Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study on PLTL Leaders’ Perceptions of their Group-Inclusion Skills in General Chemistry

Studies concerning peer-led team learning (PLTL) have shown cognitive and affective benefits to both students and peer leaders, and PLTL has been shown to be effective in diverse environments. However, some studies suggest that not all students may fully engage in group work. Given this need for leaders in STEM and chemistry specifically to create inclusive environments, we conducted a mixed-methods study to explore the impact of leading PLTL sessions on peer leaders’ perceptions of inclusive practices and skills and students’ perceptions of the leader’s inclusion skills. Via surveys, responses were collected from new and experienced (returning) chemistry peer leaders (N = 39) across two time points (fall of 2020 and spring of 2021). Leaders reported moderate to high levels of confidence in most of the 18 inclusion-oriented items. Leader responses from a free-response question on inclusion-skill development (N = 28) were coded into three categories: Collaboration, Environment, and Group-awareness. Data from peer leaders were compared with responses from a PLTL participant feedback survey (N = 206), which corroborated the skills leaders reported cultivating in practice; i.e., (1) students reported observing leaders’ practicing collaboration and environment inclusivity skills and (2) students agreed to strongly agree that leaders created a safe, comfortable environment and encouraged participation from all group members. Overall, our PLTL program cultivates leaders who strive to create inclusive groups, and students largely support this notion; this study adds to the literature on small-group inclusion and peer-leader training.