How the initial thinking period affects student argumentation during peer instruction: students’ experiences versus observations

Abstract

The authors have compared students discussing multiple-choice quizzes during peer instruction with and without the initial thinking period before discussion. Video clips of students engaged in peer discussion in groups of three of varying group combinations, a total of 140 different students in all, were compared to students' own experiences extracted from group interviews (16 students in groups of four and a total of seven interviews) and survey results (109 responses). The initial thinking period was found to increase argumentation time during discussion, consistent with students' own experiences. However, while students felt that the initial thinking period increased participation and contribution of ideas among all group members, the authors only found significantly improved discussion for two out of three group members, those already most active. The research did not find any statistically significant difference for the least active students with or without the inclusion of the initial thinking period.