PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

The transition to higher education involves institutional and individual challenges for first-year biology students, for example, modified learning environments. Introductory lectures in biology contain a high density of biological topics. With the complexity of biological content, it is assumed that the use of learning strategies plays a key role in studying biology. Therefore, we implemented peer tutoring for a lecture in biology with integrated learning strategy training. Recent research demonstrates the positive effects of tutorials on the students’ use of learning skills. However, there are currently no investigations examining peer learning in the context of studying biology. In our study, we conducted tutor-based learning strategy training for first- year biology students to accompany an introductory biology lecture. In a pretest-posttest design, the influence of the implemented tutorial on the strategy use by 200 biology students (Mage = 20.61 ± 2.97 years; 64.5% female) was examined. A pretest and posttest comparison revealed that the tutor-based course fosters the use of almost all learning strategies (cognitive, metacognitive, and resource-based strategies). However, the biology students reported lower values for the scale elaboration in the posttest. In addition, we found significant differences regarding rehearsal, organisational, and time management strategies depending on how often the tutorials were attended. The tutorial with integrated learning strategy training could contribute to the increased use of learning strategies in biology education at the university level. Regarding challenges in the transition to university, peer learning could address higher periods of self-regulated learning.