Abstract
This study examined the effect of collaborative learning (CL) versus traditional lecture-based learning (TL) pedagogies and gender group composition in effecting positive or negative attitudes of biology major and nonmajor men and women students. The experimental research method was administered in experimental and control groups to test the hypotheses. Students’ attitudes refer to their positive or negative feelings and inclinations to learn biology. A nine-factor attitude scale was administered in (1) single-gender nonmajor biology, (2) mixed-gender nonmajor biology, (3) single-gender major biology, and (4) mixed-gender biology major groups. Men (221) and women (219) were randomly assigned into single and mixed-gender classes without groups and single-gender groups (4M) or (4W) and mix-gender (2M+2W) groups. In CL nonmajor and major single-gender groups, women demonstrated significantly higher positive attitudes than men. In contrast, men’s attitudes were significantly improved in mixed-gender CL groups for major and nonmajor sections, and the effect size was larger in mix-gender classes. Women feel less anxious in single-gender groups but more anxious in mixed-gender groups. In mixed-gender groups, men’s self-efficacy, general interest, and motivation enhanced significantly; overall, men experienced greater satisfaction and triggered their desire to collaborate better, affecting all nine attitudinal factors. There was an interaction effect demonstrating the teaching pedagogy’s impact on improving students’ attitudes toward biology; students’ gender and gender-specific group composition have been the most influential factor for nonmajor students. These findings suggest that there is a need for developing gender-specific and context-specific learning pedagogies, and instructors carefully select gender grouping in teaching undergraduate science subjects.
Highlights
Science education has gained renewed interest and prominence today to fulfill the increasing demand for future medical practitioners and scientists and minimize the increasing gap of the skilled workforce [1,2,3,4]
We found gender is an important variable in assessing attitudinal differences towards collaborative learning (CL) and traditional lecturebased learning (TL) in biology major and nonmajors that would be useful for educators in selecting appropriate pedagogies for men and women in various contexts
Four tables were used to present the results of this study (Table 2) Nonmajor biology single-gender, (Table 3) Nonmajor biology mixed-gender students working alone applying the TL method or in groups (2M & 2W) applying CL method. (Table 4) Major biology single-gender students. (Table 5) Major biology mixed-gender students working alone applying the TL method or in groups (2M & 2W) applying CL method
Summary
Science education has gained renewed interest and prominence today to fulfill the increasing demand for future medical practitioners and scientists and minimize the increasing gap of the skilled workforce [1,2,3,4]. Increasing gender inequity, diminishing minority and women enrollment at higher education level, "a widespread scientific ignorance in the general populace," rising importance of "economic utility of scientific knowledge" are a few that signify the importance of research to initiate remedial measures to boost positive attitudes toward science careers [13, 14]. In this endeavor, Biology education comes to the forefront of medical and care practitioner fields [15, 16]. Despite a few studies that assessed secondary school students’ attitudes in general science [18], there is a lack of research measuring biology education attitudes at the undergraduate level [19]
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