Unpacking classroom participation among undergraduates: The role of collaborative learning and peer assessment

Abstract

Classroom participation is a potent predictor of students' learning interest and academic success. Despite the South African government's significant investment and bur­saries for students in higher education, poor class attendance, participation, and learning outcomes persist. This study ex­amined the extent of and the relationship between collabora­tive learning, peer assessment, and undergraduates' class­room participation, as well as the perceived strategies for its promotion. Underpinned by the Scaffolding and Social Learning Theories, the study utilised a survey research de­sign of a non-experimental nature. The population for this study comprised undergraduates who were enrolled in the 2024 academic year at the Faculty of Education, Nelson Man­dela University, South Africa. A sample of 315 students was selected using purposive and convenience sampling tech­niques. A questionnaire titled "Undergraduates' Classroom Participation Factors Questionnaire (UCPFQ)" with a = 0.71, 0.83, 0.76, and 0.77 for the four subsections was used for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferen­tial statistics at a 0.05 significance level. Results indicate that over 70% of students reported actively participating in class, over 80% reported learning collaboratively, and over 90% re­ported being favourably disposed to peer assessment. Col­laborative learning, peer assessment, and classroom partici­pation strategies significantly contribute to students' classroom participation, with collaborative learn­ing being the strongest significant predictor of classroom participation. Strategies for fostering classroom participation were highlighted. The study recommends, among other things, that professional development programmes be provided for lecturers on how to promote collaborative learning, peer assessment, and classroom participation among students.