One of the teaching strategies is peer instruction. In the field of physics teaching, Mazur has developed a special teaching strategy with the aim to eliminate misconceptions, which has been implemented mainly at the university level in various subjects, but extends also to other educational levels. It is important for students to read about the chosen topic at home. The teacher starts the lesson with a 5 - 10 minute introduction and continues with the quiz. If less than 30% of students answer the question correctly when they answer it first time, the teacher explains the teaching content again. If 30% - 70% of them responds correctly, a random couple within that range will be chosen to discuss and answer the teacinhg content to others. If more than 70% of students answer correctly, the answer is clarified and the next question is continued. Then the students' answers are explained. It ends with evaluating students' responses and feedback to students.
In the master's thesis we studied the progress of the students (answers after the discussion in relation to their answers before the discussion). The achievements of boys and girls are compared with each other and the progress of the students in terms of their final grade in the science and technology course. To collect the data, we used the Mentimeter voting system, in which we performed quizzes. We performed four quizzes. Each quiz lasted two school hours. They referred to the thematic sets of air, wind, temperature and heat and the influence of the sun on the weather. After all the quizzes, the students completed a questionnaire from which we gained data what they thought about peer instruction.
The study included 25 students, including 13 boys and 12 girls. The results of the research show that students have made progress in all areas. In the first set by 20%, in the second by 17%, in the third by 36% and in the fourth by 32%. For all sets, they have made a 29% progress. Boys and girls had a very similar number of correct answers before the discussion. Girls had 62% of the answers correct and boys 61%. Both genders have made a common 29% progress. There was no statistically significant difference in gender progression. According to grades, the student who had the subject completed the best course was 2. He progressed by 46%, by 34% students with a final grade of 4, by 30% students with a final grade of 3, and by 26% students with a final grade of 5. At the highest the number of questions was promoted to students with a final grade of 2, which was the worst answer to the questions before the discussion. The least advanced were students with a final grade of 5 who responded best before the discussion. However, differences in progression acording to the grades are not ststistically significant.
A review of the questionnaires reveals that the majority of students' opinions about Mazur's peer instruction are positive. The students liked the teaching technique. They loved working on computers and repeating the content themselves. Most of them loved working in a group. They evaluated the quiz questions as very easy. Based on the findings, we can conclude that the use of peer instruction was successful, with research findings leading teachers to guide the use of peer instruction strategies in teaching and raising questions. The results cannot be generalized because in the study was too few students. Due to the small number of students, the results of the survey are merely a discussion of specific topics and, in a shorter period, research is a guideline for the further study of peer learning.
|