The Effects of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring on Graduate Students' Achievement, Test Anxiety, and Academic Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) on graduate students' academic achievement, test anxiety, and academic self-efficacy. In Experiment 1, students were assigned to one of two conditions—RPT or non-RPT. RPT students developed questions on specific course topics; they then used these questions to quiz other students before taking midterm and final course examinations. Contrary to previous research findings, the RPT and control groups did not differ significantly on lower cognitive or higher cognitive achievement measures. Students who used RPT generally reported that RPT improved their understanding of course content In Experiment 2, the RPT procedures were modifled to better match the procedures used in earlier studies whose authors had found RPT to be superior to non-RPT conditions. Also, the instruments were expanded to include course-relevant outcome measures of student academic self-efficacy and test anxiety. As in Experiment 1, the RPT and non-RPT groups did not differ significantly on the achievement measures. Also, the groups did not differ significantly on academic self-efficacy and test anxiety. However, as in Experiment 1, the students believed RPT to be an effective technique for learning difficult course content Potential explanations for findings inconsistent with previous research and suggestions for future research are discussed.