Student-Centered Learning: The Importance of Teachers’ Beliefs and Barriers to Implementing the Paradigm in Higher Education Practice

At the heart of modern pedagogical approaches is the increasingly present paradigm of student-centered learning, which is theoretically grounded in constructivist pedagogy. This paradigm emphasizes the active role of the student in the educational process and promotes the development of critical thinking, independence, and problem-solving skills. This paper first addresses the significance of teachers’ conceptions in implementing and practically enacting this paradigm at the higher education level within a cognitive-constructivist framework. It further highlights certain obstacles that can significantly limit a teacher’s ability to engage in innovative pedagogical practice. One key factor is student evaluations of teaching performance, conducted through anonymous surveys, which are intended to serve both as tools for measuring teaching effectiveness and as feedback for teachers' professional development. Another limiting factor is the increasing pressure on teachers to act as executors of often top-down administrative directives. Thus, the aim of this paper is not only to analytically examine the conceptual and structural aspects of implementing the student-centered approach, but also to encourage a broader and more critical reflection on the current position of university teachers. This is particularly relevant in the context of growing expectations for pedagogical innovation, coupled with external pressures.