Study tutors’ professional role and practical work with newly arrived students in Sweden

Abstract

Study Tutoring in the Mother Tongue is a support measure in Swedish schools typically offered to newly arrived students. The space is often referred to as one for translanguaging because, during tutoring sessions, both study tutors and students alternate between using their native language (L1) and Swedish while discussing the subject matter. The few studies available describe study tutors as a critical ‘language and culture bridge’ for newly arrived students’. In this study, we interview ten study tutors from across Sweden to explore their perceptions of their professional role and practical work with newly arrived students. The results show that study tutors describe their work as an essential support measure for newly arrived students’ success and inclusion in school. Yet, the study tutors also highlight their work as having collaboration, time and resource constraints, and that they feel they lack the training to address these challenges. In response, the study tutors see their work as pragmatic, relying on their professional backgrounds and initiative to support their students, at times acting outside their official responsibilities. These findings show the underutilization of study tutors, the potential of which could be developed through their greater inclusion in school planning and formalized training.