Students' perception of peer teaching in engineering education: a mixed-method case study

Background: Engineering education is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the demand for diverse skills and competencies in graduates, in response to the changing global economy and technological advancements. This requires shifting from a traditional content-oriented and professor-focused approach towards a more interactive, student-centered approach in which students actively engage in all process stages. The study's main objective was to examine the students' perceptions of peer teaching and better understand the method's perceived advantages and disadvantages. The research was conducted over two academic years (2021 and 2022) and involved 96 students. The research incorporated quantitative and qualitative data collected through online questionnaires completed by the students at the end of the semester. The results showed a cumulative positive response rate for all close-ended questions of over 60%. The correlation analysis revealed medium positive relationships among the variables, including self-confidence, academic performance, communication and active listening, teamwork, knowledge consolidation, student-teacher benefits, and teaching activity. The thematic analysis of the open-ended questions showed that 87% of the respondents perceived the peer-teaching experience as positive and valuable. The main advantages listed by students were better communication, practicality, increased attention and interaction, and overcoming student-teacher anxiety. The main disadvantage was the perceived lack of structure and experience in coordinating laboratory work. The study results indicate that peer-based instructional methods can lead to more effective dissemination of knowledge among students, as evidenced by the high percentage of respondents who reported improved comprehension through peer-to-peer explanations. At the same time, the efficacy of this approach is contingent upon the instructor's preparation and support, which facilitates the learning process and enhances the classroom's social dynamics.