Peer instruction in a physiology laboratory course in China

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physiology Laboratory Instruction

Background:

• Peer instruction is widely used in lectures but underutilized in laboratory settings.
• Limited research exists on peer instruction's efficacy in physiology laboratory courses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate the peer instruction method in a Chinese undergraduate physiology laboratory course.
• To assess the impact of peer instruction on student performance and confidence levels.

Main Methods:

• Peer instruction replaced traditional lectures in a 6-week physiology lab course for second-year medical students.
• Student performance was measured via in-class quizzes, and confidence levels were assessed.
• Student perceptions were gathered using a Likert scale questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Peer instruction significantly improved mean quiz scores (0.53 vs. 0.68, P < 0.001) and confidence levels (2.36 vs. 2.80, P < 0.001).
• A substantial majority of answer changes were from incorrect to correct (39.07%) rather than correct to incorrect (6.61%).
• Student evaluations of the peer instruction method were overwhelmingly positive.

Conclusions:

• Implementing peer instruction in physiology laboratory courses is an effective strategy.
• Peer instruction enhances student performance on quizzes and increases confidence levels.
• Students generally hold a favorable attitude towards peer instruction in laboratory settings.