A meta-analysis on the effect of formal peer learning approaches on course performance in higher education

Abstract

AbstractPeer learning is a distinct category of student support gaining popularity globally and in South Africa, although these are typically informal approaches which have not been sufficiently researched to examine their influence and impact. Some scholars have criticised the available research as patchy, inconsistent, and methodologically weak. Underpinned by the author’s interest in peer learning in South Africa, this meta-analysis examines the outcomes of formal peer learning approaches on-course performance. The authors identified 1645 articles from four search engines which were published between 2010 and 2021. Of these, only 37 articles written in English, with a control and comparison group, reported effect sizes, were included in the analysis as they met the specified inclusion criteria. The analysis was conducted using R (version 4.0.0) and the metafor package (version 2.4.0). Effect sizes and their variances were computed within each study to allow comparability across studies using the common effect size metric, Hedges’s g statistic. Our findings suggest a moderately strong relationship between peer learning approaches and course performance; however, its significance cannot be ignored. As such, universities should consider whether such moderate effects justify the money, time and effort invested in peer learning approaches. While this meta-analysis provides external validity, more experimental studies are required in South Africa to provide a more contextually robust evidence base to inform policy.

Keywords

• peer learning
• supplemental instruction
• meta-analysis
• course performance