Abstract:

Research on students’ and teachers’ beliefs on learning and teaching has highlighted their relevance on teaching and learning practices. In this study the students’ and teachers’ beliefs are specifically related to ‘active’ and 'interactive' teaching and learning with explicit reference to ICT use.

Because European universities are facing expectations from a range of stakeholders to change the ways they teach, purportedly shifting teaching methods from lectures to more ‘interactive’ and ‘active’ methods, it is important to understand this phenomena from the perspective of teachers and students.

The study aims to analyse how ‘active’ and 'interactive' teaching and learning are perceived by students and teachers; whether current 'interactive' teaching and learning practices relate to technological interactivity (ICT use) or pedagogical interactivity (teaching and learning methods), and the relation between their beliefs and classroom practices. The paper offers insights to institutions, teachers and other stakeholders concerned with classroom practices, ICT use and the future of teaching and learning in the European Higher Education Area.

Keywords:

Beliefs, ICT, Active learning, Interactive learning, Classroom practices.