From Rote to Real: To What Extend can Learner-Centred Pedagogy Enhance Knowledge-Based Geography Learning in Chinese Secondary Schools?

This study investigates how learner-centred pedagogy can enhance knowledge-based geography education in Chinese secondary schools. Drawing on Watkins' (2017) framework of learning-centred classrooms, the research analyzes the potential integration of active, collaborative, learner-driven, and learning-focused approaches into China's traditional geography curriculum. While implementation faces cultural and systemic challenges within China's examination-oriented education system, findings suggest that learner-centred pedagogy can effectively complement the existing knowledge-based framework while developing critical thinking and collaborative skills. The study concludes that despite practical obstacles, this integrated approach offers a viable path to modernizing geography education in Chinese secondary schools while maintaining academic rigor.