Inclusive and active pedagogies reduce academic outcome gaps and improve long-term performance

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Pedagogical Research
• Higher Education

Background:

• Traditional lecture-based instruction is common in introductory biology.
• Concerns exist regarding the effectiveness of didactic approaches in promoting student success and equity.
• Inclusive and active learning strategies are proposed as alternatives to improve student outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of inclusive and active pedagogical approaches on student academic performance in introductory biology.
• To compare the effectiveness of these novel pedagogies against traditional didactic methods.
• To assess the long-term academic effects of active and inclusive learning on subsequent biology coursework.

Main Methods:

• A five-year comparative study (2014-2018) at a large public research university.
• Analysis of academic performance in introductory biology sections employing inclusive/active learning versus didactic approaches.
• Tracking of student performance in future mandatory biology courses.

Main Results:

• Inclusive teaching in the first semester increased the likelihood of higher grades.
• Active learning in the second semester reduced the ethnic performance gap.
• Students experiencing both inclusive and active learning in their first year outperformed peers with no such exposure in 200-level courses.

Conclusions:

• Active and inclusive pedagogies show significant promise for enhancing student academic performance in biology compared to didactic methods.
• These approaches can help mitigate achievement gaps.
• Further research is needed to refine methods for assessing the impact of inclusive teaching strategies.