STEM faculty perception of student resistance as a source of faculty's self‐efficacy

Abstract Background Despite decades of reform efforts, lecture remains the dominant mode of instruction in undergraduate engineering education. Faculty often cite student resistance to active learning as a barrier to instructional change. However, little research has examined how faculty perceptions of such resistance influence their motivation and instructional practices. Purpose/Hypothesis(es) Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, this study investigates how faculty perceptions and students' self‐reported resistance influence faculty self‐efficacy and the adoption of active learning instructional practices. Design/Method This longitudinal study involved 173 STEM faculty and 1649 students across 64 U.S. institutions. Faculty completed surveys at three time points over two terms; students completed surveys at the middle time point after an active learning session. Latent change score modeling was used to examine the relations between faculty self‐efficacy, instructional practice, and resistance. Results Faculty self‐efficacy at the start of the semester predicted increased use of active learning. Faculty perceptions of student resistance partially mediated this relation, while student‐reported resistance did not. Students' self‐reported resistance was higher in engineering than in other disciplines. Overall, faculty perceptions of student resistance were only weakly related to student reports; however, this relation may be much stronger within engineering courses. Conclusions Faculty self‐efficacy for approaches to teaching that focus on active learning and perceptions of student resistance to active learning play a significant role in shaping instructional practices. To support a broader adoption of active learning in engineering education, professional development should target self‐efficacy for using active learning and strategies to reduce student resistance.