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Abstract

Active learning has been adopted in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education due to evidence linking interactive instructional approaches to improved student outcomes. However, the implementation and effectiveness of active learning practices vary considerably across classrooms, suggesting that the presence of interactive activities alone does not fully explain how students experience and benefit from these approaches. Since active learning relies heavily on interaction and discussion, the way in which instructors facilitate classroom discourse may represent an important mechanism that shapes students’ experiences of learning. This thesis examines how instructor discourse practices influence students’ experiences in an active learning undergraduate biology course. Using a qualitative case study approach, the study analyzes patterns of Teacher Discourse Moves (TDMs) used by instructors during interactive classroom activities and explores how these discourse approaches are experienced by students. Classroom observations were conducted to identify recurring patterns of instructor discourse, and student perspectives were collected in focus groups to better understand how these patterns shaped students’ interpretations of classroom interactions. The findings demonstrate that differences in instructor discourse practices can influence how students experience active learning environments. In particular, patterns of classroom dialogue that were characterized as dialogic or authoritative, impacted whether students perceived learning as instructor- or student-centred, whether learning meant arriving at correct answers or developing reasoning, and whether students felt they had genuine opportunities to contribute ideas and exercise epistemic agency. Taken together, this work highlights the importance of examining the communicative dimensions of active learning environments. By demonstrating how instructor discourse practices shape students’ experiences of participation, engagement, and how they interpret learning, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which active learning operates and offers directions for future research and instructional practice in undergraduate STEM education.