Evaluating the Effectiveness of Peer-Assisted Learning at the School of Medicine, Ahfad University for Women: A Quasi-Experimental Pre- and Post-Test Study

BackgroundPeer-Assisted Learning (PAL), where students support each other's learning, is a widely used educational strategy in health professions education. At Ahfad University for Women - School of Medicine, PAL is informally practiced, but its effectiveness has not been formally evaluated. This study aimed to assess the academic impact of peer-led instruction among medical students.MethodsWe employed a quasi-experimental design involving pre- and post-tests to evaluate the effect of PAL. Thirty second-year medical students were divided into an intervention group (n = 15), which received three one-hour teaching sessions from trained fourth-year student tutors, and a control group (n = 15) that received no such instruction. Performance was measured using exam scores from two modules in the Basic Medical Sciences course, comparing pre- and post-intervention results within and between groups.ResultsBoth groups demonstrated improvement in post-intervention exam scores. The intervention group improved by an average of 9.4 points (p = 0.091), and the control group by 6.7 points (p = 0.076); however, these changes were not statistically significant. No significant differences were found between the groups in pre-intervention (p = 0.648) or post-intervention (p = 0.819) scores. Additionally, no meaningful correlation was observed between tutor and tutee performance.ConclusionPeer-Assisted Learning did not significantly enhance academic performance in this cohort. The limited impact may reflect gaps in tutor preparation. Enhancing tutor training and formally integrating PAL into the curriculum may strengthen its effectiveness. Further research should explore the role of PAL in clinical competence and professional development beyond academic outcomes.