BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION OF STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING TECHNIQUES

Research shows student engagement and assessment scores are better when instructors use student-centered learning techniques. It also shows many STEM instructors do not use these techniques. This study aims to answer the question: According to the research literature, why do college STEM instructors decide not to utilize these techniques?

To answer this question, we utilize Bandura’s theory of reciprocal determinism as a theoretical framework and the methodology of an integrative literature review as described by Torraco (2005) and Arthurs (2018). Peer-reviewed research articles about instructional decision making, published from 1970 – 2020, were found in the ERIC ProQuest database using combinations of the following search terms: instructional decision making, pedagogy, instructional strategies, college, university, STEM, physics, science, engineering, and mathematics. The search yielded 303 articles.

All 303 abstracts were read, and 116 articles were identified for deeper review. The introduction and methods sections for these 116 articles were read to determine whether they met the following inclusion criteria: (1) discussed instructional decision making (2) instructors taught undergraduate courses (3) instructors were in STEM departments. Forty-four articles met the criteria and were analyzed using a coding manual based on Bandura’s theory of reciprocal determinism.

In this theory, every instructional decision is based in one of three factors: personal, environmental, and behavioral. The coding manual was constructed by first adopting these three factors as three categories for review and then developing subcategories based on what emerged from the literature. To develop the subcategories, ten articles were randomly selected. Through an iterative process of reading and revising the coding manual, a coding matrix was developed in which to record the information culled from articles.

Preliminary results show 100% of articles discussed personal factor(s), 95% addressed environmental factor(s), and 60% addressed behavioral factor(s). Personal and behavioral factors varied from article to article and little pattern was seen. Of the articles that discussed an environmental factor, 89% listed department support and department goals as a factor, and 84% listed required content as a factor.