Student Perceptions of Instructional Change in Engineering Courses: A Pilot Study

Engineering and science professors have been provided strong evidence that Research-Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS), such as active learning, are effective in increasing student learning, yet the rate of adoption of such strategies has been slow. While concerns about time management and lack of support from administration commonly discourage the adoption of RBIS, students’ potentially negative reaction to a new teaching method is another important barrier. Research has shown that students can perceive a new teaching method, like group discussions, as being unhelpful while assessment evidence indicates that the method results in learning gains. Expectation Violation theory predicts that if a class differs from a students’ expectations (i.e., typically a lecture), the student will resist the instructional strategy and thereby limit its effectiveness. We propose that a proper understanding of what an incoming engineering student anticipates from a college classroom will help a professor transition to using a RBIS more smoothly. In this pilot study, focus groups were conducted with undergraduate engineering students to discuss their experiences and expectations for transitioning to college engineering classes.