Effectiveness Of Peer Learning Research Articles

Investigating the Effectiveness of Peer Teaching / Learning in Language Classrooms

In language teaching, many techniques have been used by teachers for many years to make learning effective and interesting. Peer teaching is one of those teaching techniques adopted by teachers to foster a better learning environment. This study aims at finding out the effectiveness of peer learning and teaching both from the perspectives of peer-teacher and peer-tutee at the tertiary level of Bangladesh. Students were involved in taking classes of their classmates and later their opinion was collected through survey questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion. The participants appreciated peer teaching in language learning and they also reported improving many social skills along with better learning of the subject matter. The study concludes with the remark that peer teaching is an effective method of teaching language at the tertiary level and it should be applied extensively in the classroom by teachers

Effect of Peer-Assisted Learning on Enhancing Clinical Research Skills Among Medical Students: Students' and Tutors' Perceptions.

PurposeResearch methodology is an essential part of evidence-based medicine. Many educational programs include clinical research methodology within their curriculum. Moreover, students’ preferences for learning methods are different than before, as they now prefer alternative methods, such as peer teaching. Peer-assisted learning enhances students’ tutoring skills. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of peer teaching on enhancing clinical research skills.Participants and MethodsPeer-assisted learning was evaluated during a four-week online research methodology course designed for medical students at King Abdulaziz University. A total of 121 students’ and 38 tutors’ attitudes and perceptions of peer teaching were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. The effectiveness of peer teaching was assessed using pre- and post-course knowledge tests. Chi-square was used to assess the association of qualitative data, and Mann–Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon rank test were used as nonparametric tests for the variables that were not normally distributed.ResultsThe post-course knowledge score was significantly higher than the pre-test score. Students had a positive perception of peer-assisted learning. Over 90% of the students preferred peer-assisted learning to traditional teaching. Similarly, the tutors had significantly positive perceptions of peer-assisted teaching. Younger students who had higher post-test mean knowledge scores had a good perception of peer teaching.ConclusionThe current study demonstrates students’ and tutors’ positive perceptions of peer-assisted learning as well as the effectiveness of peer learning. Medical schools should pay more attention to students and prepare them for peer-teacher roles.

Peer learning in health sciences-exploring pedagogy

Learning is a social experience. In most of the health science disciplines students learn in variety of environments like clinical placements, laboratory and lecture-based setting. Peer learning can be a component in any of these environments. However, effectiveness of peer learning on learning outcomes is not extensively researched as like other formal instructional strategies. Present paper aims to discuss the conceptual understanding, theoretical basis and possible effects of peer learning on aspects of learning outcomes. This can offer the background information to design the future research on peer learning instructional strategy. Peer learning is beneficial pedagogical learning strategy which has all round effect on the process of learning. Cognitive benefits and outcomes on the learning as well as psychosocial outcomes like behaviour, critical reasoning, motivation, and appreciation of team work are also noted. However, scarcity and diversity in the research on peer learning makes it difficult to ascertain its benefits or shortcomings in terms of measurability and generalizability. Inclusion of peer learning as student centric, flexible and individualised approach can complement the individual needs of the learners. Comprehensive understanding of peer learning process, improved study designs considering the factors affecting group dynamics, and more representative sampling techniques can help overcome the barriers and can result in better understanding of this approach in health science education.

Learning with peers: Does that foster critical reasoning?

Background: Health science education is competency based education where one needs to critically think and analyse the problem. Critical thinking is meta-cognitive process where self-learning and meaningful learning are integral. Peer-learning helps in fostering higher order thinking and provides the environment for meaningful learning. There is a mixed evidence of effectiveness of peer learning. Very few studies have addressed changing group dynamics, group composition and its effect on critical reasoning ability. Hence present study aimed to assess effectiveness of peer-learning on critical reasoning ability, in physiotherapy undergraduate students, with changing group composition. Methodology: This quasi experimental two group crossover study was conducted in two phases. Total 37 fourth year physiotherapy students were involved in the study by convenient sampling. The students were randomly allocated in two groups. In first phase, Group One was sub-grouped based on scores of content knowledge test taken before experiment, by grouping high, medium and low scorers together. Group Two was given a freedom to choose their partners. In second phase groups crossed over. Five case-based sessions were conducted in each phase and both groups fulfilled the objectives, by peer discussion within their subgroup. Outcome measure was health science critical reasoning ability using Health Science Reasoning Test score. Results: There was no significant difference found in the test scores between both the groups. This study does not favour the effectiveness of the peer-learning in improving critical reasoning skills. There found no effect of changing group composition on critical reasoning ability. The results could be content and discipline specific.