An investigation of the relationship between graduate teaching assistant perceptions and success of active learning techniques in an engineering education course

Active learning is extremely prevalent in discussions of how to improve teaching and learning in both undergraduate and graduate engineering courses. However, active learning may not always lead to success. Rather, characteristics of the students enrolled and of the course material may influence whether or not active learning is met with resistance. This project examines the relationship between graduate students' perception of active learning techniques and the success of these techniques in an engineering education course entitled, "Teaching Seminar for Graduate Assistants." The context of the project surrounds three sections of a course which were taught in the same semester by the same instructor on different days of the week. Although the same activities were used in each section, resistance was more evident in one section as compared to the other two. Students across all sections were surveyed to examine their perceptions regarding course effectiveness, relevance of the course, helpfulness of class activities, and views on active learning. Students who found the course to be relevant to themselves and their future careers were more likely to provide a positive perspective on active learning techniques. In addition to a detailed analysis of the scale data, the limitations of the study regarding the specialized population enrolled in the course are discussed.