Active Learning and Passive Learning: What Works Best
Keywords:
Active learning, passive learning, student engagement, educational strategies, learning outcomesAbstract
This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of active and passive learning approaches in academic environments. Active learning, involving student-centered participation and collaboration, is contrasted with passive learning, characterized by lecture-based instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, student surveys, and classroom experiments, this research found that active learning methods significantly improved student engagement, knowledge retention, and academic performance. The findings suggest that although passive learning may still be appropriate in some contexts, active learning strategies offer superior outcomes and should be more widely implemented in educational practice.
References
1.Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1.
2. Freeman, S., et al. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. PNAS, 111(23), 8410–8415.
3. Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223–231.
4. Felder, R. M., & Brent, R. (2009). Active learning: An introduction. ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2(4).
5. Slavin, R. E. (1995). Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. Allyn & Bacon.
6. Michael, J. (2006). Where’s the evidence that active learning works? Advances in Physiology Education, 30(4), 159–167.
https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00053.2006
7. Chi, M. T. H. (2009). Active-constructive-interactive: A conceptual framework for differentiating learning activities. Topics in Cognitive Science, 1(1), 73–105.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-8765.2008.01005.x
8. Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
9. Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics, 66(1), 64–74.
https://doi.org/10.1119/1.18809
10. Bonner, D. M. (2010). Impact of active learning strategies on performance in introductory biology. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 9(2), 181–186.
