What does previous research tell us about the effects of peer tutoring on metacognition in primary and secondary schools?

Abstract

This systematic evidence synthesis examined the reported research on the effect of peer tutoring on metacognition in primary and secondary school students. A comprehensive search of multiple databases, including ERIC, Education source, British Education Index, ProQuest, Scopus, and Psych Info was conducted. The evidence synthesis included experimental studies on peer tutoring and metacognition from 1st January 1990 to 11th November 2022. The criteria for inclusion were the use of randomized controlled or quasi-experimental designs with a control/comparison group, implementation of the intervention in formal school educational settings with students aged 5–18 years old, and the use of peer tutoring as an intervention and metacognition as a measured outcome. Seven-hundred and eighteen studies were identified including 86 duplicate records. Six-hundred and thirty-two records were screened for inclusion and 630 were rejected as not meeting the selection criteria, leaving two studies for inclusion. Studies were assessed for quality using the Briggs appraisal tool for quasi-experimental/experimental studies. Despite the abundance of literature on the effects of peer tutoring on academic and social outcomes, this review highlighted the severe lack of published peer-reviewed research on the impact of peer tutoring on metacognition in school students.