Challenges and motivation for teachers transitioning to active learning spaces

Figures & data

Figure 1. Illustrations of R2 (panels A and B) and SMIA (panels C and D), provided by Eggen Arkitekter AS.

Figure 2. The focused codes show how the teachers perceive the challenge of engaging students. Research questions 1, 2, and 3 are respectively addressed by focused codes (FC) 1, 2, and 3.

Figure 3. The focused codes show how the teachers perceive the challenge of building student relations. Research questions 1, 2, and 3 are respectively addressed by focused codes (FC) 1, 2, and 3.

Figure 4. The focused codes show how the teachers perceive the challenge of developing teaching strategies. Research questions 1, 2, and 3 are respectively addressed by focused codes (FC) 1, 2, and 3.

Table 1. A summary of the different teachers learning spaces, teaching activities, experiences and preferences.

	Andy	Bob	Christoffer	Daniel
Active Learning Space	R2	R2	SMIA	R2
Norwegian Native Speaker	Yes	Yes	No	No
Experience teaching at NTNU	30+	30+	0–10	0–10
Age	50–70	50–70	30–50	30–50
Course	Statistics	Calculus	Statistics	Numerical Mathematics
Students	Engineering	Engineering	Science	Science & Engineering
The preconception of AL and ALSs	Positive	Positive	Positive	Positive
SRS as active learning	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mini Exercises as active learning	No	No	No	Yes
Exercise Session as active learning	No	No	Yes	No
Previous experience with active learning	Yes	Yes	No	No
Wants to continue with active learning	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Previous experience using ALSs	No	No	No	No
Wants to continue using ALSs	Yes	Weak Yes	Yes	No
Wants to design teaching to allow for more student activity	Yes	Unclear	Yes	Unclear
Initial change to their teaching	Committed more to AL	Moving more around the space	Changed to active learning-focused class (see 3.3)	Started doing more AL
Main challenges of using the ALSs	Engaging the students	Balancing covering the curriculum and active learning	Developing and using a new teaching strategy	Building student relations due to social discomfort

Table 2. A summary of all the data material used in this study.

Data-source	Data-type	Group-size	Number of Times
Individual semi-structured interviews	Audio (Transcribed)	The researcher + One teacher	One Pre-Interview Per Teacher One Post-Interview Per Teacher
Group Reflection Conversation	Audio (Transcribed)	The researcher + 2–4 teachers	Five times – varying composition of teachers
Classroom Observation (indirectly used)	Notes	The researcher + Teacher and Class	4–6 times per teacher
Post-observation Conversation	Audio (Transcribed)	The researcher + One Teacher	1–2 times per teacher

Table 3. A summary of the teachers’ perspective on their motivation for transitioning to the ALSs. The perspectives are structured using EVT and the three categories identified in research question 1.

	Engaging Students	Building Student Relations	Developing Teaching Strategy
Ability Self-concept & Task Difficulty	It was seen as more necessary to engage the students when in the ALSs. To positively influence students’ engagement was seen as challenging and demanded time and effort.	Building good student relations were seen as particularly necessary in the ALSs. The teachers who considered themselves to have good social and soft skills saw creating student relations as an easier task.	The teachers felt that ALSs encouraged them to develop new teaching strategies, which demanded new pedagogical and didactical skills that differed from those used while lecturing.
Attainment Value	The ALSs were viewed to have a positive value if the students were engaged and a negative value if the students were unengaged.	Building student relations were seen as an essential tool to engage the students and made the classes seem more meaningful.	The teachers saw new teaching strategies as valuable to improve student learning outcomes. However, the teachers still felt they needed to cover the curriculum.
Intrinsic Value	Engaged students made teaching more fun. However, it was potentially heartbreaking to have unengaged students in the ALSs.	Good relations with the students made the classes more fun.	The teachers enjoyed aligning their practices with their teaching beliefs. However, struggling with the adaption was a source of dissatisfaction.
Utility Value	Transitioning to the ALS was perceived to have a negative utility value as teachers feared that poor perceptions from students or peers could have negative consequences.
Cost	There was an emotional cost to transitioning to the ALSs and being uncertain if the students would engage.	There was an emotional cost to trying to connect to the students as the teachers feared being perceived poorly.	Transitioning to a new teaching strategy demanded time and effort. The teaching strategy is also needed to fit the ALSs.