Using active instructional methods in lectures: A matter of skills and preferences

A large-scale survey has recently been conducted at Delft University of Tec hnology into the instructional methods currently used by lecturers. The res ults indicate that lecturers do not often use active instructional methods. Since they do not feel the need to do so, it seems that these lecturers st ill hold traditional views on lecturing. The results also indicate that the n is no relationship between actual lecturing behaviour and various backgro und characteristics. Even class size seems unrelated to the matter of activ ating students in lectures. Although lecturers experience restraints with r espect to their lecturing behaviour, these restraints do not seem, in the m ajority of cases, to be related to their actual lecturing practices. It is concluded that using specific active instructional methods during lectures will depend more on the skills and preferences of the lecturer than on the context of the lecture.