This Issue

THIS ISSUE OF THEORY INTO PRACTICE is devoted to the topic of learner-centered teaching. Why is this topic so timely today? The collection of articles in this issue is intended to project a sense of hope. During the present era of educational reform in the United States, far too many teachers and students are experiencing feelings of failure, demoralization, alienation, and fear. Despite a general climate of negativity pervading the educational system nationwide, this issue will present evidence of positive, practical, research-based teaching options. It is possible to meet current national and state-level learning standards and increased teacher and school accountability for high levels of student achievement without fear-based and punitive methods. Today's students and teachers can achieve the rigorous academic curricula and testing in core subject areas without losing the joy of learning and teaching.

A set of research-validated principles, the Learner Centered Psychological Principles (LCPs), undergirds the work on learner-centered teaching described in this issue. The LCPs represent more than a century of research that applies to learners of all ages, teachers and students alike. These principles define the nature of learning as well as the cognitive, metacognitive, affective, motivational, and social processes that support learning. They incorporate the developmental and other individual differences that define unique learner needs and learning experiences. Authors contributing to this issue describe how the LCPs can provide the strategies and tools to better align today's teaching and schooling practices with the needs of individual learners throughout K-20 educational systems.

Learner-centered teaching embodies the notion of learning partnerships between teachers and students. This partnership approach builds on evidence that practices promoting positive relationships and honoring student voices are critical for high student motivation and achievement. Learner-centered teaching is also defined by student perceptions that teachers care and want to listen to them. Research evidence described in this issue shows that while what teachers believe and perceive about their own practices is important, it is the students' views that count. This runs counter to many current practices. In fact, educators rarely consider asking students (of any age) what they think about school and how they would like to learn—in spite of findings from brain research that even young children have the capacity for complex thinking, and that their perspectives are valid (Caine & Caine, 1997; Diamond & Hopson, 1998; Jensen, 1998; Sylwester, 1995; Wolfe & Sorgen, 1990).Yet a variety of sources reveal that today's school-aged children consider themselves to be living in a fearful world, have lost their sense of hope, and feel adults do not respect or listen to them. If students aren't respected and listened to, if their voices continue to be ignored, it should come as no surprise that they become increasingly alienated and disconnected from schools and adults who ignore their perspectives This issue focuses on how the LCPs can be used in redesigning educational practices in elementary through postsecondary education systems. Examples highlight the implementation issues and success stories that can help promote widespread knowledge and use of these principles in classrooms and schools across the United States. Research evidence is presented concerning the outcomes that have been accomplished with learner-centered practices—outcomes that span academic and nonacademic areas of learner competency. These findings indicate that the LCPs contribute not only to positive learning and achievement, but also to positive development of social and emotional learning skills.

The authors contributing to this issue have spent the last decade implementing and researching learner-centered principles and practices. This work has validated the importance—for students and teachers alike—of attending to student perceptions of being in learner-centered classrooms and experiencing learner-centered teaching. My initial article defines the LCPs and learner-centered teaching practices, and suggests how the LCPs can provide a framework for the redesign of the K-20 educational system in the context of current educational reform issues. The remaining articles describe how the LCPs can be applied at specific levels of the educational system...