Factors disturbing undergraduate students’ interaction during lectures: A university-based survey

Objectives: To explore the factors that disturb students’ interaction during lectures and interfere with their active participation.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study lasted approximately nine months, beginning on May 9, 2018, and ending on February 6, 2019. Students of different faculties participated in the study. A valid questionnaire was used after piloting. Four major categories were defined: classmate factors (CMFs), teacher-related factors (TRFs), personal factors (PFs), and class environment factors (CEFs).

Results: A total of 658 students were included. Among all, 428 (65%) were females, and 230 (35%) were males. The comparison of main categories showed that CMFs, TRFs, PFs, and CEFs disturbed students’ interaction 74%, 55%, 50%, and 84%, respectively. The comparison of the factors disturbing students’ interaction showed that females were more disturbed by the CMFs (p=0.036) and CEFs (p<0.001) than males. CMFs, PFs, and CEFs disturbed more married students’ than unmarried. CMF more disturbed science faculty students’ interaction compared to all other groups. CEF showed less disturbance among Engineering/Math group students’ interaction compared to other groups. The male gender and sixth-year students were the predictors of TRF disturbance, while the married students were the predictors of disturbance by PF.

Conclusion: Several factors (PF, CMF, TRF, and CEF) disturbed students’ interaction during a lecture. Additionally, the male gender, married students, and sixth-year students were the associated factors of disturbed interaction during a lecture. We suggest that teachers and educational leaders need to devise a policy to overcome these factors to provide a conducive learning environment.