Active Learning Strategies: Faculty Use and Their Perceived Barriers

INTRODUCTION

Despite the growth of technology and scientific knowledge in nursing education,^[1] nurse educators often face challenges while integrating innovative active learning approaches.^[2] The paradigm shifts from teacher-centred to student-centred learning in nursing education entail using active learning strategies (ALS),^[3] as it needs to incorporate cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning domains for experiential learning.^[4,5] The application of knowledge is the focus of the student-centred paradigm that can be achieved through active learning.^[6] While a patient-centred approach is also emphasised to enhance their clinical experience,^[7,8] and so to deal with the challenges and advances in the healthcare system.^[6]

One significant challenge nursing educators face is identifying the best teaching strategies that promote student success and achieve student engagement.^[9] ALS refers to any method educators use to engage students in the learning process to increase student retention, deeper understanding, and active participation in the learning process through facilitation rather than the provision of information.^[10] ALS are required in nursing education to bridge the gap between theory and practice and produce reflective healthcare professionals.^[11] The basis of active learning is the constructivist theory, which highlights the necessity of engaging students in the learning process.^[12] It has been identified that ALS can promote various learning styles in undergraduate nursing students.^[13] Deeper levels of processing information can be promoted through ALS compared to classroom lectures, significantly improving students’ learning outcomes.^[12] Several skills, such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking, can enhance the quality of education by creating a conducive environment and student-centred approaches, such as interactive sessions and discussions.^[6,14-16]

Furthermore, it empowers students in their self-learning process and increases comprehension and recall of materials.^[6] To improve nursing students’ achievement and teaching effectiveness, educators must use teaching methodologies involving students and encourage ALS that promote analysis, synthesis, and evaluations.^[7,17] Classroom engagement has increased students’ self-awareness of the learning process through ALSs.^[10] Students can practice applying and analysing basic understanding in different contexts through active learning pedagogy.^[14] Many other examples of ALS, such as simulation, problem-based learning, and flipped classrooms, promote critical thinking and decision-making skills among undergraduate nursing students.^[18,19] enhancing clinical reasoning, self-directed, and lifelong learning.^[20]

It has been explored that small group discussions were the faculty’s most utilised ALS in healthcare colleges in Middle Eastern countries.^[21] Students perceived this method as effective in promoting active learning by increasing students’ participation in their opinions and exchanging their ideas.^[22] Game-based learning has proven to inspire students’ fun and enjoyment and provides an opportunity to improve social interaction skills.^[23,24] Concept mapping, flipped classrooms, and cooperative learning also positively impact students’ cognitive, affective, and psychomotor outcomes in nursing education in Turkey.^[5] The flip classroom also leads to improved learning and increased interest in the anatomy and physiology courses for Omani students at the College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University, which has higher effects on low achievers than high achievers students.^[25]

The literature review showed that faculty and students encountered many challenges while using ALS. From the educators’ perspectives, challenges included lack of class time, time of preparation, comfort level with didactic materials^[26] adequate training, technical barriers,^[6,17] extra resource^[27] and finances, and a conducive educational milieu.^[8,28,29] Similar challenges from the student’s perspective were reported as resistance to change, a lack of faculty awareness, faculty perceiving that those strategies are not productive considering time factors, and age-related factors that young are more energetic than old professors^[17] Students also believed that educators do not use ALS because of their inability to use it, and laziness, as it requires additional effort and time.^[17] Students’ negative attitude towards ALS makes them refuse to participate actively, causing ineffective peer-led team learning and focused listening. Thus, the faculty must be more innovative in their teaching to withstand students’ participation and deepen their engagement in all classroom activities, fostering a learner-centred environment that nurtures the skills essential for nursing competence and patient-centred care. This study aimed to examine the use of ALS and their perceived barriers among faculty members of the Ministry of Health Educational Institutes (MOHEIs) in Oman.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A descriptive survey was used to examine the faculty’s use of ALS and gain insight into their perceived barriers to using ALS effectively in their theory classrooms of all MOHEIs, Oman, running Diploma General Nursing Program (DGNP) and a year of foundation course. There were nine MOHEIs, one each in the governorates of Oman except in the North Al Batinah governorate, which had two institutes offering, primarily DGNP, later upgraded to Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) in 2014. The institute at the capital branch in Muscat also offered courses in other disciplines, such as physiotherapy, radiography, and medical laboratory sciences. However, in 2018, all MOHEIs were renamed “Oman College of Health Sciences”(OCHS) with branches in each governorate, and the first BSN batch graduated. There are currently eight BSN programs offered in each governorate, including a capital branch in Muscat.

All the faculty teaching nursing programs (nursing and foundation course teachers) at nine MOHEIs in Oman comprised the target population. Nine MOHEIs comprised 242(N) faculty teaching nursing programs ranging from 17 to 33, except in the capital branch, where the faculty was double due to high student intake. The calculated sample size was 167 using Slovin’s formula [n=N/1+N (ME) ²] with a 5% margin error (ME) while considering an unresponse rate of 10%. Full-time faculty members holding at least a bachelor’s degree and teaching nursing and foundation courses were recruited through consecutive sampling. The study included only those who used ALS in theory-based sessions and agreed to participate. It was confined to theory-based courses since non-nursing faculty, although involved, do not engage in laboratory and practicum courses. Only full-time faculty were included to ensure data reliability, reflecting the sustained engagement and consistent teaching practices necessary for the study.

After reviewing the relevant literature and nursing program syllabi, the investigators developed the Active Learning Strategy Assessment Tool (ALSAT). Seven experts in nursing education validated ALSAT for content relevance and appropriateness. ALSAT comprises three parts: Part I gathers demographic and professional data across seven categories—age, gender, marital status, educational qualifications, teaching experience, faculty category, and educational technology training. Part II evaluates the frequency of ALS through 35 items on a 3-point scale: Never (0), Less Frequently Used (1), and Often Used (2). Part III assesses perceived barriers to using ALS, rating 35 items on a 5-point Likert scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). The original draft featured 39 and 36 items in Parts II and III, respectively. Following expert feedback on the tool’s length, the investigators deleted four items from Part II and one from Part III to streamline the assessment. Subsequently, A questionnaire was piloted with 20 samples to assess the readability, structure design of items, and feasibility of the study. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α score) for parts II and III was 0.896 and 0.808, respectively, which exceeded the threshold of .70, indicating higher reliability.^[30] The tool was then sent to the Research Committee coordinators of all MOHEIs across Oman after obtaining permission from the respective deans of the institutes. The participants were informed through the participant information about the study purpose, the risks and the benefits involved, the voluntary nature of the study, and if they wished to discontinue participating in the research study. Informed written consent was then obtained. The liaised research committee coordinators at each MOHEI administered, collected the tool, and sent it back to the investigators.

Participants took approximately 20 minutes to complete the paper-based survey. Out of a calculated sample size of 167, the study obtained 123 participants, achieving an acceptable response rate of 51%. Data was collected over the three months preceding the 2018-19 academic year.

Descriptive statistics, such as frequency and percentage, were used to present the baseline characteristics. The frequency of ALS use by faculty and their perceived barriers were presented with mean and standard deviation. One–way ANOVA/ t-test was used to find the significant difference in the ALS use scores and the barrier scores based on the demographic variables with a preset level of significance at p< .05.

RESULTS

Most of the faculty, 46 (37.4%), were in the age group of 41-50 years; 92(74.8%) were females [married 111 (90.25%)], and 76 (61.79%) were postgraduates. Ninety-six (78.05%) faculty members had more than eight years of teaching experience. Out of 123, the majority, 85 (69.11%), were nursing faculty, and 86 (70%) had received educational technology training through workshops/seminars on the use/development of instructional methods.

Thirty-five identified ALS presented in ALSAT were rated on a 3-point Likert scale to determine how often the faculty use the listed instructional strategies in their classrooms. The MOHEIs faculty used a wide range of ALS in their classrooms with the M ± SD of 0.61±0.685 to 1.65±0.614. However, lecturing was their primary instructional strategy (1.6±0.614), followed by the case study method (1.6± 0.611), presentations by the students/faculty, and collaborative projects (1.59±0.600) very often. The “wait time “strategy, where choosing a student who would answer the question asked and the instructor waiting before calling someone to answer it (0.61.6±0.685), was never used. The rest of the ALS were less frequently used, as shown in Table 1.

The perceived barriers were categorised as “curriculum-related,” “faculty-related,” “student-related,” and “resources-related,” as observed in Table 2. The more considerable curriculum-related barrier to ALS use was the need for higher-order thinking skills in using ALS to achieve desirable learning outcomes in students (3.86±0.994), followed by the content being too much to cover in a limited time (3.76±1.294). At the same time, the perceived faculty role in choosing appropriate ALS (3.70±1.024) was noted as a substantial faculty-related barrier, followed by the fear of unsuccessful attempts to use ALS in the classroom and lack of sharing and discussion among the faculty equally limiting their ALS use (3.07±1.209). Among the student-related barriers, the faculty felt that ALS demands more time from the students (3.53±1.183), followed by difficulty fully using ALS when they lack background knowledge (3.26±1.193). Students do not want to learn beyond what is specified in the course, even if that generates interest and curiosity (2.74±1.266); this was perceived to hinder the use of ALS by the faculty. Finally, among the resource barriers, the defects in instructional equipment (3.5±1.204), followed by limited study materials (3.46±1.176), inappropriate study materials, and inaccessibility to resources in the classroom (3.41±1.108) were considered to limit the ALS use by the MOHEIs faculty [Table 2].

Data in Table 3 shows the one–way ANOVA/ t-test findings that show significant differences in ALS using mean scores and perceived barrier mean scores based on the demographic variables. A statistically significant difference in the ALS use means scores were found based on educational qualification [F _(3,119) =-4.731 p=.004], years of experience [F_(3,119) = 3.120, p=.029], and training received [t₍₁₂₁₎ =2.442, p=0.016]. However, the statistically significant difference in the perceived barriers mean scores were found based on gender [t₍₁₂₁₎ = -2.508, p=0.013], faculty category [t ₍₁₂₁₎ =2.959, p=0.004], and training received [t ₍₁₂₁₎ =-3.158, p=0.002] [Table 3].

DISCUSSION

The findings show that lecturing (1.65±0.614) is still widely used, indicating a continued reliance on teacher-centred instruction. This observation aligns with Matewere et al.,^[26] who explored perceived barriers to effectively utilising learner-centred teaching methods among nursing and midwifery students. They found that tutors often select time-efficient, content-focused methods, which can hinder student engagement and active participation—both crucial for deep learning.^[27] Educators should enhance lectures by incorporating interactive elements like questioning and brief discussions. These methods can increase student engagement and retention, leading to a more participatory learning environment.^[24] Besides lecturing, reflective journaling, portfolio development (1.59±0.600), cooperative/problem-based learning (1.60±0.611), and small group learning (1.55±0.531) were also frequently employed teaching strategies. These methods promote reflection, collaboration, critical thinking, and deeper understanding,^[10] fostering peer interaction and engagement. These enhance nursing students’ learning experience and social skills compared to lecture-based learning.^[31,32]

Discussion using PowerPoint or overhead transparencies (1.41±0.651), videos or slides integrated lecturing (1.37±0.658), and faculty/student-led presentations (1.30±0.735) were moderately employed teaching strategies. Being less innovative, these ALS enhance learning by making complex information more accessible and engaging.^[31] Hence, their moderate use suggests the potential for greater integration to diversify teaching methods and address different learning styles.

In this study, the ALS that promote critical thinking and peer assessment, like the Socratic Method (0.61±0.685) and peer evaluation (1.24±0.669), were infrequently used. These methods are essential for developing deep learning and higher-order thinking (HOT) skills.^[33] Educators should be crafting thought-provoking questions and fostering meaningful discussions.^[33,34] enhancing critical thinking, constructive feedback, and overall learning outcomes. In addition, interactive activities like role-playing, simulations, games (1.25±0.703), and the fishbowl technique (0.84±0.717) were also used less frequently. Incorporating interactive activities boosts student engagement and retention, making learning more enjoyable and meaningful learning by making it more dynamic and by applying theoretical concepts practically.^{[10,16,23,35]}

Analysing barriers to adopting ALS at MOHEIs reveals challenges in curriculum, faculty, student, and resource domains. Faculty perceive a major barrier in aligning ALS with desired learning outcomes (3.86±0.994), particularly given the importance of HOT skills. The need to cover extensive content in a limited time (3.76±1.294) also restricts ALS use, highlighting the tension between breadth and depth of learning. Frequent curriculum revisions (3.66±1.070) and the lack of ALS evaluation (3.28±1.035) and specific ALS content (2.75, ±1.252), along with insufficient pedagogical guidelines (2.95±1.165), further complicate ALS integration. Our findings align with Metewere et al.^[26] and Al Ruthia et al. ^[21] revealed that limited time, content, and learner-teacher interactions hinder ALS use. This issue arises as academic programs prioritise essential knowledge and skills for professional practice, making learner-centred methods time-consuming.^[28,36] Clear, structured curricular support is needed to facilitate ALS adoption.

Faculty face personal and professional challenges that hinder ALS adoption. The perceived teaching role (3.70±1.024) suggests that traditional views may block active learning. Fear of failure (3.07±1.150) and limited faculty collaboration (3.07±1.209) indicate risk aversion and insufficient sharing. Senior faculty resistance (2.83±1.206) and more preparation time (2.37±1.175) also contribute to limited ALS use. Corroborating Metewere et al.,^[26] tutors significantly control the learning process by determining content, methods, pace, and conditions, which limits student autonomy in content selection or evaluation criteria, revealing a key area for improvement. Building a supportive community and offering professional development could address these issues and promote broader ALS adoption.

Contrary to our findings on fear of failure and resistance to change, Al Ruthia et al.^[21] found that older faculty often used active learning techniques, showing openness to these methods. Pivac et al.^[16] emphasised that nurse educators see ALS as beneficial, highlighting the need for proper pedagogic and andragogic training to transition from traditional to simulated learning environments effectively. A major student-related concern with ALS is the perception that it requires more time (3.53±1.183), potentially overwhelming both students and faculty. Difficulties in assimilating ALS due to a lack of background knowledge (3.26±1.193) highlight foundational gaps. Resistance to non-lecture methods (2.70±1.280) and a preference for passive listening (2.66±1.323) further challenge the shift to active learning. Metewere et al.^[26] found that participants viewed learner-centred methods as time-consuming, leading to frustration and ineffective delivery. These findings highlight the need for time management strategies to support the transition to active learning. Overcoming these barriers requires preparing and encouraging students to engage with ALS, possibly through orientation programs and gradual integration of ALS.

Our study identified resource-related barriers as significant obstacles to ALS implementation. Shortage of study materials (3.46±1.176) and malfunctioning instructional equipment (3.50±1.204) hinder practical application. Inadequate instructional materials (3.41± 1.108) and limited resource access (3.41±1.194) highlight infrastructural challenges. Insufficient administrative support (2.99±1.284) and perceptions of higher costs and specialised skills for non-traditional classrooms (2.99±1.170) emphasize the need for institutional support and funding for ALS adoption. Significant resource and infrastructure investments are needed to support ALS, aligning with Csonka,^[27] who emphasised technical, administrative, and financial support in enabling faculty for effective ALS implementation. Furthermore, using preferred teaching methods gives diversity to the learning environment.^[29]

The other challenges that align with the broader literature on adopting innovative teaching methods^{[27,28,33,34]} Barriers like limited time,^{[18,27,28,36,37]} insufficient resources, and inadequate training^[16,22,27] may reduce ALS use.

ALS use varied by educational qualification (p= 0.004), years of experience (p =0.029), and training received (p= 0.016). These results suggest that educators with higher qualifications, more experience, and proper training are likelier to implement ALS. While partially aligning with Al Ruthia et al.,^[21], such as age not correlating with ALS use, the findings differ in gender, where females were more likely to use ALS and discipline, with nursing showing the highest ALS utilisation. The current study did not observe these differences. Al Ruthia et al.^[21] also found that older faculty implement ALS, highlighting the need for ongoing professional development to encourage innovative teaching methods.

The perceived barrier scores differed significantly by gender (p=0.013), faculty category (p =0.004), and training received (p=0.001). Certain disciplines face more challenges in adopting ALS, likely due to their curriculum. These findings align with several studies^[12,21,27] like Ruthia et al.^[21] noted that nursing disciplines adopt fewer ALS due to course nature, content, and time constraints. The significant impact of training on reducing barriers highlights the importance of targeted training programs for ALS adoption.^[16,26,27]

Nonetheless, this study has several limitations. Firstly, the sample size may not entirely represent all faculty members in nursing programs, potentially limiting the generalisability of the findings. Secondly, reliance on self-reported data may introduce potential bias. Thirdly, the faculty’s theory workload was also not assessed, as it may vary across MOHEIs. Lastly, not all the factors that may affect ALS use—such as institutional policies, individual teaching styles, or cultural influences, including faculty attitudes toward interactive teaching—were considered. Future research should address these limitations by including larger, more diverse samples, using longitudinal or experimental designs to determine the effectiveness of specific types of ALS, and considering additional variables such as cultural attitudes toward active learning. Moreover, involving students in future research could provide a comprehensive view of the effective teaching-learning process, capturing their perspectives alongside those of the faculty.

CONCLUSION

The study finds that faculty members use active learning strategies (ALS) moderately, with barriers such as student resistance, limited engagement, and time constraints limiting their frequent application. Faculty with higher qualifications, experience, and training report fewer barriers, especially in health-related fields. Educators can improve learning outcomes by adopting and engaging student-centred ALS and collaborative methods, which support knowledge retention, particularly in nursing. The study calls for targeted training and support, particularly in healthcare disciplines, to promote ALS use. Institutions should prioritise professional development, make curriculum adjustments to streamline content, and allocate resources for supportive infrastructure, including flexible classrooms and advanced technology, to foster ALS integration.