The Two Paradigms of Education and the Peer Review of Teaching

Before a faculty member undergoes a peer review of teaching, both the reviewers and the faculty member should understand the two paradigms of education–the Teaching-Centered Paradigm and the Learning-Centered Paradigm, because the paradigm chosen, even tacitly, by a faculty member determines how he or she educates students. Although the distinction between the paradigms has centered almost entirely on teaching methods and classroom environment, the differences between them are more fundamental. The paradigm determines the instructor's educational assumptions, educational goals, and assessment of results. Further, it determines the instructor's sense of educational responsibilities, the relationship with students, and motivational and mentoring responsibilities. Therefore, the peer review of an instructor teaching with one paradigm by reviewers who teach with the other risks being unfair and misleading. Complicating the issue are the .invisibility. of the Teaching-Centered Paradigm to most instructors who use it and the common use of Learning-Centered teaching methods or aims by instructors who still follow the Teaching-Centered Paradigm. Owing to the increase in numbers of Learning-Centered instructors, peer review now requires greater sensitivity by reviewers than before. Aligning the appropriate tools for peer review with the teaching implications of paradigm choice is the object of this paper.