The Impact of Student-Centered Learning on Student Engagement and Academic Performance: Evidence from Malaysian Higher Education

Abstract

In higher education, student-centered learning has become a more significant pedagogical method in which universities attempt to enhance the learning process and academic performance among students. Student-centered learning encourages active learning, cooperation, and critical thinking as opposed to the traditional teacher centred instruction that focuses on activity, cooperation, and passive learning. Nevertheless, the empirical impact that student-centered learning has on student engagement and academic performance is not well established in most of the higher learning environments especially among students in universities in Malaysia. This paper therefore discusses how student-centered learning affects student engagement and academic performance among students in universities. The research design used in this study was a quantitative cross-sectional research. The questionnaire of online survey was carried out among 152 Malaysian university students. The measure was used to assess student-centered learning, student engagement, and self-reported academic performance on a five-point Likert scale. Analysis of data collected was done by means of descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results show that student centered learning produces a positive and significant influence on the engagement and performance of the students and student engagement significantly predicts performance. The regression model accounted 27.1 percent and 31 percent of the student engagement and academic performance variance respectively, which showed that the regression model had a moderate power to explain. The implication of these findings is that student-centered learning is significant in improving the learning experiences and perceived academic outcomes among students. The research has added value to the literature as it has merged the student-centered learning, student engagement, and academic performance into a single empirical model. It builds on the literature by offering empirical support of the relationship based on the Malaysian higher education environment where related studies are still under-researched. The results also have some practical implications to the educators and institutions of higher education that aim at enhancing teaching methods and student performances.