This research investigated the complex relationship between student-centered and teacher-centered learning approaches in science education and their impact on students' scientific literacy. The study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct profiles of science lesson learning experiences across three diverse educational contexts: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), and Singapore.

The theoretical framework of the study was built on two contrasting pedagogical approaches: student-centered teaching (based on constructivism), where teachers require students to actively build their understanding through hands-on experiences and teacher-centered teaching (based on objectivism), where teachers directly model and communicate established principles

While student-centered approaches are often promoted for their benefits in knowledge retention and student engagement, this study addressed important concerns regarding cognitive load. We considered that student-centered activities can potentially overwhelm students' working memory as they must simultaneously process multiple types of knowledge (conceptual, procedural, social, and epistemic).

The research utilized PISA 2015 data, which included comprehensive assessments of teaching and learning processes in science classrooms. Key findings included:

Profile Identification:
- The study identified distinct profiles of science lesson learning experiences in each country
- These profiles represented different combinations of teacher-centered and student-centered approaches
- The highest-performing profiles across all three countries showed similar characteristics

Performance Outcomes:
- Profiles featuring a balanced approach, but with teacher-led instruction as the dominant method, showed the best results in terms of scientific literacy
- This finding was consistent across all three countries, suggesting a universal aspect to effective science instruction.

Cognitive Load Implications:
- Teacher-centered approaches (like explicit explanations) typically imposed lower extraneous cognitive load
- This allowed teachers to better manage information processing and address misconceptions
- Student-centered activities (like experiment design) often created higher cognitive loads

The research suggested that the effectiveness of different teaching approaches may be linked to fundamental aspects of human cognition, particularly working memory capacity and cognitive load management. The consistency of findings across different cultural contexts supports this conclusion.

Key recommendations are that teachers should use a balanced approach consisting of a predominantly teacher-led instruction model that incorporates selective student-centered activities. This ensures that teachers can carefully consider the cognitive demands of different instructional approaches. The findings suggest that while student-centered learning has important benefits, it should be implemented strategically within a framework that prioritizes clear teacher-led instruction.

This research has significant implications for science education policy and practice, suggesting that the current trend toward heavily student-centered approaches may need to be reconsidered in light of cognitive load theory and empirical evidence about student learning outcomes.

Keywords: Student-centered, inquiry learning, teacher-centered, latent profile analysis, PISA, cognitive load theory.