Postsecondary and Tertiary Peer Assisted Learning
A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2023) | Viewed by 21841
Special Issue Editor
Interests: student-led peer study programs; equity programs; social justice; learning assistance; widening participation; universal design for learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Education Sciences is pleased to announce the upcoming Special Issue “Postsecondary and Tertiary Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)”. Reports on the effectiveness of such practices are ubiquitous in the global education field. Dr. Alexander Astin and his research colleagues identified through research on hundreds of thousands of U.S. students that the most significant impact variable upon students is their interaction with peers (What matters in college? Four critical years revisited, 1993). In their analysis of research on the college experience, Ernest Pascarella, Patrick Terenzini, and their colleagues identified many studies that replicated Astin’s findings (How college affects students, 2016). David Arendale annually publishes an annotated bibliography of 1700+ research studies focused on the major international PAL programs (see https://z.umn.edu/peerbib). While there are many published reports on PAL, far fewer identify specific practices that must be followed to achieve the desired results.
This Special Issue seeks to address the needs of postsecondary/tertiary students through a learning environment that enhances their academic achievement, engagement, learning mastery, and persistence to graduation. PAL can accomplish these purposes if specific guidelines and best practices are followed. Education Sciences prioritizes submissions that synthesize information from disparate backgrounds, place research findings within a broad context, extend our methodological and theoretical understanding, and inform education policy and practice. The journal publishes quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method research papers. Extended reviews of substantive research are also welcome. Additionally, Education Sciences invites commentaries and original opinion pieces and/or analyses of issues and events of concern to education scholars that have international resonance.
Topics of interest include: best practices of PAL; new models of PAL; personal and professional development by the student participants and leaders of the PAL groups; antiracism policies and practices for PAL groups; online PAL models; use of technology and social media; increase in employability skills of the participants and student leaders in the PAL groups; increased academic achievement of PAL participants and student leaders; new pedagogical approaches within PAL sessions; and PAL multicultural issues.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics relating to peer-assisted learning (PAL): the Emerging Scholars Program (Dr. Treisman model), peer-led team learning, structured learning assistance, supplemental instruction–PASS, video-based supplemental Instruction, course-embedded peer tutoring, online delivery of PAL, race and social justice related to PAL, and new models of PAL. Since this issue focuses on PAL groups, one-to-one tutoring research will not be included.
We look forward to receiving your contributions. You are encouraged to contact David Arendale at any stage of the writing process to receive feedback about suitability of your topic for this Special Issue and manuscript drafts. Please reach out with any questions.
Dr. David Arendale
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- peer-assisted learning
- learning assistance
- equity
- academic bridge programs
- peer cooperative learning
- employability skills
- college student development
- peer tutoring
- learning communities
- student achievement
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.