Impacts of Active Learning on Students’ Academic Performance at Undergraduate Level Zoology Classes

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the impacts of active learning on students’ academic performance compared to traditional learning. A sample of 30 undergraduate students from the Department of Zoology, Khulna Government Women’s College, Bangladesh was used for the study. The total 30 students were randomly assigned as experimental group consisting of fifteen students and the control group from the remaining fifteen students. Each group was taught separately. The experimental group was taught by using some of the active learning strategies while control group was taught by the traditional lecture method only. The exam score of both groups of students were analyzed statistically and the results revealed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the means of the exam score of the two groups of students. Statistical analyses also revealed that the experimental group performed better than the control group . A survey on students’ experiences regarding active learning was done through a questionnaire questions. In addition, observational data were recorded from both groups of students to view their responses in terms of active learning and traditional lecture method.