ACTIVE LEARNING METHODOLOGIES, STUDENT MOTIVATION, AND DROPOUT: A PILOT STUDY IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DEGREES

Abstract

This paper presents a pilot study on the impact of active learning methodologies on student motivation and course dropout in Science and Engineering degrees. This study is part of a two-phase project. The first phase designs an initial data collection instrument and applies it to selected courses in two schools of Science and Engineering from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain). This pilot study corresponds to this phase, aiming to validate the instrument through statistical and psychometric analysis. The sample consisted of 216 participants from five different university degrees, three from the Engineering branch related to the Computer Science discipline and two from the Science branch related to the Chemistry discipline. All courses belonged to the first year and were chosen because they had a significant risk of dropout. The instrument is a questionnaire that addresses different aspects within the context of the course where it is facilitated. Thus, participants answered the questionnaire in person. The instrument asked about the probability of absenteeism and dropout of both, course, and degree; the expectation regarding the grade, and other data that characterizes the student. In addition, it asked about motivation using a Situational Motivation Scale validated in other contexts. Regarding active learning methodologies, it asked if any active methodologies have been used in the course, such as collaborative or cooperative learning, flipped classroom, project-based learning, serious games, video-based learning, escape room, and other approaches that encourage student involvement such as gamification. After analyzing the results of this first questionnaire, we can draw several conclusions. First, we can confirm that the motivation construct used in the instrument is valid. The correlations between the different aspects measured have been studied, and no correlation has been detected with aspects such as the family's economic effort for studies or the type of internet access used by the student. Medium-level correlations have been detected between some form of motivation and either student habits or active learning methodologies. Since the correlations identified in this study are not definite, the main result is the validation of the questionnaire that will be used in the following phase of the project.