Effectiveness of Group-based Activities in Enhancing Grade-10 Students’ Comprehension and Engagement in Learning Chemical Digestion in Biology

Abstract

This action research investigated the effectiveness of group-based activities in enhancing                students' comprehension and engagement while learning chemical digestion in grade 10 Biology in Bhutan. This study employed a convergent (parallel) mixed-method research design. The intervention was carried out for four weeks. A quantitative methodology was administered through a pre-test and post-test and a student perception survey (N = 52), and qualitative data were collected via structured interviews. The findings from the quantitative methodology include a significantly positive outcome in the scores obtained after the intervention (mean difference = 1.63, P < .001, d ≈ 0.63), and from the survey, a remarkably positive outcome in comprehension (mean = 3.66) and engagement (mean = 3.69) was obtained. The qualitative findings highlighted that peer-tutoring, group discussion, and activities such as role-playing helped the participants to improve their understanding and made learning more enjoyable. However, difficulties that arise include social loafers, coordination problems, and interpersonal conflict. The study finds that using group learning activities is extremely beneficial for both achievement and engagement outcomes, provided that there is a structure that will enable accountability and collaboration.