Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology,...

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education Equity

Background:

• Achievement gaps persist for underrepresented students in STEM.
• Traditional lecturing may exacerbate these disparities.
• Active learning strategies are proposed as a potential solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students compared to traditional lecturing.
• To quantify the impact of active learning on student examination scores and failure rates.
• To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of active learning in reducing achievement gaps.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search for published and unpublished studies comparing active learning and traditional lecturing.
• Inclusion of 15 studies (9,238 students) for examination score analysis and 26 studies (44,606 students) for failure rate analysis.
• Bayesian regression analyses to assess the impact on achievement gaps.

Main Results:

• Active learning reduced achievement gaps in examination scores by an average of 33%.
• Active learning narrowed achievement gaps in passing rates by an average of 45%.
• High-intensity active learning was crucial for narrowing achievement gaps, not just any active learning.

Conclusions:

• Active learning, particularly high-intensity approaches, can significantly reduce achievement gaps in STEM.
• The 'heads-and-hearts' hypothesis suggests combining deliberate practice with inclusive teaching enhances gap reduction.
• Evidence supports replacing traditional lecturing with active learning to promote equity in higher education.