RESEARCH AND TEACHING Exploring Undergraduates’ Perceptions of the Use of Active Learning Techniques in Science Lectures By Ashley J. Welsh This paper examines students’ URDGO\ GH¿QHG active learn- DQG \LHOG D PHDQV IRU VWXGHQWV WR mixed perceptions of the use of ingLVWKHLQVWUXFWLRQDODS- GLVSHO SDUWLFXODU PLVFRQFHSWLRQV E\ active learning techniques in SURDFKHV RU PHWKRGV WKDW GLVFXVVLQJ FRQFHSWV DQG UHDVRQLQJ undergraduate science lectures. ³HQJDJHVWXGHQWVLQWKHOHDUQ- ZLWK HDFK RWKHU &URXFK 0D]XU Written comments from over 250 BLQJ SURFHVV ,Q VKRUW DFWLYH OHDUQLQJ 0DFKHPHU &UDZIRUG students offered an in-depth view UHTXLUHV VWXGHQWV WR GR PHDQLQJIXO 0H\HUV -RQHV6PLWKHWDO of why students perceive these OHDUQLQJ DFWLYLWLHV DQG WKLQN DERXW 7KH LQFRUSRUDWLRQ RI VXFK techniques as helping or hindering ZKDW WKH\¶UH GRLQJ´ 3ULQFH HQJDJHPHQWWHFKQLTXHVLQOHFWXUHLV their learning and experience. S 5HVHDUFKVKRZVWKDWWKHXVH XVHIXOLQHQFRXUDJLQJVWXGHQWVWREH )RXUWKDQG¿IWK\HDUVWXGHQWVZHUH RI DFWLYH OHDUQLQJ WHFKQLTXHV KDV D PRUHLQYHVWHGLQWKHLURZQOHDUQLQJ more likely to view in-class active SRVLWLYH LPSDFW RQ VWXGHQW OHDUQ- LQZD\VWKDWFRXOGLPSURYHWKHLUSHU- learning techniques as a waste of LQJDQGHQMR\PHQWLQXQGHUJUDGXDWH IRUPDQFHLQVFLHQFHFRXUVHV lecture time, whereas third-year OHFWXUHV (UQVW &ROWKRUSH ,IWKHXVHRIDFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFK- students and females perceived +DNH7UHHV -DFNVRQ QLTXHVLVWREHDGRSWHGPRUHZLGHO\ these techniques as instrumental to +DQGHOVPDQ 0LOOHU DQG 3IXQG ZLWKLQXQGHUJUDGXDWHVFLHQFHFRXUV- improving their understanding and SS ± HQFRXUDJHG DV- HVWKHUHLVDQHHGWRH[SORUHDQG their interactions with professors VHVVPHQW PHWKRGV WKDW ERWK HQJDJH GRFXPHQWVWXGHQWV¶SHUFHSWLRQVRI and peers. Students also provided VWXGHQWVLQWKHLUOHDUQLQJDQGDOORZ DFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFKQLTXHV$OWKRXJK recommendations for the effective WKHP WR JDXJH WKHLU OHDUQLQJ LQ D VWXGHQWVW\SLFDOO\HQMR\WKHXVHRI use of active learning techniques in FRXUVH $FWLYH OHDUQLQJ WHFKQLTXHV DFWLYHOHDUQLQJWHFKQLTXHVPDQ\ lecture. 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