Determining the effectiveness of peer-assisted learning in medical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Despite the popularity of peer-assisted learning (PAL), existing literature has not shown enough evidence that can validate its impact on students' active learning. This meta-analysis aims to quantitatively analyse the effectiveness of PAL in medical education. Methods: We searched selected databases using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms ‘peer-assisted’, ‘learning’, ‘active learning’, ‘teaching strategy’, ‘peer mentoring’, and ‘peer instructions’ for full-text English language studies with a pre-post design. Following a systematic protocol, we selected 11 articles for final analysis. A meta-analysis was done using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 from Cochrane Training and the final output was presented by a forest plot. Results: The results showed a significant effectiveness of PAL; notably, there was a standardised mean difference of 1.26 with a confidence interval of 0.58–1.94. The Cochran's Q test showed a 5% level of significance as measured by Chi² = 449.46. Besides, the results of the I² test were significant (98%); moreover, a z value of 3.65 validated the effectiveness of PAL. Conclusion: This research has shown that PAL can be used as a valuable learning tool in the medical field. Educational interventions in curricula for incorporating PAL strategies can potentially enhance the learning experience of the medical students.