Communications of the ACM
Massive Study Finds Lectures Still Dominate STEM Ed
"Why are we still doing it the other way?," asks Marilyne Stains, associate professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an author of a new study on STEM teaching styles.
Credit: Craig Chandler / University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Fifty-five percent of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classroom interactions consist mostly of conventional lecturing, a teaching style prior research has identified as among the least effective at teaching and engaging students, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study. The study found 27 percent of respondents featured interactive lectures, while only 18 percent emphasized a student-centered style heavy on group work and discussions.
One reason a majority of faculty continues to use ineffective teaching methods is a lack of training for taking advantage of smaller class sizes, open classroom layouts, and other strategies meant to reduce the reliance on conventional lecturing.
"There is an enormous amount of work that has demonstrated that these [student-centered] strategies improve students' learning and attitudes toward science," says University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor Marilyne Stains. "It's not just that they understand it better, but they also appreciate science more. They're not as scared of it, and they engage more easily with it."
From University of Nebraska–Lincoln
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