Abstract
A radical shift in student-centered educational trend has pivoted the focus of teaching strategies to promotion of student-led learning, an approach that gives learners autonomy to direct their learning from setting goals to managing their own learning pace. Despite its growing prominence, the conceptual and methodological foundations of student-led learning remain fragmented. By analyzing empirical studies from 2019 to 2024, this narrative review, a semi-systematic method of literature review, examines the efficacy of student-led learning, identify trends and patterns, review the challenges associated with student-led initiatives, and provide insights from existing body of knowledge into reimagining science education through student-led learning dynamics. Synthesizing empirical discussions from 50 studies on student-centered learning (SCL) in science education revealed both recurring findings and persistent challenges in its implementation. Five key themes emerged as critical to successful integration: student engagement, self-regulated learning, strong teacher–student relationships, adaptive instructional strategies, and individual learner characteristics. The review also identified five major barriers to effective implementation, including the heavy reliance on skilled teacher facilitation, high resource demands, variability in student motivation, inconsistent application across contexts, and challenges in assessment. The findings of this review have several significant implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers involved in science education. Finally, the review revealed an uneven distribution of research focus across the identified themes, indicating opportunities for future studies. In particular, more research is needed on the impact of student-centered approaches on individual learner characteristics and the long-term outcomes of various instructional strategies. Such research could inform more effective and equitable practices in science education.
