ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY ON COLLEGE STUDENTS' SELFEFFICACY: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Abstract

This study addresses the challenge of enhancing college students’ self-efficacy, which has been widely recognized as a critical factor influencing learning persistence, motivation, and achievement but is often insufficiently fostered in traditional lecture-based teaching. The objective of the research was to examine whether a short-term blended active learning intervention could significantly improve students’ self-efficacy and provide evidence for differentiated instructional strategies in higher education. A quasi-experimental design was employed with 240 undergraduate students from two intact classes, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 120) and a control group (n = 120). The experimental group received a 5-week blended active learning intervention incorporating experiential learning, problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, and flipped classroom approaches, while the control group continued with traditional instruction. Selfefficacy was measured using a validated 10-item scale administered at both pre-test and post-test stages. The results demonstrated that the experimental group’s post-test selfefficacy scores were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.01), with particularly strong effects observed among students who initially reported lower selfefficacy. These findings confirm that short-term blended active learning interventions can effectively strengthen students’ self-efficacy, elucidate its underlying mechanisms, and offer practical implications for optimizing teaching practices. The study contributes empirical evidence to support ongoing reforms in college instruction and highlights the importance of tailoring strategies to meet diverse student needs.