Impact of active learning and teaching on students achievement

Impact of Active Learning and Teaching on Students Achievement More than ever, life and work in the twenty-first century require specific skills: in terms of creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration, digital skills, adaptability and openness. It is a matter of concern whether today's school is capable of helping children develop these abilities. As a result, active teaching and learning methods are becoming increasingly popular. So far, little has been said about active learning in Lithuania. The National Education Strategy 2013-2022 and the Law on Education do not even mention the concept of "active learning" or "student-oriented learning". However, documents are already being developed on the importance of such learning. Therefore, one of the aims of the study is to determine whether the active teaching and learning practice in Lithuania is successful and is reflected in the PISA results. If it proves to be true, then aspects of the Good School concept could be put into other strategic documents that are mandatory. Academic literature on education policy is predominantly related to teaching methods: research-based learning, problem solving, group work, collaboration and experiential learning, use of information communication technologies, student-centered learning. However, the theory of constructivism claims that children learn not only by doing something actively, but also by consciously constructing their knowledge. This aspect is more often addressed by psychologists or educators, but it is equally important in shaping educational policy. Similarly, there is little research in the academic literature on the relationship between teaching and learning. The purpose of the research is to determine whether teaching, learning and teaching and learning methods (active, passive) congruence leads to better student achievement. Three hypotheses of the research were raised based on review and analysis of constructivism theories and other researches: H1: active teaching has a positive impact on student achievement. H2: active learning has a positive impact on student achievement. H3: The combination of a student's learning method and a teacher's teaching method leads to better student achievement. These hypotheses were tested using PISA 2012 data. The students‘ mathematical achievements were used, as this was the main area of study in 2012. From this data two main independent variables and control variables was constructed. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used for analysis. Similarly, validation tests for regression models were performed. After the discussion of the results of linear regression analysis models, the conclusions and recommendations of the work were presented. The first hypothesis was confirmed: active teaching has a positive impact on student achievement. This shows that the teacher's performance in the classroom and his chosen strategies affects the development of students' mathematical abilities. The second and third hypothesis were not confirmed: active learning has a positive impact on student achievement, the combination of a student's learning method and a teacher's teaching method leads to better student achievement. In further studies, it is recommended to take into account the research restrictions described in the study and to improve the quality of the research by expanding the analysis model or using additional data sources. Also, analyse data of other countries that have a similar educational structure and problems to reveal the impact of variables that were insignificant in this study (learning, congruence of teaching and learning methods). It is recommended to study other areas of education (sciences, reading)