Date of Award
Spring 2023
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Chemistry and Physics; College of Arts & Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Augusto Macalalag
Second Advisor
Dr. Linda Mascavage
Abstract
This senior thesis investigated what ways, if any, STEM professors incorporated active learning pedagogy in their undergraduate classroom in a small private university in the northeast USA. STEM pedagogy was investigated because of the increasing prominence of active learning methods in the classroom compared to the didactic type of teaching that was prominent in the past (Eichler, 2020). A qualitative case study of five STEM professors was conducted and involved collecting data from biographical questions, a one-hour interview, and the analysis of a document provided by the professor that could have been a lesson plan, an assignment, or an activity they created during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. Four themes emerged from my analysis of data: (a) considering students’ prior knowledge, (b) scaffolding students’ learning experiences, (c) imagining and revising instructional sequence to guide student learning, and (d) supporting students’ learning through various resources. These are the active learning strategies that were commonly found in answers from the interview questions. These findings suggest that STEM professors implement active learning strategies in their classrooms. My data also found that none of the professors in this study has completed any formal education in active learning frameworks. This study showcases that STEM professors may be applying active learning in their classrooms because of their experience as teachers rather than a formal education on active learning pedagogy.
Recommended Citation
Correa, Iliana, "What is Active Learning? Perspectives from Five STEM Professors' Teaching Practices in Their Classrooms" (2023). Capstone Showcase. 1.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2023/chemistry_physics/1
Included in
Educational Methods Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons
What is Active Learning? Perspectives from Five STEM Professors' Teaching Practices in Their Classrooms
This senior thesis investigated what ways, if any, STEM professors incorporated active learning pedagogy in their undergraduate classroom in a small private university in the northeast USA. STEM pedagogy was investigated because of the increasing prominence of active learning methods in the classroom compared to the didactic type of teaching that was prominent in the past (Eichler, 2020). A qualitative case study of five STEM professors was conducted and involved collecting data from biographical questions, a one-hour interview, and the analysis of a document provided by the professor that could have been a lesson plan, an assignment, or an activity they created during the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters. Four themes emerged from my analysis of data: (a) considering students’ prior knowledge, (b) scaffolding students’ learning experiences, (c) imagining and revising instructional sequence to guide student learning, and (d) supporting students’ learning through various resources. These are the active learning strategies that were commonly found in answers from the interview questions. These findings suggest that STEM professors implement active learning strategies in their classrooms. My data also found that none of the professors in this study has completed any formal education in active learning frameworks. This study showcases that STEM professors may be applying active learning in their classrooms because of their experience as teachers rather than a formal education on active learning pedagogy.