| The U.S. Army is transitioning to the Army Learning Concept 2020, which emphasizes active learning rather than the previous decades of traditional lecture methods. Although numerous studies within various disciplines have been conducted pertaining to active learning and how students make meaning of active learning, no studies have been conducted on developing understanding and of how students make meaning of active learning within army advanced individual training (AIT) classrooms. This study examined how students experience active learning within AIT classrooms, particularly with regard to the implications to classroom participation and how they learned. Based upon the conceptual framework of constructivism and utilizing Illeris's three dimensions of learning model, this study examined student experiences within AIT classrooms. The larger population from which the sample was drawn were all military occupation specialty-producing AIT schools within the army. The data collection techniques consisted of individual face-to-face interviews, document analysis, and student journaling. The data analysis began with axial coding followed by the participant demographic data, two teaching plans, 18 participant journals, and nine interview transcripts coded and analyzed through the use of ATLAS.ti software. The codes coalesced to emerge as the themes of components of active learning and the implications of active learning, based on participants' responses. The study indicated that army AIT students experience active learning in similar ways as other students have throughout various other disciplines and at various educational levels. The participant interviews confirmed these same themes of the study participants perceiving active learning to be comprised of engagement, interaction, and participation. The study demonstrated that army AIT students experience active learning in a very positive manner within their classrooms, as they shared their personal experiences, participated in small-group work, and had interactive discussions. |
