Role of Different Instructional Strategies on Engineering Students’ Academic Performance and Motivational Constructs

Saira Anwar, Purdue University

Abstract

The use of student-centered instructional strategies is a common practice in engineering classes. Instructors often use such strategies to promote greater learning outcomes and student engagement. However, prior research studies also acknowledge students’ resistance and lack of motivation towards such innovative strategies. In both cases, the existing literature compares these strategies with the traditional approach of lecture-based teaching. However, there is limited literature on exploring the relative effectiveness of different student-centered instructional strategies in engineering classrooms. Understanding which instructional strategies have a more profound effect on students’ performance and motivation is fundamental in course design. Such comparisons would allow instructors to design and plan their courses with better learning activities, which could lead to better student engagement and learning. In this three-paper dissertation, I explored the relative effectiveness of two instructional strategies 1) reflective thinking, and 2) teamwork participation by primarily using quantitative methods. Self-regulated learning theory and the Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) framework guided the selection of these two strategies. I collected students’ reflection data using CourseMIRROR technology. In addition, for teamwork participation, CATME smarter teamwork was used.The first study investigated the relationship of an instructional strategy and a motivational construct through the following research questions: 1) Do students with high academic selfefficacy generate high-quality reflections? 2) To what degree do students’ self-efficacy beliefs and reflection quality scores predict their learning outcomes? Bivariate Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the relationships. The results show that the correlation between self-efficacy scores and the total number of reflections was significant. Also, 62% of the variance of students’ learning outcomes score could be accounted for by the linear combination of self-efficacy score, muddiest point quality, and a number of reflections.Based on the first study, in the second study, I focused on studying the relative effectiveness of two instructional strategies on a motivational construct in a larger engineering class. More specifically, the second study focused on understanding change in students’ participation in two instructional strategies (i.e., reflective thinking and teamwork) and students’ achievement goals. Further, the study investigated the unique contribution of instructional strategies on students’ academic performance and changes in achievement goals. I used stepwise hierarchical regression, simultaneous regression, and repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the data. The results indicated a significant and positive change in students’ teamwork behaviors and reflection specificity from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester. Further, there was a non-significant change in students’ performance-approach and performance-avoidance from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester. However, results showed a significant adverse effect on the students’ mastery approach. Moreover, teamwork behaviors appeared as the most significant predictor of students’ academic performance and changes in approach goals.The third study focused on investigating the role of the same two instructional strategies on students’ academic performance and multiple motivational constructs (i.e., self-efficacy, task value, and engagement). I used structural equation modeling, and repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the data. The results indicated a significant decline in all motivational constructs except for social engagement. Also, similar to study 2, teamwork behaviors was the most significant predictor of students’ academic performance, changes in self-efficacy beliefs, and task value. Moreover, engagement appeared as a significant predictor of self-efficacy beliefs and task value.In this dissertation study, I used an empirical approach to evaluate the instructional strategies by integrating them with a psychological model of achievement goals, self-efficacy, task-value, and engagement. The study advances the literature of engineering education by addressing the literature gap of studying the relative effectiveness of instructional strategies in a real classroom. Moreover, it provides additional evidence that aligns with the ICAP hypothesis. Further, with this study, I offered a validated engagement scale with four distinct dimensions for engineering classes.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Menekşe, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Cognitive psychology|Design|Education|Psychology|Science education|Social psychology

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