Engineering Students' Experiences of Interactive Teaching in Calculus

Autor/inn/en	Weurlander, Maria; Cronhjort, Mikael; Filipsson, Lars
Titel	Engineering Students' Experiences of Interactive Teaching in Calculus
Quelle	In: Higher Education Research and Development, 36 (2017) 4, S.852-865 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Weurlander, Maria)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0729-4360
DOI	10.1080/07294360.2016.1238880
Schlagwörter	Engineering Education; Calculus; Mathematics Instruction; Content Analysis; Teaching Methods; Feedback (Response); Questionnaires; Interaction; Learning Experience; Peer Teaching; Lecture Method; Student Attitudes; Active Learning; Audience Response Systems; Learner Engagement; Alienation; Foreign Countries; Undergraduate Students; Sweden + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ingenieurausbildung; Analysis; Differenzialrechnung; Infinitesimalrechnung; Integralrechnung; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Inhaltsanalyse; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Fragebogen; Interaktion; Lernerfahrung; Peer group teaching; Peer Group Teaching; Schülerverhalten; Aktives Lernen; Entfremdung; Ausland; Schweden
Abstract	This study reports on an educational development initiative where peer instruction was used instead of traditional lectures in a calculus course for first-year engineering students. The aim of the study was to explore students' experiences of this method. Data were collected by means of an open-ended questionnaire on two occasions: early and late in the course. The data were analyzed with an inductive content analysis. The findings comprise three qualitatively different ways to experience the interactive teaching method in calculus: (1) enthusiasm, (2) nuanced skepticism and (3) aversion. The categories differed regarding emotional reactions to the teaching, experiences of learning, conceptions of teaching and learning, and experiences of meaningfulness. Many students expressed enthusiasm for learning with peer instruction and noted that the method gave both teachers and students feedback on what students have difficulties with. These students perceived that they were responsible for their own learning. Other students experienced that peer instruction had some advantages and disadvantages, and preferred a mix between traditional lectures and peer instruction sessions. They seemed to believe that teachers and students share responsibility for learning. Some students expressed an aversion for peer instruction and the method seemed to challenge their beliefs of how teaching and learning is best conducted. Our study illustrates that educational development initiatives, even though based on research on student learning, do not benefit all students. One of the major obstacles seems to be that students' underlying beliefs regarding teaching and learning may be counterproductive to the ideas behind the educational initiative. We suggest that beliefs regarding teaching and learning need to be addressed when introducing new teaching and learning methods. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01