Higher education has grown the awareness of the importance of using active learning methods in the classroom. However, faculty find the consistent implementation of active learning methods challenging to maintain or fail to understand the methodologies in redesigning a course for active learning. Institutions and accrediting agencies encourage faculty to demonstrate various teaching methods that reach students' varied learning needs. Peer networks and in-house expertise must be included as strong components of sustainable programs.

Faculty receive limited or no formal training on how to teach. They are experts in their field. The literature supports the importance of pedagogical training, faculty collaboration, and hands-on professional development opportunities. Very few studies identify the faculty barriers and motivations for using active learning pedagogies in their classrooms. This study explores the faculty's perceived barriers and motivations to using active learning methods in planning, delivering, and assessing students' learning.

Our research questions are:

1. What internal and external barriers do faculty identify for underutilizing active learning strategies?

2. What are the relationships between internal and external barriers for underutilizing active learning strategies?

3. What motivational factors do faculty perceive as important for utilizing active learning strategies?

4. What are the relationships between the internal barriers and perceived motivational factors for active learning strategies?

5. What are the relationships between the external barriers and perceived motivational factors for active learning strategies?

This cross-sectional quantitative study design uses a 23-question survey on perceived barriers to using active learning in the classroom. The target population is faculty members in higher educational facilities in the United States of America. An online survey company will target a convenience sample of at least 1,000 faculty members to complete the electronic survey. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to categorize the identified barriers and motivations. We will correlate the barriers and motivations with the demographic data to observe significant relationships. All data analysis will be completed using SPSS data analysis software version 27.