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Mazur's Peer Instruction in Medical Education: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Mohammad Aldalou1, Asa Kizer1, Jamison C Hanley1
1Department of Medical Education, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA.
Medical Science Educator
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Peer Instruction (PI) significantly improves within-session learning in health professions but doesn't outperform other active methods. Most students find PI helpful, though long-term benefits are unclear.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Professions Education
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Peer Instruction (PI) is a valuable tool in STEM education.
- Its effectiveness in health professions education requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of PI in medical and dental education.
- To evaluate PI's impact on conceptual gains, performance, and learner satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 17 studies implementing Mazur's PI framework.
- Meta-analysis of 12 studies to quantify effects on learning outcomes.
Main Results:
- PI demonstrated substantial within-session conceptual gains (Hedges' g ≥ 1.48, p < 0.001).
- No significant performance superiority was found compared to alternative instructional approaches (p = 0.082).
- 74% of learners reported PI as helpful (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- PI effectively enhances immediate conceptual understanding in health professions students.
- Curricular integration should consider logistical factors and learning goals over assumed superiority.
- Further research is needed on long-term retention and knowledge transfer.
