learner-centered or teacher-centered medical teachers’ preferences: a pilot study

Background and purpose: while learner-centered language teaching has been advocated in higher education in the recent years, teacher-centered pedagogical styles seem to be predominant in several instructional settings. the bottom line is that all teachers must be equipped with a deep knowledge of pedagogical improvements and use them as instructional innovations for the betterment of their pedagogies. methods: the present study investigates the preference of the instructors for teaching in traditional vs. learner-centered styles of teaching at the zanjan medical university. method: a questionnaire was used to investigate the teachers’ preferences for either of these styles. a total of 30 faculty members of the zanjan medical university from different fields of study were included as subjects in this study. results: results indicated that most instructors (90%) still use traditional/teacher-centered approaches in the university, despite the call for a shift to learner-centered approaches. conclusions: this study indicated that the instructors needed more facilities and enhanced fundamental knowledge of learner-centered approaches in order to apply this mode of instruction in their teaching process.