Perceptions and Barriers of Active Learning in Business Students: a study done on the Sohar University students, Oman

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The objective of this study was to find out what are the perceptions of active learning, to rule out the barriers, and to see whether it holds any importance in a classroom. Design/Methodology: Data has been collected through a structured questionnaire, from 280 samples, being students of Faculty of Business at Sohar University, Oman. This was a cross-sectional, exploratory study to identify the perceptions and barriers from the student’s point of view. Findings: The findings of the study reveal that student-teacher interaction is essential and thereby the students’ communication skills and social interactive skills enhances. Students’ perception is that they develop more interest in the subjects and that their creative and critical thinking improves. Students consider the lack of student-teacher interaction as a huge barrier followed by the lack of experiential learning. Also, their own lack of communication is a huge obstruction. Implications: With the world becoming more digitalized, we would like to further find out how to implement active learning through the online education system and how to improve it for both teachers and students. We can introduce hands on practice in classrooms. Originality: This research work is an idea taken up from other resources but is one of a kind since it is focused on Business students at Sohar University which has not been done before. Keywords: Active learning, Sohar University Business Students, Perceptions, Barriers in Teaching, Student Engagement, Academic Challenge.