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The Relationship between First-Year Learning Communities and Academic Performance in Introductory Psychology and Sociology
- Source :
-
Teaching of Psychology . Oct 2022 49(4):338-343. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0098-6283 and 1532-8023
- Volume :
- 49
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- Teaching of Psychology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1350063
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283211018455