Teaching Circuit Concepts Using Evidence-based Instructional Approaches: A Systematic Review

An educational strategy is evidence-based if objective evidence is used to inform the design of an academic program or guide the instructional practices. Studies show that the unsatisfactory performance of engineering graduates in competency-based examinations is due to a mismatch between teacher expectations and student learning. Since traditional lecturing is the most commonly used format for course delivery in electrical circuit courses, teaching and learning of abstract concepts such as electricity require the use of varied and efficient strategies aimed at encouraging students to engage with the material on a deeper level. In keeping with the need to actively engage the students while helping them understand electric circuits, instructors need to be creative and effective in their approach to teaching. The purpose of this systematic review is to survey and investigate the current research on evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) being done in teaching electrical circuits across undergraduate engineering education and science fields. We explore previous work on using EBIPs as an effective approach to teaching electrical circuits by trying to answer the questions “What evidence-based instructional practices have been reported to have the most impact on students' learning of circuit concepts? How are these practices implemented in engineering learning environments?” Also, common issues with the implementation of these strategies and continuous improvements were identified. Finally, a synthesis has been highlighted in this review that intends to provide a learner-centered, cognitive, flexible and varied approach to teaching electrical circuits with the use of existing instructional practices based on evidence of effective student learning.