The role of nurse educators' self-perception and beliefs in the use of learner-centered teaching in the classroom

•Nurse educators were surveyed regarding their self-perception and beliefs about Learner-Centered Teaching.•Nurse educators who generally identified as learner-centered were more likely to use Learner-Centered Teaching.•Agreement with specific beliefs did not have as strong an influence on use of Learner-Centered Teaching in the classroom.•Factors other than self-perception and belief in Learner-Centered Teaching may inhibit more widespread implementation.

This study was designed to investigate the role of nurse educators' beliefs and self-perception in their use of Learner-Centered Teaching in the nursing education classroom. A sample of 122 nurse educators completed an online questionnaire that explored self-perception, beliefs and the correlation with their use of behaviors indicative of Learner-Centered Teaching. Findings demonstrated that nurse educators who identify themselves as learner-centered are more likely to use Learner-Centered Teaching in their classrooms, and nurse educators who strongly believe learner-centered teaching is beneficial in understanding and applying nursing concepts are also somewhat more likely to use Learner-Centered Teaching in the classroom. The results of this study produced a picture of the role of self-perception and beliefs about Learner-Centered Teaching, and the influence this may have on actual utilization of Learner-Centered Teaching. It is clear that valuing Learner-Centered Teaching and believing in its efficacy are only part of the answer to convincing nurse educators to widely adopt this teaching framework.