Impact of Supplemental Instruction on Business Courses: A Statistical Study

Abstract

Abstract. Many students in quantitative business courses are struggling. One technique designed to support such students is Supplemental Instruction (SI), which is most popular in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In this paper, we show the positive impact of SI on student performance in two bottleneck business courses in a large university. Our evaluation results establish that (i) SI has a statistically significant effect on students' likelihood of passing both courses (after controlling for background variables), (ii) SI is more helpful for students identified as at risk than for those who are not, and (iii) it is important to consistently attend SI sessions for greater success. We also present models to predict consistent student attendance based on background factors with 90% accuracy and conclude with a brief qualitative study about students' self-perception of SI and the professional development attained by SI leaders.

Supporting Student Learning through Instructional Videos in Business Statistics

“…Partial correlations (controlling again for Math ACT) calculated when splitting the sample in half by the median course score resulted in a weak positive correlation for low performing students between minutes viewed and average quiz scores (r = .17, p < .05). This is consistent with several studies that found higher grades for low-achieving students who made use some form of supplemental instruction (Lach & Danner, 2013;Mitra & Goldstein, 2018;Owston et al, 2011;Sargent et al, 2013).…”

“…However, neither group demonstrated a correlation between minutes viewed and course grade. This mixed finding is consistent with other research about supplemental and supplemental video instruction, where some found significant positive effects on student performance as a result (e.g., Green et al, 2012;Hibbert, 2014;Lloyd & Robertson, 2012;Loch et al, 2014;Mitra & Goldstein, 2018;Morris & Chikwa, 2014) and others did not (e.g., Halupa & Caldwell, 2015;Love et al, 2014).…”

“…Traditional supplemental instruction offers voluntary, scheduled, peer‐led sessions outside of regular class time and is open to all enrolled students within a course. For business students struggling with quantitative courses, Mitra and Goldstein () found traditional forms of supplemental instruction had a positive effect on student performance. In their study supplemental instruction had a statistically significant effect on students’ likelihood of passing courses (after controlling for background variables) and was more helpful for students identified to be at risk.…”

“…Supplemental instruction also produced very positive student survey results, with 76% of the students noting that supplemental instruction significantly helped them improve their understanding of course content and 75% indicating that supplemental instruction helped them significantly improve critical thinking and analytical skills. Ninety percent were highly or moderately satisfied with the overall program, and over 95% said that they would recommend supplemental instruction to their friends and peers (Mitra & Goldstein, ).…”

“…While there is evidence that suggests there is a relationship between previous math achievement and supplemental instruction use, it is important to note that supplemental instruction enhances student success, particularly with low‐achieving students who use resources. Several studies found higher grades and lower dropout rates for low‐achieving students who made use of some form of supplemental instruction (Lach & Danner, ; Mitra & Goldstein, ; Owston et al., ; Sargent et al., ).…”