Peer Teaching in a Tropical Crop Production Systems Course to Enhance Student Learning

Peer teaching is a method in which students learn from other students who have more experience and knowledge about a particular subject material. Students undertake a teaching role to share their knowledge with other students. The objective is to describe how peer teaching was incorporated into an undergraduate tropical crop production systems course to supplement lectures and enhance student learning. TPSS 300 Tropical Production Systems has been taught through lectures and guest lectures by faculty in our department and college. Student evaluations indicated that there was discontinuity in the course because of so many guest lecturers. The course was modified by replacing some lectures with peer teaching. Cooperative learning was introduced in which the class was divided into small discussion groups of mixed ability with each person responsible for teaching others through answering assigned questions, sharing experiences, and searching the Internet for additional information. This semester there were three TPSS majors, one Natural Resources and Environmental Management major, one Management major, and one Exploratory Program major. Graduate students in the TPSS Department and the college were invited to guest speak in the course. This involved surrogate teaching, in which older students, often graduate students or advanced undergraduate students, have some teaching responsibility in undergraduate courses. Topics could be on their research, an agricultural job they had, a tour of their research experiments, foreign agriculture experience, an agriculture or sustainability project, or their family farm or nursery business. Students enjoyed peer teaching. In class periods in which the instructor lectured, students were sometimes hesitant to answer questions in front of the entire class. In small groups, however, students felt more comfortable and open when interacting with peers. Students received more individualized learning as they learned from each other in smaller groups, and the instructors were able to participate in the small group discussions. Direct interaction, participation, and dialogue among students helped promote active learning. More supportive relationships, social competence, and increased communication skills developed through the semester. Surrogate teaching involves giving older students, often graduate students or advanced undergraduate students, some teaching responsibility in undergraduate courses. By instructing others, the graduate student guest lecturers (peer teachers) reinforced their own learning. Teaching others helped provide a higher level of content mastery and a sense of accomplishment for them. In conclusion, peer teaching provides a structure for sharing knowledge, promotes active learning, and enhances student learning and teaching.