Abstract
There is strong evidence that peer tutoring, as a form of cooperative learning, has a positive impact on tutor and tutee outcomes. However, little previous research has been reported as to the differential effects of engaging in cooperative learning in dyads for peer tutors and peer tutees, respectively. A randomised controlled experimental study was undertaken involving 295, 11- to 13-year-old students, drawn from 12 classrooms, across three secondary/high schools situated in areas of low-socio-economic status, in the north east of England. In total, 146 students engaged in cooperative learning for a period of 12 weeks, and 149 students served as a comparison group. Gains were significantly greater on independent standardised reading comprehension tests for those engaged in cooperative learning than those in comparison classes, and greater for tutors than tutees. The results are explored by critically reflecting on the underlying theories of education that may be at play in classrooms using this form of cooperative learning.
Highlights
Peer tutoring is a structured form of peer learning
ANCOVA analysis indicated that those students acting as peer tutors in the intervention made significantly higher gains on the overall age-standardised reading comprehension scale than those acting as peer tutees (F(1, 140) = 8.37, p < 0.05)
Statistical analyses using ANCOVA indicated that gains were significant on the overall age-standardised reading comprehension scale for Year 9 students acting as tutors (F(1, 145) = 4.29, p < 0.05) than students in the control groups
Summary
Peer tutoring (often referred to as ‘tutoring’) is a structured form of peer learning. There is strong evidence that peer tutoring, as a form of cooperative learning, has a positive impact on both tutor and tutee, with an indicative average effect size (ES) of +0.48 [1]. The research used a randomised controlled trial experimental design to study whether tutors or tutees gain greatest benefit when undertaking cooperative peer learning (in the form of paired reading) in dyads, when reading in secondary/high school. The peer tutoring intervention reported in this manuscript was similar to a paired reading used in previous interventions that had been reported to result in positive ES of +0.2 in a randomised controlled trial in 129 elementary schools [3]. Teachers implemented the intervention over a 12-week time period, during which the research team made observations on the efficacy of the implementation in schools, and measured pre/post intervention changes in reading comprehension using an independent, age-standardised reading test
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