Studying for Better Grades

Abstract

Previous research has shown that undergraduate students preferred to study alone, however, those who studied in groups had better GPAs. Effective studying in groups occurs when specific agendas and study strategies are used. Studying in groups is often encouraged in STEM majors, and many STEM students that study in groups spend significant amount of time studying alone. In the current study, we explore the relationship between time spent studying alone, time spent studying in a group, and end of semester grades in an undergraduate physics course. 79 students completed a survey which included measures of time spent studying alone, time spent studying in groups, and their expected course grade (other measures were collected but not used for the analysis). A multiple linear regression was calculated with time spent studying alone and time spent studying in a group as predictors and expected course grade as the outcome variable. There was no significant relationship between time spent studying and expected course grade (studying alone or in a group). It is possible that what is done during study is more important than the amount of time spent studying, as has been shown in previous research.

Details

Session 2

3:00pm – 4:30pm

Grand Salon