Teacher as learning facilitator – UGC NET Question

In learner-centred education, the teacher’s role shifts from being a sole source of information to a facilitator of learning. A facilitator designs tasks, provides resources and offers guidance while encouraging students to explore and construct knowledge independently. This role supports discovery learning and fosters critical thinking and autonomy. Therefore, a teacher who mainly guides students to discover knowledge is rightly called a facilitator.

Option A:
A dictator uses authority to impose ideas and decisions without considering students’ perspectives, which discourages exploration and questioning. Such a role is incompatible with guiding learners to discover knowledge on their own. As a result, dictator cannot be the correct term here.

Option B:
A facilitator helps learners take responsibility for their own learning, offering support and scaffolding when needed but not dominating the process. The teacher creates an environment where questions, investigation and collaboration are valued. Since the stem stresses guiding rather than merely telling, facilitator is the most appropriate description.

Option C:
An examiner’s primary function is to assess learners’ performance through tests or other instruments. While teachers do conduct evaluations, their everyday teaching role is broader and cannot be reduced to examination alone. Thus, examiner does not reflect the guiding, discovery-oriented emphasis of the question.

Option D:
A controller focuses on maintaining tight discipline and control over every classroom action. In such a role, students have limited freedom to explore or make decisions. This is contrary to the idea of encouraging self-discovery, so controller is not a suitable answer.