Resumen de Examining Instructional Change: an observational study of engineering instructors’ use of active learning
Prateek Shekhar, Maura Borrego
Research has shown the positive impact of instructional change efforts on the use of active learning. However, most of theresearch on adoption of these practices is based on self-report. Instructor self-report of pedagogical practices may differsignificantly from actual practice and often limits examination of factors influencing the change. This study presents anobservational examination of instructional change rather than commonly used self-report approaches. We conducted acase study examining instructional change with two engineering instructors using active learning. Using classroomobservations as our primary data source, we refined our explanations and triangulated our findings with instructorinterviews and student focus groups. Although overall positive student response was received for the two courses,variations in student engagement were observed between and within the implemented active learning types. We provideevidence on the influence of instructors’ beliefs on active learning use, its resulting impact on student engagement andpresent implications for instructional change efforts and research.
