ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
—— Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) has been widely applied as a collaborative teaching methodology in science education; however, limited emphasis has been placed on the aspects of specific dimensions of students’ learning experiences within structured peer-led settings and the relationship of these experiences to academic outcomes. This study examined the learning experiences of first-year nursing students enrolled in a Biochemistry course under a PLTL initiative and explored the extent to which these experiences predict academic performance. Anchored on the Basic Psychological Needs Theory, the study employed a cross-sectional, explanatory, non-experimental quantitative design involving 92 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. A validated 69-item instrument was administered to measure students’ PLTL learning experiences using a five-point scale, while academic performance was determined through final semester grades in Biochemistry. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring with orthogonal varimax rotation identified six distinct dimensions of learning experience, explaining 48.3% of the total variance. The multiple regression analysis showed that none of the six dimensions significantly predicted semester grades when the other experiential factors were controlled, although the overall model was significant. These findings indicate that students’ PLTL learning experiences may be related to academic performance through indirect or distal processes, rather than exerting a unique or independent predictive effect on semester grades. Keywords: Peer-Led Team Learning; Collaborative Learning; Learning Experience; Academic Performance; Basic Psychological Needs Theory; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Biochemistry Education