Integrating Active Learning Strategies in Large Classroom Settings- Challenges and Solutions in the Perspective of Bangladeshi College level Studies

Abstract

Active learning strategies, which prioritize student engagement and collaborative inquiry, are increasingly advocated to enhance learning outcomes in higher education. However, their implementation in large classroom settings, particularly in resource-constrained contexts like Bangladeshi colleges, remains underexplored. This phenomenological qualitative study investigates the challenges teachers face when integrating active learning strategies in overcrowded classrooms and examines adaptive solutions they employ to overcome these barriers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion with eight college instructors from two institutions in Feni district, Bangladesh, where classrooms frequently exceed 200 students. Findings reveal significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, time constraints, difficulties in monitoring participation, and students’ heterogeneous skill levels. Teachers also reported systemic issues such as limited institutional support, insufficient training, and rigid curricular demands. Despite these obstacles, instructors developed context-specific strategies, such as reorganizing seating into collaborative clusters, leveraging social media and flipped classrooms for pre-class engagement, integrating low-cost digital tools (e.g., projectors and WhatsApp), and employing peer-assisted learning to manage large groups. The study highlights the critical role of teacher agency in adapting active learning methods, emphasizing the need for localized professional development programs and institutional reforms, such as classroom size reduction and continuous assessment integration. These findings contribute to global discourse on active learning by underscoring the interplay between pedagogical innovation and socioeconomic constraints in the Global South. Recommendations include policy interventions to enhance teacher training, infrastructure investment, and curriculum flexibility to foster sustainable active learning practices in Bangladesh’s tertiary education sector.