Peer-assisted learning in medical radiation sciences education and training: A scoping review

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a student-centred teaching approach widely used in the health sciences to enhance student engagement, academic performance, clinical competence, and professional development. Although PAL is receiving increasing attention in academia, its use as a supplementary teaching strategy in medical radiation sciences education remains limited and underexplored. In this scoping review study, students include those in diagnostic radiography, ultrasound, therapeutic radiography, and nuclear medicine. Therefore, this review aims to synthesise a perspective on the impact of PAL on the academic performance, clinical competence, and professional development of medical radiation sciences students.

This review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines and was managed using Covidence. The five-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley guided the methodological process. Articles from 2010 to 2025 were identified through electronic library databases using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 650 articles were identified, with 10 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted using a structured template and were synthesised thematically.

Four main themes were developed: (1) learning environment and student engagement, (2) development of professional and mentorship skills, (3) academic performance and learning outcomes, and (4) challenges and limitations of PAL. The results show that PAL fostered collaboration and student engagement, enabling peer mentors to develop leadership, teaching, and communication skills. PAL enhanced knowledge retention, exam preparation, and clinical readiness, though limited mentor training and variable teaching quality remained key challenges.

This review suggests that PAL may provide meaningful academic and professional benefits for medical radiation sciences students. However, its effectiveness seems to depend on mentor training, well-designed learning content, and faculty oversight to ensure quality of teaching and learning.

PAL complements lecturer-led teaching by promoting engagement, collaboration, and professional competence, while offering a practical way to enhance student participation and expand teaching capacity in resource-limited settings.