Predicting Student Success in a Psychological Statistics Course Emphasizing Collaborative Learning

This study describes the use of a collaborative learning approach in a psychological statistics course and examines the factors that predict which students benefit most from such an approach in terms of learning outcomes. In a course format with a substantial group work component, 166 students were surveyed on their preference for individual learning, their preference for group learning, and their discomfort with group learning. They were also surveyed about their attitudes toward statistics, including their anxiety about learning statistics, their interest in learning statistics, and their belief in the value of learning statistics. Findings indicated that students reporting a higher preference for group work and lower levels of anxiety about statistics had better learning outcomes as measured by final percentage of total points in the course. We suggest that course instructors utilizing collaborative approaches in their teaching are well served by considering how students’ preexisting attitudes may influence their engagement with the material and final performance in the course.