-paced and team-based learning.

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