The Impact of Supplemental Instruction: Results From a Large, Public, Midwestern University

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic support program developed by Deanna Martin, at the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 1973, utilizing peer-assisted study sessions to enhance student performance and retention (Widmar, 1994). The goals of SI include improving students' grades in traditionally difficult courses, reducing the attrition rate in those courses, and helping students develop study strategies to assist them in future courses (Behrman, Dark, & Paul, 1984; Martin, Blanc, & DeBuhr, 1983; Peters, 1990; Prather, 1983; Wolfe, 1987).

The SI model is a unique academic support program targeting difficult courses rather than high-risk students. This voluntary program is not viewed as remedial, as it is open to all students enrolled in the targeted course. A peer student leader, called an SI Leader, is hired and trained to facilitate regularly scheduled study sessions to assist students with course content and study skills. This student attends lecture regularly and plans two 90-minute structured review sessions. The SI Leader does not re-lecture to the students, but rather utilizes collaborative learning strategies to assist students (Martin & Arendale, 1993).

The foundation and theoretical framework for SI is based on student development theory, cognitive development models, learning collaboration methods, and retention research. The major premises of writing on cognitive development (Dale, 1969; Perry, 1968; Piaget, 1950) and student development and retention (Astin, 1987, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Tinto, 1993; Upcraft & Gardner, 1989) were incorporated in the SI model. Robert Blanc is credited with anchoring SI in a developmental framework (Martin & Arendale, 1993): "The many men and women who form study groups report that they both enjoy their work more, and feel they learn more, because of the academic discussions in these groups" (Light, 1990, p. 18). Astin (1987) found that collaborative approaches to learning "produce better learning in the vast majority of studies; the method is highly cost-effective and helps solve two of our most vexing pedagogical problems: large class size and gross differences in educational preparation" (p. 17).

In 1981 the U.S. Department of Education designated SI an Exemplary Education Program, predicated on the finding that SI is one of two programs that improves student academic achievement and retention. The U.S. Department of Education validated the following claims of effectiveness for the SI program based on research conducted by the Center for Supplemental Instruction at the University of Missouri-Kansas City:

Students participating in SI within the targeted historically difficult courses earn higher mean final course grades than students who do not participate in SI. This is still true when differences are analyzed, despite ethnicity and prior academic achievement. SI participants withdraw from classes at a lower rate and receive a lower percentage of D or F final grades than those who do not participate in SI. Students participating in SI persist at the institution at higher rates than non-SI participants (Center for SI, 1998, p. 2-3).

Today, over 600 institutions around the world have implemented an SI program to improve students' grades in difficult courses and reduce attrition rates.

Context for the Study

In 1992 Landgrant University (Landgrant U, a pseudonym), a large, public Midwestern institution, established a SI program targeting difficult entry-level mathematics and sciences courses. In addition to being enrolled in large-size classes, a high percentage of students ( > 30%) received D and F grades or withdrew from these courses. Today the program has grown from offering SI for a few courses in biology, chemistry, and physics each semester, to having 60 SI Leaders assist students with a wide variety of academic courses each academic year. During the 1999-2000 academic year, SI Leaders spent a total of 10,131 contact hours, assisting 2,909 students with their course work.

Since 1993, data have been collected at Landgrant U for each course offering SI. Table...