Utilizing Peer Instruction to Enhance Academic Achievement and Active Learning in Business Education

Abstract

Researchers are increasingly interested in evaluating and reshaping traditional teaching practices to implement more student-centered and active learning approaches in higher education. Peer Instruction (PI) has been recognized as an interactive teaching method that significantly impacts student learning by encouraging active participation in an engaging learning environment. This study examines the impact of Peer Instruction (PI) on improving academic performance and active learning in business education beyond its usual limits of application in scientific and numerical fields. This study compared the outcomes of students who engaged in PI with students who took traditional lecture-based classes in business courses. This research uses a quasi-experimental research design because it is not feasible to use a full experimental design because it is impossible to randomly select subjects.

Empirical data, collected through pre-and post-tests, discussion prompts, and PI activities, demonstrated significant improvements in student engagement, cognitive processing, and performance in the PI group compared to the control group. Students who participate in PI report higher test scores and levels of engagement, underscoring PI's potential to foster deeper understanding, critical thinking, and active engagement.

Despite the positive results, the study noted limitations such as a narrow focus on the class by one instructor and the absence of marked differences in conceptual understanding between the PI and individual study groups, then only tested academic achievement without engaging students' levels of critical thinking. Highlighting the effectiveness of PI in business education, this research calls for broader application and further investigation into the role of PI in enhancing active learning, suggesting future exploration into diverse academic areas, methodologies, and technological tools, as well as applying it to examine critical thinking and interaction students to deeper learning content.