Active recall of scientific methodology principles improves performance in the Investigating Human Physiology smartphone-assisted experimentation activity

The "Investigating Human Physiology" (IHP) activity is an inquiry-based instructional strategy for first-year Science Education students, in which students select smartphone applications that monitor physiological variables and body signs, and test a hypothesis through smartphone-assisted experimentation, before receiving formal instruction in scientific methodology. We investigated whether prior exposure to scientific methodology is a prerequisite for success in the IHP and whether the format of supplementary methodology instruction affects performance. Students (N = 169) received the standard IHP instructions and were assigned to control (CTL, no supplementary material), active recall questions upon reading of a text (TXT, a written text followed by 11 digital flashcards in a question and answer format), and video (VID, passive audiovisual material) groups. Reports were scored with a validated rubric and categorized by physiology topic and variable. TXT scored significantly higher than CTL overall (p = 0.037) and on hypothesis clarity (p = 0.046), theoretical grounding (p = 0.034), prediction (p = 0.001), and conclusion (p = 0.009); methodology and results criteria did not differ among groups. Because the TXT flashcards required active retrieval rather than passive review as in VID, the TXT advantage is best attributed to retrieval practice rather than to text format. Projects predominantly addressed the cardiovascular (39.9%) and nervous (34.6%) systems, with heart rate the most frequent variable (36.4%), followed by respiratory rate (13.8%) and stress signs (11.1%), similarly across groups. We conclude that scientific methodology instruction improves project quality mainly when it requires active retrieval rather than passive exposure.