Diverse Student Perceptions of Active Learning in a Large Enrollment STEM Course

Abstract

The concept of active learning as a superior mode of instruction has recently received great attention in the education research literature. It holds promise of steering students away from rote memorization towards higher order thinking. However, few studies focus on student perceptions of higher order thinking activities and diverse student voices are all but absent in this regard. This study applies a combined approach of exploratory qualitative and supplementary quantitative analysis to address this gap. We examined perceptions of underrepresented and non-underrepresented students regarding their engagement in active learning to foster higher order thinking.  The study was set within a large enrollment (198 students), undergraduate course in the area of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The study sample comprised of 33 purposefully selected, ethnically and racially diverse students.  Data sources included class attendance/participation, graded activity assignments, and a perception survey. Class attendance and graded assignments were used to triangulate responses on the perception surveys. The Generic Inductive Approach supported our qualitative analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed via two-way ANOVA, non-parametric Mann-Whitney Test (when assumptions did not hold) and simple linear regression. Findings include three themes that cut across groups; participants perceived their higher order thinking skills improved, that there were benefits and challenges to active learning and a fear of failing the course. Quantitative data from the active learning activities and attendance supported similar engagement and achievement in higher order thinking activities across race/ethnicity groups as differences failed to reach the a priori established significance threshold. This study extends the knowledge on active learning and demonstrates that it was possible to engage underrepresented and non-underrepresented students equally and effectively in higher order thinking actives in large enrollment courses and that students perceived this as beneficial.