The Impact of Active Learning on Student Resilience: The Matrix Classroom evaluated using MTQ48

This presentation evaluates the impact of an innovative pedagogic approach termed The Matrix Classroom as across a range of subject areas at Leeds Trinity University- History, Psychology and Management. This active learning format increases the reliance of students on peer-support networks and reduces the centrality of the tutor in a social constructivist model of pedagogy that privileges experience over content (Roberts & Sayer, 2017). The approach has been known to increase the anxiety of students as they move to the edge of their comfort zone (Roberts, 2016) while student exposure to authentic work-related problems raises their capability to cope with such challenges. The Mental Toughness Questionnaire (Clough, Earle & Sewell, 2002) – MTQ48 – was utilised at two time points (Week One and Week Ten) so as to investigate the effects of the Matrix Classroom approach on student resilience. A significant increase in student mental toughness can be reported [F (1, 34) = 4.334, p = 0.045]. Furthermore, one advantage of the MTQ48 is that it can be split into further subscales – Challenge, Commitment, Confidence, and Control (the 4C model). Of these, it was found that only Confidence had increased significantly [F (1, 34) = 5.848, p = 0.021], and more specifically, that it was student confidence in their own abilities which had risen [F (1, 34) = 5.322, p = 0.027]. Interpersonal confidence was unaffected [F (1, 34) = 1.749, p = 0.195ns.]. These findings suggest that as students become more pro-active in their learning, they become more confident in their abilities.