A Transformational Twist on Learner-Centered Teaching: Experience and Existential Phenomenology
Karen Franklin, Tiffany Dellard, Brenda Murphy, Kristina Plaas, Anne Skutnik, Brian Sohn, Michele Williams,
Kathy Greenberg, Neil Greenberg, Howard Pollio, and Sandra Thomas, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Abstract: This session will focus on practices derived from an in-depth study of one instructor’s
deeply informed beliefs in existential phenomenology—a philosophy that emphasizes the
perception of personal experience. These beliefs enrich a learner-centered approach and can be
used in teaching throughout higher education. Our research team collected extensive data
regarding the experiences of students and this instructor in two sections of a graduate level
seminar. We established the importance of (1) first person experiences shared by students and the
instructor in relation to course content, (2) the instructor’s emphasis on description rather than
explanation of course content as well as providing sensory and affective experiences, and (3) the
collaborative, caring environment in which students felt safe and comfortable in struggling with
difficult concepts and were deeply aware of and sensitive to their peers. Subsequent utilization of
practices informed by these findings in other courses at undergraduate and graduate levels resulted
in highly positive experiences as described by students and their instructors. During the session,
participants will analyze examples of practices we derived from our research, discuss ways to
incorporate these practices in their own teaching, and learn skills needed to successfully use these
practices.
Literature Review
An APA task force (1997) developed a list of principles of learner-centered teaching derived from a huge body of
literature related to effective teaching at various levels of learning. In recent years, literature on effective teaching in
higher education often refers to these principles, resulting in increased student engagement and interactive activities
(Blumberg, 2009, Fink, 2003, Learner-centered Principles Work Group of the APA Board of Educational Affairs,
1997, O’Brien, J.G., Millis, B.J., & Cohen, M.W., 2008, and Weimer, M. 2002). These principles include
(1) cognitive and metacognitive factors about the nature and goals of the learning process, construction of
knowledge, strategic thinking, thinking about thinking and the context of learning; (2) developmental influence on
learning; (3) emotional/affective and social factors; (4) diversity and individual differences in learning;
(5) motivational factors; and (6) assessment of learning and performance. This literature in general does not account
for the philosophical foundations of a learner-centered approach—especially that of existential phenomenology
(Merleau-Ponty, 2002). While a number of authorities have written about a phenomenological approach to teaching
and learning especially in k-12 education, their work is neglected in literature on learner-centered practices in
general. For example, Selvi (2008) reviewed much of this literature on phenomenological pedagogy. In Franklin’s
(2013) extensive review of phenomenological principles, she observed, “A phenomenological approach to
education, in contrast, asserts the primacy of individual experiences, thinking, knowing and being. Freedom,
personal vision, self-discovery and conscious awareness are its characteristic qualities” (p. 34). Our research
describes the experiences of those engaged in a phenomenological approach to learning and their relation to learnercentered principles derived from other forms of research on teaching and learning.
Goals and Objectives
The session will be led by one or two of our research team members although others will be available to join the
discussion. Participants in this session will review basic ideas regarding existential phenomenology underlying our
learner-centered approach to teaching in higher education, how these ideas were applied by the instructor in our case
study, and how their application enriches a learner-centered approach. They will then analyze scenarios from
transcripts of seminar sessions that were the focus of our research. Next, participants will explore insights we
derived from our research and how members of our research team have used practices based on these insights in
additional courses. Finally, participants will explore how they might adapt these practices to their own teaching. At
the conclusion of the session, the participants will understand how existential phenomenological ideas can lead to
(1) fine tuning of their instructional approaches, (2) enhancement of the depth of students’ experiences, and
(3) cultivation of skills needed to utilize these practices.
Description of Practices
Our research demonstrates that planning for instruction using these practices is predicated on decisions about how to
“launch the world of my students” (Pollio as quoted by Franklin, 2013). It centers on asking questions: What is the
lived experience of the students? How do we get it? What do we do with it? These practices include determining
how to (1) develop classroom activities that emphasize course content through the lens of students’ and instructors’
personal experiences, (2) emphasize description rather than explanation of course content, (3) facilitate student
engagement in exploring their own and others’ perceptions in a safe and caring environment, and (4) gather
information about students’ perceptions to inform teaching and learning throughout the course.
Discussion
Our research team members who teach educational psychology courses emphasize the understanding of learnercentered principles as applied to effective teaching and model these practices in their courses. We solicited the
involvement of other team members who focus on the philosophy of existential phenomenology and related
research, and one professor emeritus that is well known for the transformational experience graduate students report
as a result of his seminar. Our case study of two sections of the seminar involved analysis of five types of data:
(1) transcripts of planning sessions of the instructor and an assistant prior to each class session, (2) the reflections of
the instructor and assistant after each class session, (3) excerpts from transcripts of class sessions, (5) student openended, written reflections at the conclusion of each session, (6) focus group interviews at the conclusion of the
course, and (7) individual student interviews at the conclusion of the course. Our results from this extensive data
collection and its analysis indicate that the students report a personal transformation in their lives based on
understanding of the importance of perceptions and experience, immediate application of course content to their
professional and personal lives, and a consistent and important focus on the learning community they developed
with the instructor and, particularly with other students. Our work establishes that respect for the philosophy of
existential phenomenology enriches an instructor’s ability to apply learner-centered principles in a uniquely
effective manner.
References
Blumberg, P. (2009). Developing Learner-Centered Teaching: A Practical Guide for Faculty. Jossey-Bass.
Fink, L. Dee, (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College
Courses. Jossey-Bass.
Franklin, K. (2013). Conversations with a Phenomenologist: A Phenomenologically Oriented Case Study of
Instructional Planning. (Unpublished dissertation). The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Learner-centered Principles Work Group of the APA Board of Educational Affairs, Learner-Centered Psychological
Principles: A Framework for School Reform and Redesign, Washington, DC: APA, 1997.
O’Brien, J.G., Millis, B.J., & Cohen, M.W., (2008). The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach 2nd
edition. Jossey-Bass.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2002). Phenomenology of perception. (C. Smith, Trans.). New York, NY: Routledge.
(Original work written in 1945, first published in English in 1962).
Selvi, K. (2008). Phenomenological approach in education. In A. Tymieniecka (Ed.), Education in human creative
existential planning, Analecta Husserliana, The yearbook of phenomenological research, Vol. XCV.
Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. Jossey-Bass.