The Effects of Cooperative, Collaborative, and Peer-Tutoring Strategies on English Learners’ Reading and Speaking Proficiencies in an English-Medium Context: A Research Synthesis

Shuli Tang ,Beverly J Irby,Fuhui Tong,Rafael Lara‐Alecio

doi:10.1177/21582440211060823

Abstract

We conducted a research synthesis to examine the impact of cooperative, collaborative, and peer-tutoring strategies on elementary English learners’ (EL) reading and oral proficiencies in studies from the United States. Seven studies were included in the analysis and fully examined regarding the characteristics of sample, intervention, design, and outcome. Effect sizes were reported by the outcome. We found that cooperative/collaborative/peer-tutoring (CCP) strategies boost elementary ELs’ reading comprehension, reading fluency, and phonemic awareness. Ongoing professional development (PD) and coaching help teachers to improve the quality of strategy implementation. The findings indicated that the quality of implementation, the actual amount of time of these strategies are used in the classroom, and the instructional impact of CCP strategies utilization to improve ELs’ English reading and speaking should be the focus of future research.

Highlights

The term “English learner” (EL) refers to an individual whose first language is not English and who is in the process of actively learning English (Bardack, 2010)
In the problem formulation stage, we reviewed and synthesized past systematic reviews, WWC reports, and meta-analyses on CCP strategies with English learners’ (EL), as demonstrated in our literature review
The terms used to describe the participants across the studies were English language learners and English learners

Summary

Introduction

The term “English learner” (EL) refers to an individual whose first language is not English and who is in the process of actively learning English (Bardack, 2010). There has been an increasing number of empirical studies on the effectiveness of instructional practice over the last decade, few studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals in which researchers have investigated the impact of teachers’ application of CCP strategies in EL classrooms in the United States, especially at the elementary school level (Cole, 2014). Researchers from sociocultural, sociocognitive, applied linguistics, and psycholinguistic fields suggested that CCP strategies can scaffold and improve ELs’ language learning and cognitive development more than traditional teacher-centered or individualized instruction. Bowman-Perrott et al (2016) examined the impact of peer-tutoring on ELs’ academic, social, and linguistic outcomes They examined 17 studies from pre-K to grade 12 published in the last 40 years, with 12 being conducted at the elementary level. How did empirical CCP studies on developing English reading and oral proficiencies with ELs in kindergarten through sixth-grade settings vary in their study characteristics (i.e., sample characteristics, intervention features, design characteristics, and outcome characteristics)?

What was the impact of CCP strategies on ELs’ reading and oral proficiencies?

Method

Results

Synthesis and Discussion of the Findings

Design characteristics