Perceptions of Active Learning among Faculty in Student-centered Universities

Higher education institutions face challenges integrating active learning (AL) as mandated by the Bologna Process. This requires engaging classroom experiences and support for student success in publications and projects. This study explored the perceptions of academics from engineering and arts and sciences faculties at one public and one private university in Türkiye. It examined their understanding of AL, whether they viewed it as deep AL, its necessity in higher education, and barriers to its implementation. Using a qualitative design with open-ended surveys, responses were analyzed thematically. Findings show most academics associate AL with instructor-led in-class activities, indicating a limited grasp of deep active learning. While they support broader AL adoption, they cited obstacles such as large class sizes, poor infrastructure, unequal resources, limited in-service training, and weak institutional commitment, which hinder effective AL practices despite institutional intentions.