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Evidence-based teaching practices correlate with increased exam performance in biology
Sungmin Moon1, Mallory A Jackson1, Jennifer H Doherty1
1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
Evidence-based teaching practices positively impact student exam performance. Specific activities like small group work and active questioning, measured by the Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL), show strong correlations with improved academic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Biology Education Research
Background:
- Evidence-based teaching practices are linked to better student outcomes, but specific effective activities, intensities, and durations remain unclear.
- Previous research has not detailed which specific teaching practices most effectively enhance student exam performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between the presence, intensity, and duration of evidence-based teaching practices and student exam performance in biology courses.
- To identify specific teaching activities that are associated with improved student outcomes on exams at varying cognitive levels.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL) to quantify teaching practices in undergraduate biology courses.
- Categorized exam questions using Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domains to assess cognitive challenge.
- Employed structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between teaching practices, exam performance, and controlling variables (exam difficulty, GPA, demographics).
Main Results:
- Small group activities, instructor questioning techniques, and total active student engagement time positively correlated with overall exam performance.
- On higher-level cognitive exams, student explanations of reasoning, individual work, and instructor feedback were associated with increased performance.
- This study is the first to link the intensity and duration of specific evidence-based practices to student exam performance, controlling for cognitive challenge.
Conclusions:
- Multiple evidence-based teaching practices, including active learning strategies and instructor engagement, are positively associated with student academic success in biology.
- Faculty can leverage these findings to make informed decisions about implementing targeted teaching strategies to enhance student learning and exam performance.
- The detailed insights into specific practices offer valuable guidance for educators seeking to optimize their teaching methods.
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