Weekly group tutorials enhancing college higher education students’ experience and persistence

Abstract

ABSTRACT It is recognised personal tutors play a role in supporting university students to complete their studies. However, approaches to tutoring differ widely across higher education, resulting in a paucity of reliable impact evidence. The college higher education provider in this research has weekly group tutorials for undergraduates. This mixed method research explored the impact of group tutorials on students’ experience and persistence with their studies. Phase one of the research consisted of thirteen longitudinal focus groups during the campus closures of 2020 with ten students discussing their learning experience. During the second phase 64 students, 10% of the student population, completed an online survey to discover if the focus group participants’ experiences were held more widely. Survey respondents were asked about their personal tutoring and to rate their withdrawal contemplation in the previous six months. Statistical analysis revealed students who had a weekly tutorial were significantly less likely to contemplate withdrawal. This article reports on these findings and draws on the focus group data to offer potential explanations related to students’ tutoring expectations, experience and relationships. The findings provide impetus for higher education providers to invest in weekly group tutorials embedded in undergraduate students’ timetables to improve experience and persistence.