An Investigation Into the Efficacy of Students-as-partner Pedagogy in a Singapore University Education Learning Context

Abstract

In Students-as-partner (SAP), students work in partnership with staff members in higher learning institutions to facilitate deeper learning in students by promoting student engagement. While SAP’s impact on student consultants and staff members directly involved in partnership is generally well and widely researched, relatively little is reported about its application on student learning in an Asian university context. This case study reports the efficacy of SAP-produced teaching resource on a cohort of biology major students in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU). Participants were either exposed to the student-centric (collaborative work between faculty and student) or tutor-centric (produced by the faculty) teaching resource and their test performance and perception of the respective materials compared. Our data shows that students generally prefer tutor-centric material with consistent and higher improvement in test scores when they knew material as tutor-centric compared to the learner-centric alternative. Although SAP is a high-impact pedagogical practice, this study suggests cultural context can confound outcome, and that at least in NTU’s predominantly conservative Asian setting, and where collaboration in content creation is concerned between faculty and student, stronger buy-in and gradual introduction is necessary.

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Author Information
Hui Min Chon, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Chun Chau Sze, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Wilson Wen Bin Goh, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

• Category: Teaching Experiences, Pedagogy, Practice & Praxis

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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