Exploring Socially Shared Regulation Processes in Peer Tutoring: Focusing on the Functions of Tutor Utterances

Abstract

This study quantitatively and qualitatively examined socially shared regulation processes in peer tutoring. Participants were 22 teacher-candidate university students assigned to 11 peer-tutoring pairs. Peer tutoring included two sessions, in which one student was the tutor and another the tutee. Participants completed a socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) scale before peer tutoring and an academic engagement measurement afterward. Moreover, peer tutoring sessions were videotaped. Students were divided into two groups, based on high and low SSRL scores, and verbal protocols were analyzed. Tutoring utterances were analyzed and categorized by the following social regulation functions, namely “orientation,” “monitoring,” and “evaluation,” while distinguishing between deep- or surface-level. Tutors in high-SSRL groups adopted deep-level orientation more than low-SSRL groups. Qualitative analysis indicated deep-level orientation played a key role in peer tutoring. Additionally, regarding motivational factors, high-SSRL groups showed stronger agentic and cognitive engagement than low-SSRL groups. The implications for teacher-candidate university education are discussed.