Greater Effort Yields Greater Reward: Active Learning Significantly Predicts Performance and Engagement in an Undergraduate Biology Course

Student engagement in post-secondary education has been a pressing yet underexplored issue in a global context. Active learning (AL) approaches have proven to be effective means of improving student outcomes, retention, and engagement, promoting deeper learning and critical thinking skills. However, previous research contends that student and faculty attitudes remain skeptical toward these non-traditional and student-centered teaching and learning approaches. Furthermore, the expansion of global campuses has created new challenges and concerns that we have yet to address, such as a lack of academic support, student disengagement, and the cultural gap between the host country and the institution. This mixed-methods study aims to fill the research gap in understanding student responses, reactions, and perceptions regarding AL in a post-secondary-level non-major biology course at a global branch campus. Both quantitative (regression and correlation analyses) and thematic qualitative analyses indicate the effectiveness of AL approaches in enhancing students’ affective, cognitive, and behavioral engagement, particularly in developing long-term academic skills, adjustment to a new learning environment, and investment in the subject area. Implications for undergraduate science instruction and course designs will be further discussed.