Methods of Teaching, Students’ Initial Learning and Delayed Retention Learning: A Study of Public Sector Colleges in Lahore

Abstract

The current research was conducted to observe the influence of various teaching means on the learning of students in terms of the initial learning (IL) and delayed retention learning (DRL). The IL and DRL of students who were taught using lecture method and those taught using discussion method were compared in the study. The research involved the quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design. The sample comprised of the public sector colleges in Lahore providing graduate courses and one college was chosen by  purposive sampling. The sample was intact classes of the subject Education in that college. The two groups were the same in terms of content in the course but the method employed in teaching acted as the independent variable. To gauge the initial learning, created a multiple choice test based on course outline. The items were validated using item analysis and reliability of the test was as well estimated. The findings revealed that there was a difference in initial learning and delayed retention scores of lecture group and discussion group. Nevertheless, the comparison of the male and female students was not statistically significant. These results indicate that more interactive strategies like discussion can assist the students to learn more initially and to recall the content over a longer duration as opposed to a teaching approach that relies primarily on the lecture.