Teacher centered education
Answers
explain. Ready? Now shush.
Teacher-Centered Instruction
For this one, focus is on the teacher (duh). Generally, the teacher talks and the students don't do much conversing or collaborating. Though there are more up-to-date versions of this model, in its original form the idea was that the teacher held ultimate authority and the students were "empty vessels" (as this Teach.com article so kindly describes them) whose job was to absorb teacher-imparted information through passive listening.
In general: teacher is all-knowing figure of ultimate power; children are silent vassals who must take in whatever they're told and be able to say it back, while still remaining silent, to show that they've obeyed the will of the Great Instructor.
Okay, so that's the extreme.
It's more likely you'll encounter teacher-based instruction in the form of classes with a lecture structure, or some subjects in which the students need to be given a critical mass of information before they can do much with it.
And there are some real benefits: it can help keep the classroom orderly and the teacher in control of the schedule and the way topics are discussed. (A nod to Concordia Online Ed for that list of pros. They list the cons, too, for you naysayers out there).
While we're on that, let's get into those disadvantages. There's little communication, a lot of chances for zoning out, and the possibility that students won't engage as much with the subject, since they don't get to express opinions or ask questions.
At least, those are the cons where teacher-centered instruction in its fullest form is employed. In most cases, you'll probably see something of a mix between the two instruction styles. But before we get into what that looks like, let's go over the characteristics of student-centered learning.