Long-Term Memory And Learning Through The Use Of Research Centered Teaching Method

The present study aims at exploring the relation between long term memory and two teaching methods: Research-Centered Teaching and customary lecturing.  The promotion of exploratory thinking which  is provoked  in the Research­ Centered Teaching  Method  is considered  to lead to hypothetical research and analytical thinking among students.Two  separate  courses  in neurophysiology  at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health services  and  Iran  University  of Medical Sciences and Health  Services  were  selected for the study. 310  students  were  registered  on these  courses.Half the topics studied were randomly selected for Research-Centered   Teaching  and  the  other  half for  customary  lecturing   Thus,  each  course, consisting   of   28   hours   of  teaching,   was  split between these two methods.   All the students participated  in  a written  exam  at  the end  of  the course  and  filled  out  a  questionnaire   regarding which topic was more precisely remembered, the reasons  behind  that  and  also  their  motives  for more regular class attendance.81% of the students stated that the topics taught through the Research-Centered Method  were the ones they remembered best    This was proved in the analysis of the exam results (P<0.02). The students stated that the teaching methods and the desire  to do  well in exams  were  two  motivating factors for regular class attendance.   The analysis indicated that the teach1ng method, prior curiosity and further research in order to find the answer to the questions raised in the class were crucial for remembering the topics better.Exploratory thinking which aids the storage of information  in the long-term  memory  for a longer time motivates students to attend classes regularly and  th1s helps  successful  learning.     This  study supports    the   already    established    belief   that interest and curiosity  are effective  factors  in learning.