A research on relationship between student-centered approach and student competence development in higher education: case studies in China and Italy

Transitioning to competence-based teaching and learning has been one of the main challenges confronting universities in recent years due to the increasing demand for student competence development in university teaching and learning. There is a growing interest in finding strategies to develop students' competence effectively. The student-centered approach has always been recognized as an effective teaching and learning strategy because of its positive consequence for meeting the needs of stakeholders and the quality of student learning. In this context, this cross-cultural study aims to explore what and how the student-centered approach impacts universities' student competence development in Italy and China. Given that aim, a historical perspective is first employed to examine the development of the concepts and policies evolution of student-centered approach and competence, and analyze how these policies impact the practice under the European and Chinese cultures. A systematic review and analysis are conducted to identify the influential factors promoting student competence development and laying the groundwork for constructing the survey instrument. The study adopted the case studies with mixed methods, using data collected from 8 cases with Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Italian and Chinese universities. Based on quantitative research findings, the structural equation models were constructed to prove our hypothesis, and the comparison in two contexts is discussed. From the stakeholders' words in two different cultures, based on the analysis of qualitative research findings, the study deduces the student-centered concepts, summarizes teachers' practical experiences in promoting students' competency development, and analyzes the role of activities, delivery, assessment, and institutional support, developing a holistic understanding. The findings provide nuanced theoretical insights into the global literature on "how to foster the students with competence during the student-centered course" and offer practical suggestions for realizing the effective student-centered approach in the institutional course.