1 LEARNER-CENTRED APPROACH AND ACADEMICS’ CONCEPTIONS OF STUDENT LEARNING

Studies into university teachers ’ thinking and beliefs have consistently found that teaching practices are influenced by teachers ’ educational beliefs about teaching and learning (Hativa and Goodyear, 2002). While conceptions of teaching have been explored in numerous research, little attention has been paid to academics’ conceptions of student learning, which in fact determine the quality of teaching. This paper attempts to reconceptualise academics ’ conceptions of student learning. Four categorisations are found arranged on a continuum from lower level of conceptions of student learning, i.e., storing/recalling atomised information and reproductive understanding, to higher level of conceptions, i.e., reorganizing/modifying knowledge and change in ways of thinking. The former conceptions lay foundation for teacher-centred approach to teaching while the latter set the grounds for learner-centred approach