The effect of peer assisted learning support (PALS) on performance in mathematics and chemistry

Abstract

Supplemental Instruction has a long history of effective use in third level education in the United States. However, there are few rigorously controlled studies in which the potentially confounding effects of student aptitude and experience and of ‘volunteer effects’ have been controlled. Analysis of the effects of peer assisted learning in the context of the higher educational system of the UK and Ireland is relatively sparse, with few rigorously controlled studies, and it is therefore difficult to quantify its impact. I carried out a carefully controlled study of the effects of peer assisted learning by second year students with first year students. Prior to tutoring, the tutored and non‐tutored groups were very evenly matched. However, after one semester of tutoring there were substantial and significant differences between the tutored and non‐tutored students. The tutored students progressively increased their performance at in‐house tests in calculus compared to the untutored students, their examination marks in chemistry and calculus substantially improved (>13%) and failure rates were cut dramatically. Student progression was substantially improved.

Keywords:

• Supplemental Instruction
• peer assisted learning
• chemistry
• mathematics
• calculus