Supporting Undergraduate Biology Students' Academic Success: Comparing Two Workshop Interventions

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Cognitive Psychology
• Student Success

Background:

• Student performance in introductory biology courses predicts major persistence.
• Effective learning strategies and self-awareness are crucial for academic success.
• Time management is a significant challenge for many college students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of two cocurricular workshops on student performance.
• To investigate the impact of metacognition and time management interventions.
• To examine differential effects of interventions based on student group status.

Main Methods:

• Two workshops were designed: Metacognition and Metacognition plus Time Management (Metacognition+TM).
• Seventeen undergraduate biology lab sections were randomly assigned to interventions.
• Data collected included three exams and pre/post-semester surveys.

Main Results:

• Students in the Metacognition+TM intervention showed greater increases in exam scores and degree commitment.
• The Metacognition+TM intervention was particularly effective for minoritized students.
• Metacognition+TM increased the use of time management tools among minoritized students.

Conclusions:

• Integrating time management with metacognition enhances academic outcomes in introductory biology.
• Interventions should consider diverse student needs, especially regarding time management.
• Targeted support can improve persistence and performance for underrepresented student groups.