This literature review was conducted after it was noticed that an active instruction approach in teaching mathematics was becoming more of a standard approach. This literature review aims to analyze and synthesize existing research regarding active and direct instruction, as well as examine how these instructional strategies support the promotion of flexible thinking in students, including their promotion of the Standards of Mathematical Practice related to flexibility in thinking. This review defines both active instruction and direct instruction, as well as compares the two strategies, particularly in terms of how well they promote flexible thinking in students. It was discovered that there exists an abundance of research regarding active instruction, including its promotion of flexible thinking, yet it was difficult to find articles advocating for direct instruction. From the research conducted, it appears that a more active approach is more conducive to the learning of mathematics for students in that it encourages flexible thinking, which is a necessary component of a successful mathematician. More research is needed to determine under which conditions these instructional strategies yield optimal results.

Instructional design and delivery may be one tool available to teachers to increase the academic and social behaviors of all students in the classroom. Effective instruction is an evidence-based teaching strategy that can be used to efficiently educate our youth across all learning environments. One effective instructional strategy includes increasing students’ opportunities to respond to instructor-posed questions during lectures. Students may respond to questions using a response card system as a way to promote active engagement. This study examined the most common form of instructor-posed questions presented during lecture, recall and recognition questions, to determine the differential effects on students’ academic and participation behavior in a college classroom. Results found no differentiation in students’ academic behavior with respect to question type. Students’ participation behavior was greater when the instructor used class wide active responding procedures than observed in baseline conditions that represented typical college instruction.

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<p>The overall goal of this dissertation is to predict and explain how information literacy instruction (ILI) influences the adoption of online library resources (OLRs) by business students. This dissertation has two other important goals. First, this dissertation aims to assess the efficacy of active ILI and passive ILI. Second, this dissertation seeks to examine the role that OLR self-efficacy and OLR anxiety play in influencing ILI learning outcomes and the adoption of OLRs.</p> <p>To achieve these goals, a theoretical model was developed that integrates research on ILI outcomes and technology adoption. To test this model, a web-based survey was developed and administered to 337 business students at McMaster University.</p> <p>This dissertation makes several important contributions to theory. First, the findings from the analysis of the structural equation model confirm that the Technology Acceptance Model is an appropriate tool for studying the adoption of OLRs. Second, the findings indicate that amount of ILI is not a significant predictor of the adoption of OLRs. Third, though the amount of ILI was not found to be a predictor of OLR self-efficacy or OLR anxiety in the quantitative analysis, results from the qualitative analysis suggest that ILI increases self-efficacy and reduces anxiety. Fourth, the findings suggest that OLR self-efficacy and OLR anxiety are significant determinants of the adoption of OLRs where OLR self-efficacy was the strongest determinant of the adoption of OLRs. Last, consistent with Bandura’s social cognitive theory, OLR self-efficacy and OLR anxiety were found to be significantly negatively correlated; a partial mediation effect of OLR anxiety on the relationship between OLR self-efficacy and the perceived ease of use of OLRs was supported.</p> <p>This dissertation makes a contribution to practice by revealing that instructors should focus on delivering higher quality ILI rather than higher amounts of ILI. In particular, training interventions should be designed to promote OLR self-efficacy among business students, especially among students who have received the least amount of ILI.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)