Open AccessWhat really impacts the use of active learning in undergraduate STEM education? Results from a national survey of chemistry, mathematics, and physics instructors
Author(s) -
Naneh Apkarian,
Charles Henderson,
Marilyne Stains,
Jeffrey R. Raker,
Estrella Johnson,
Melissa H. Dancy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0247544
Subject(s) - active learning (machine learning) , mathematics education , class (philosophy) , focus (optics) , medical education , psychology , computer science , medicine , physics , artificial intelligence , optics
Six common beliefs about the usage of active learning in introductory STEM courses are investigated using survey data from 3769 instructors. Three beliefs focus on contextual factors: class size, classroom setup, and teaching evaluations; three focus on individual factors: security of employment, research activity, and prior exposure. The analysis indicates that instructors in all situations can and do employ active learning in their courses. However, with the exception of security of employment, trends in the data are consistent with beliefs about the impact of these factors on usage of active learning. We discuss implications of these results for institutional and departmental policies to facilitate the use of active learning.