Abstract
Active learning (AL) strategies are increasingly being used in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to increase student engagement and encourage higher order thinking. The current study implemented an AL approach, Learning Science by Doing Science (LSDS), in an undergraduate pharmaceutical microbiology lab at a leading Pakistani pharmacy school. The main research question of this study was to establish LSDS as a viable means of enhancing student knowledge in the pharmaceutical microbiology. 126 third-year students participated in the LSDS module, where they designed a hypothesis and conducted experiments. Pre- and post-module questionnaires assessed their attitudes towards the module, traditional teaching methods, and their understanding of LSDS. The results showed that the module helped more students connect theory and lab courses (5.8% and 12.4%, pre- and post-module, respectively) and identified LSDS as a more effective learning method (49.7% post-module). Over 96% found it more engaging than traditional methods, and over 93% agreed that LSDS should be a regular teaching strategy. A comparison of grades between LSDS module participants and previous students showed a significant improvement in the former group’s grades. The number of students obtaining A- (t = 0.046), B+ (t = 0.025) and C+ (t = 0.048) grades was determined to be statistically significant (p<0.05). The study concluded that implementing the LSDS module led to improved student engagement and better learning outcomes.
Author Information
Tazeen Husain, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Sadaf Farooqi, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Rehana Saeed, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Sabahat Jabeen, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Rabia Ismail Yousuf, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Harris Shoaib, University of Karachi, Pakistan
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