Interteaching with Graduate-Level Behaviour Analysis Students: a Comparison with the Traditional Lecture-Based Method and Student-Led Seminars

Abstract

The traditional lecture-based method of instruction is the most widely utilised approach to classroom instruction. It is chosen by 80% of university instructors despite the growing evidence that this method is less effective than alternatives. Interteaching is an alternative method of instruction developed from the principles of behaviour analysis that has been shown to be effective at increasing student performance on quizzes and exams, however there has been limited research conducted on student behaviour during an interteaching session when compared to other methods of teaching. The study used an alternating treatments design to compare interteaching, the traditional lecture-based method, and student-led seminars in graduate-level applied behaviour analysis courses. The study examined whether: interteaching produced increases in on-task behaviour, and decreases in off-task behaviour; participants spent more time preparing for interteaching or lecture sessions; there was a preference amongst participants for interteaching; they enjoyed it more than lecture; there was a difference in the quality of the sessions when interteaching was compared to lecture; and whether participants were more satisfied with interteaching sessions or lecture sessions. Behavioural observation data on on-task (i.e., orienting, writing, reading, and verbal/nonverbal communication) and off-task (i.e., no on-task behaviour, phone, and sleep) behaviour was recorded. In addition, self-report measures on quality, satisfaction, and preparation time were also collected. The results contributed to the interteaching literature by demonstrating that participant verbal and nonverbal communication increased during the interteaching conditions, however there was no difference recorded in any of the other behaviours. Additionally, mean preparation time was longer prior to the interteaching condition compared to lecture, and student-led seminar conditions. The majority of participants and instructors also reported a preference for interteaching. Therefore the results of this study suggest that interteaching could be a viable alternative to the traditional lecturebased method.