Identifying Keys to Success in Innovative Teaching: Student Engagement and Instructional Practices as Predictors of Student Learning in a Course Using a Team-Based Learning Approach

Abstract

When implementing innovative teaching techniques, instructors often seek to gauge the success of their methods. Proposing one approach to assessing classroom innovation, this study examines the ability of students' ratings of engagement and instructional practices to predict their learning in a cooperative (team-based) framework. After identifying the factor structures underlying measures of student engagement and instructional practices, these factors were used as predictors of self-reported student learning in a general chemistry course delivered using a team-based learning approach. Exploratory factor analyses showed a fourfactor structure of engagement: teamwork involvement, investment in the learning process, feelings about team-based learning, level of academic challenge; and a three-factor structure of instructional practices: instructional guidance, fostering self-directed learning skills, and cognitive level. Multiple linear regression revealed that feelings about team-based learning and perceptions of instructional guidance had significant effects on learning, beyond other predictors, while controlling gender, GPA, class level, number of credit hours, whether students began college at their current institution, expected highest level of education, racial or ethnic identification, and parental level of education. These results yield insight into student perceptions about team-based learning, and how to measure learning in a team-based learning framework, with implications for how to evaluate innovative instructional methods. KEYWORDS student engagement, student learning, team-based learning, general chemistry, predictors of learning outcomes Student engagement has been regarded as a determining factor for promoting academic achievement (

Competencies associated with Semestre i and its relationship to academic performance

“…The greater the engagement on the part of the student, the greater is his/her academic achievement. Alvarez-Bell et al (2017) agree that the commitment of students is increased when the nature of the learning activities carries an innovative component, as is the case in the framework of Semestre i. Some authors have established a relationship between academic performance and the student environment (Berman et al , 2018; Musa et al , 2016).…”

Experiential Learning in the Energy Based Classroom

“…The ability to effectively convey course concepts is dependent on the ability to motivate students [6]. Team-based interactive learning activities have been found to motivate students and more effectively convey course concepts [7] [8]. The concept of students collectively working on a team to solve technical problems is often referred to as teaming.…”

“…The most frequent student response before the project was a (5), representing a fair level of understanding on the scale. Upon completion of the project, students felt they had an understanding level of (7) or a good understanding. The two-point shift in response supports an assertion that technical project 1 increased the students perceived understanding using the hands-on active learning environment fashioned through the solar energy project.…”

“…Figure 7 depicts the results for the student's self-evaluation pertaining to their knowledge of energy conversion. Prior to the second technical project, 43.92% of students considered themselves to an understanding at a level of (7) or moderately high level. The completion of the technical project yielded that 58.09% of students, attained this elevated level of understanding, an increase of 14.17%, due to the scaffolded learning environment produced within the course as indicated through student responses.…”

“…The scale reported on the surveys is the same eleven-point Likert used previously and ranges from a student feeling no comfort at all, to an extremely high level of comfort. Prior to the technical project, 32.42% of students reported a comfort level of (7) or greater level of comfort. Whereas after the project, 51.93% of the students reported a moderately high comfort level of (7) or higher.…”