University lecturers' use of active teaching methods: a segmentation study concerning trust, empowerment, thinking styles and emotional intelligence

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this study is to examine the adoption of the active learning and teaching methods by university lecturers, taking into account the contribution of certain important factors, including trust, empowerment, thinking styles and emotional intelligence. In addition, this study further reveals the diverse nature of university lecturers with regards to their tendencies to adopt active teaching methods using the segmentation technique of marketing. Design/methodology/approach – A structured survey was implemented with university lecturers in Hanoi (Vietnam), obtaining a sample of 218 respondents from six universities. Descriptive analysis was carried out to identify the extent of the adoption of these methods. In addition, cluster analysis and analysis of variance were computed to extract and define the segments of university lecturers. Findings – The findings show that the lecturers, on average, had a tendency to apply active teaching methods. However, the extent of the application of these methods differed among four clusters: “conservatives,” “liberals,” “junior conservatives” and “junior liberals.” In addition, it was found that the degree to which active methods were applied may have been affected by the lecturers’ trust in and their empowerment of the students. The application of active methods may also have been influenced by various covert characteristics of the lecturers, including thinking styles (cognition-based) and emotional intelligence (affect-based). The lecturers’ overt characteristics, such as age, education and experience, may also have affected their application of active methods, while biological sex seems not to have been a significant factor. Originality/value – The results of this study expand the literature by explaining the diversity of university lecturers from the perspective of the active teaching and learning methods. They also provide implications for the management of education reform based on the varied implementation of the said methods that has already taken place.