This article explores factors that impact students’ participation during teaching and learning. Critical factors associated with students’ participation are not addressed appropriately to increase student participation. This study involves in-depth interviews with fifteen (15) students who were randomly selected. These interviews were recorded using a voice-recorder in capturing or collecting data. Participation during teaching and learning is a critical factor in yielding positive learning outcomes. The more students participate, the less memorization they engage in, and the more they engage in higher levels of thinking, such as interpretations, analysis and synthesis. The students’ participation was affected by some factors such as lecturers’ instructional strategies, personal characteristics, multicultural students, and scoring motivation. The findings (results) showed overwhelmingly that there are factors that impact students’ participation during teaching and learning. Nine participants (9 > 60,0%) indicated that they are impacted by fear of the unknown, lack of confidence on their side, lack of student preparation for class, as well as lack of supportive and guiding lecturers. Six (6 > 40,0%) indicated that they partially participated at times because they come to lectures prepared for the day’s lesson. This paper is intended to revitalize and encourage maximum participation by students during teaching and learning. This paper will further suggest mechanisms to help students eradicate these factors that impact their participation during teaching and learning. One of the recommendations could be to encourage lecturers to improve their teaching strategies to accommodate most students and encourage them to be free in their respective lecture halls.

Keywords: Exploring, factors, impact, students’ participation, teaching learning.