Participation in Peer-Led Supplemental Instruction Groups, Academic Performance, and Time to Graduation

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship of students’ participation in peer-led Supplemental Instruction groups, called facilitated study groups (FSGs), with their academic performance and years to graduation. In 2017, the full academic records of about 2,400 students who started university between 2005 and 2007 and took Psychology 100 (PSY100) during their first year were analyzed. Students who attended two or more FSG sessions received about 5% higher marks in PSY100 than those who did not, after controlling for gender and tuition status (domestic or international). Students with higher PSY100 marks took less time to graduate and were more likely to have graduated by 2016. After controlling for gender, tuition status, and marks in PSY100, however, no relationship was found between FSG participation and degree completion time.