To accept or decline academic remediation: What difference does it make?

Abstract

Introduction: Academic remediation offered after failure in a knowledge-based progress-test assessment is voluntary and involves student-centered individualized support that helps students to learn most effectively for themselves. This paper explores whether accepting or declining the offer of academic remediation given to struggling students impacts their outcomes both short-term and longitudinally.

Method: Data was collated from 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18 and included all students offered academic remediation in the third, fourth, and fifth years of a five-year Dentistry program. Z-scores for each stage and test were calculated and centered on a triggering point; the point at which the offer of remediation was made. These students’ average performance post-trigger test and longitudinal performance were analyzed.

Results: While performance for both groups significantly improved for the immediate post-trigger test after academic remediation, those that accepted remediation sustained longitudinal improvements across subsequent tests compared to those that declined remediation.

Discussion: Through the academic remediation support process students appear to increase their mastery of “learning to learn” and are able to implement sustainable effective learning strategies to carry with them throughout their program.

Conclusion: Students who accept academic remediation maintain a more successful academic profile compared to those that do not take advantage of this.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the academic tutors of Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School for their assistance in delivering academic remediation to the students.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Glossary

Academic remediation: A support process that aims to shift poorly performing or struggling students to become successful in academic assessments

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Catherine Coelho

Catherine Coelho, BDS, MClinED, Clinical Associate Professor (Education) in Dental Undergraduate Studies, Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School

Daniel Zahra

Daniel Zahra, BSc, MSc, PhD, Lecturer in Assessment Psychometrics, Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School

Kamran Ali

Kamran Ali, BDS, MMEd, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) and Consultant in Oral Surgery, Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School

Christopher Tredwin

Christopher Tredwin, BDS, BSc, MSc, PhD, Professor of Restorative Dentistry & Head of Peninsula Dental School, Plymouth University Peninsula Dental School