EFFECT OF CHILD-CENTERED APPROACH ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE EDUCATION PUPILS IN JIGAWA STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

This study examined the effect of the child-centered approach on the academic achievement of early childhood care (ECCE) students. In Jigawa State College of Education. The child-centered approach emphasizes active participation of learners, where pupils explore, interact, and construct knowledge through play, discussion, and discovery learning. Learner-centered strategies encourage active participation and improve academic performance by making learning more meaningful and engaging. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study population consisted of ECCE teachers and pupils of selected ECCs within Jigawa State College of Education. A sample of teachers and students was selected using appropriate sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and observation checklists to determine the extent to which child-centered instructional strategies were used and their influence on the academic achievement of the students. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores. The findings revealed that the use of child-centered approaches—such as play-based learning, group activities, questioning, and demonstration—significantly improves the participation, understanding, and academic achievement of early childhood education students. The study concluded that child-centered teaching methods create an interactive learning environment that enhances the cognitive development and academic performance of pupils. Therefore, the study recommended that teachers in early childhood centers should regularly adopt child-centered instructional strategies,while educational authorities should provide adequate training, instructional materials, and supportive learning environments to enhance the effective implementation of child-centered teaching approaches in early childhood education