Enhancing active student engagement in chemistry learning: a case study on the role of e-portfolios in postgraduate education in Rwanda

The study aimed to explore the role of e-portfolios in supporting active student engagement in chemistry learning within postgraduate education in Rwanda. The researchers adopted the qualitative descriptive approach, in which a random sample of 4 chemistry students at the University of Rwanda, African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS)-Rukara campus were selected and interviewed. The participants’ views and practices regarding how e-portfolios enhanced their teaching and learning of chemistry were collected. The tools used were naturally occurring talks and semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcriptions were analyzed using Otter Pro software, employing content and thematic analysis. On the other hand, quantitative data collection was conducted using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, which was coded in Google Forms and sent to 29 participants from the Rukara and Remera campuses. Quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to compute descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. The findings indicate that e-portfolios enhance active engagement in chemistry learning through student collaboration, personal and social participation. Furthermore, the study found that e-portfolios serve as a motivational tool for student interaction with chemistry learning materials, evidenced by a statistically significant correlation coefficient \(\:({r}_{s}\:=\:1,\:p\:<\:0.001)\) between e-portfolio usage and active student engagement. These findings suggest that e-portfolios could be integrated as a pedagogical tool to promote individual and social engagement in chemistry learning within postgraduate education curricula. Moreover, the study recommends promoting digital literacy among both chemistry students and teachers. However, efforts need to be put into expanding internet coverage on University of Rwanda campuses. Alternatively, the university can reduce the cost of paid online platforms and adopt free online platforms that enhance students’ continuous accessibility and the use of digital technologies in their learning process.