Undergraduate Tutors Research Articles

CRAYON: Exploration on Community-based Relayed Online Education Approach for Rural Children in South Korean EFL Context

Rural children in South Korea exhibit higher foreign language anxiety and lower English competency. For such marginalized contexts where local communities cannot support children's learning, we propose and explore a new pedagogical approach, CRAYON (Community-based RelAY Online educatioN). In CRAYON, a pool of non-professional tutors take turns to meet and teach rural children in short relay sessions through mobile technologies. It uncovers and promotes volunteers' internal willingness to participate in community-based teaching, which could otherwise be fragmented and dormant in their tightly-woven daily lives. It greatly lessens the barriers to participation from multiple dimensions, i.e., time, space, and expertise, and encourages interested volunteers to easily join without taking much burden. As such, the approach can create new learning opportunities and help rural children overcome their motivational and environmental hurdles. Tutors could approach each child and share short but precious time with her; helping her experience repetitive and sufficient exposure to the language, each time with a newly met tutor. We conducted a short relay session-based English learning program for 5 rural children for 4 weeks in South Korea with 15 tutors. From the field deployment, we find that the rural children and the undergraduate tutors engaged in effective interactions and scaffolding, despite the constraints of partitioned short sessions. A particular pattern of interaction, i.e., continuous learner engagement support, emerged as they drew out the interactions over a short period of time. It was highly encouraging to observe that all children, including those who were disengaged in their classroom environments, actively participated in the CRAYON sessions. The findings elicited from the study have important implications in multiple dimensions. They suggest the possibility of extending the scope of learning environments to include first-met tutors and learners beyond re-established relationship. In a larger perspective, the findings imply a new direction to overcome the challenges of low childhood literacy in under-resourced areas. With adequate and sufficient support from educational institutions and CRAYON, this study argues that volunteer tutors with less experience can deliver effective instruction by sharing just a short period of time, and help a child who has been lagging behind the pace of the school catch up and re-engage.

Research On a New Type of Undergraduate Tutor System Based On "Three Repairs and Three Successes"

With the advancement of China's education reform, undergraduate mentorship has been implemented and developed, and gradually plays a positive role in the process of talent cultivation. The article analyzes the origin of the mentorship system and its implementation status quo in domestic colleges and universities, combines the actual situation of the school, analyzes the undergraduate mentorship system to adhere to the mode of "three repairs and three successes" and "four synergisms" in-depth integration of the implementation of the teacher to return to the original teaching, build the school also analyzes the actual situation of undergraduate mentorship, analyzes the mode of undergraduate mentorship which insists on the deep integration of "three repairs, three successes" and "four synergies", implements the return of teachers to the original intention of teaching, builds the "full coverage, full participation", innovates undergraduate mentorship teaching mode, clarifies undergraduate mentorship teaching responsibilities, standardizes the form of undergraduate mentorship guidance and strengthens undergraduate mentorship incentives. It explores the exploration and practice of mentorship teaching mode in the context of "Three Cultivations and Three Successes", and carries out in-depth thinking and research on how to build a more scientific and reasonable mentorship system.

Tutor Perceptions of Division I College Athletes

Research regarding athletics stakeholders’ (e.g., faculty, non-athlete peers) perceptions of Division I college athletes is abundant and demonstrates that most stakeholders hold negative and stereotypical views of athletes. However, despite their time spent with athletes, little is known about the perceptions academic tutors have toward the athletes they are brought in to assist. Thus, through the lens of stereotype threat, this study explored graduate(d) and undergraduate tutors’ (n = 67) perceptions of athletes from three academically and athletically elite Division I institutions. Tutors’ perceptions were examined and compared based on their responses to an adapted situational attitude scale survey using correlations, t-tests, and Fisher’s Z tests. In general, results suggested tutors did not maintain stereotypical perceptions of the athletes they worked with, a key difference from previous scholarship in this area. Still, graduate(d) tutors generally held athletes to higher academic standards compared to undergraduate tutors. Implications for sport practitioners in academic support programs for athletes include hiring more graduate(d) tutors to work with athletes and fostering stronger relationships between tutors and athletes. Ultimately, this study expands upon the previous research on perceptions and stereotypes of athletes and the findings may demonstrate a shift toward more positive and strengths-based perceptions of Division I athletes.

The lecturer-tutor in undergraduate medical education; navigating complexity as “a recruiter, a timetabler, an administrator, a counsellor”

BackgroundTutors play an important role in the delivery of effective undergraduate medical education (UGME). These roles commonly involve competing clinical, educational and research commitments. We sought to obtain a rich description of these posts from doctors working in them.MethodsWe used a pragmatist, sequential explanatory mixed-methods design with a sampling frame of clinical lecturer/tutors in 5 Irish medical schools. Purposive sampling was used for recruitment. Quantitative data collected from a validated online questionnaire were used to inform a semi-structured interview question guide. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by each of the study researchers, using a coding frame derived in part from the findings of the online questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative mixing occurred during data collection, analysis and reporting.Results34 tutors completed the online survey with 7 volunteers for interview. Most respondents took the job to gain experience in either educational practice (79.4%) or in research (61.8%). Major themes to emerge were the diverse interactions with students, balancing multiple professional commitments, a high degree of role-autonomy, mis-perception of role by non-tutor colleagues, challenges around work-life balance and unpredictable work demands. Using a complexity theory lens, the tutor role was defined by its relational interactions with numerous stakeholders, all in the context of an environment that changed regularly and in an unpredictable manner.ConclusionsThe undergraduate tutor works in a demanding role balancing educational and non-educational commitments with suboptimal senior guidance and feedback. The role is notable for its position within a complex adaptive system. An understanding of the system’s interactions recognises the non-linearity of the role. Using a complex systems lens, we propose improvements to undergraduate education centred around the tutor.

A WAP-Based Concept Acquisition Teaching Model in Cleft Lip and Palate Phenotype and Embryonic Development: Functionality and Usability Study.

Taking advantage of the broad coverage of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), we developed a Content Management System (CMS)-programmed mobile learning application. This application can help the undergraduate to obtain a comprehensive understanding of concepts in Cleft lip and palate Phenotype, and Embryonic development (CPE). The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the concept acquisition teaching model on the basis of WAP in a practical undergraduate course of CPE. The concept acquisition teaching model based on WAP was programmed by CMS, covering definitions of various cleft lip and palate, the mechanisms underlying the phenotypes, practical medical cases, as well as corresponding tests after learning. The CPE concept acquisition teaching model was distributed to a total of 524 undergraduate students and 46 tutors participated in CPE teaching from seven highly ranked schools of stomatology in China since April 2022. 524 undergraduate students and 46 tutors from seven highly ranked schools of stomatology in China. The CPE concept acquisition teaching model. The effectiveness of the CPE teaching model. The response rate to the survey was 100%. The grading of the questionnaires indicated that the students were satisfied with the usability, practicality, and outcome, whereas the tutors were more positive with the contents, cooperation, and outcome. The present study demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of the WAP-based concept acquisition teaching model of CPE and a high level of satisfaction among undergraduate students and tutors who major in Stomatology.

How narratives about the secondary-tertiary transition shape undergraduate tutors’ sense-making of their teaching

Drawing on the commognitive framework, we construe the secondary-tertiary transition (STT) as a distinctive element in the pedagogical discourses of various communities. Our interest rests with university tutors in light of the emergent recognition of their impact on undergraduates’ mathematics learning in many tertiary contexts worldwide. We aim to understand the roles of STT communication in tutors’ reflections on incidents that took place in their tutorials. Our participants were undergraduate students in the advanced stages of their mathematics degrees in a large New Zealand university and who were enrolled in a mathematics education course. Throughout the semester, the participants led tutorial sessions for first-year students and wrote reflections on classroom incidents that drew their attention. Our data corpus consisted of 58 reflections from 38 tutors collected over four semesters. The analysis revealed that STT communication featured in tutors’ descriptions of classroom incidents, assisted them in making sense of unexpected events, positioned their instructional actions as replications of what was familiar to them from their own STT experience, and contributed toward generating new pedagogical narratives. We situate these findings in the literature concerning undergraduate tutoring and teachers’ perspectives on STT.

Discussion on the Academic Guidance Strategy Based on the Students’ Personalities under the Undergraduate Tutor System

Undergraduate tutorial system is an educational mode being implemented by many universities in China. Under the tutorial system, there is a theoretical value and practical significance to explore the guiding strategy based on the personalities of college students.The authors give three guidance advises through the theoretical studies and the experiences of undergraduate tutors; The first is to establish a good teacher-student relationship, the second is to provide a speciality guidance based on the personalities and academic background, and the third is to guide the students’ personality cultivation . When the tutors apply and adjust the guidance strategy in the communication with the students, the students’ comprehensive qualities and abilities can be enhanced, and the tutors’ own scientific research and teaching level can be improved.

Doing More with Barely Enough: Narratives of an Undergraduate Tutor Researcher and Mentor

Doing More with Barely Enough: Narratives of an Undergraduate Tutor Researcher and Mentor

Research-based training for undergraduate mathematics tutors

Undergraduate peer drop-in mathematics tutoring is a common form of support at the university level, yet research regarding how to train this specific group of tutors is underspecified. This paper aims to describe a training program for this population that is grounded in mathematics education research. It serves as a first step in conducting a design experiment on how training impacts tutor behaviours. This paper addresses the research question: How can mathematics education research inform tutor training design? First, the specific context for the training program is characterized, followed by challenges to training programs. Then, ways in which research on mathematics classroom teaching and learning can apply to tutoring are discussed. Finally, the training program is described in detail, including the research which informed the design, as well as the learning outcomes, activities, and feedback mechanisms. Broadly, the goals of the training program are to promote productive beliefs regarding tutoring and learning mathematics, to increase the use of NCTM’s [(2014). Principles to action.] teacher/student actions in tutoring practices, and to develop reflective practitioners. To guide the development of these skills and dispositions in tutors, tutors engage with tutoring scenarios, excerpts, and case studies. Tutors are also provided with opportunities to reflect on their own tutoring practices.

Analysis of the Policymaking Process of Undergraduate Tutorial System in China from the Perspective of Multiple Streams Theory

The formulation process of China's undergraduate tutor system involves many factors. Based on the perspective of multiple streams theory, this paper analyzes and discusses the driving factors for the establishment of China's undergraduate tutorial system policy agenda. Policy makers form the problem stream through surveys of students and teachers; the government and colleges, as policy entrepreneurs, shape the policy stream; under the China’s unique conditions, the educational philosophy of the Communist Party of China and the popularization of higher education develops into the politics stream. At a critical point, the three streams are coupled and the policy window opens, which eventually leads to the introduction of the undergraduate tutorial system. Additionally, this paper also analyzes the defects of the multiple stream’s theory, and puts forward suggestions for the revision of the theoretical model.

The Impact of Undergraduate Tutor System in Chinese 8-Year Medical Students in Scientific Research.

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the effect and influence of the undergraduate tutor system on the undergraduate stage of Chinese 8-year medical program students in scientific research.MethodsWe collected related data from 194 medical students in the Xiangya Medical School of Central South University. The questionnaire was composed of three parts, namely, eight questions for basic information about individual and undergraduate tutor system, five questions for the subjective feeling impact of the undergraduate tutor system, and 22 questions for accessing the scientific research ability and academic results. The students were mainly divided into three groups to compare different kinds of undergraduate tutor systems, namely, single tutor for multiple students' system (group A), multiple tutors for multiple students' system (group B), and no tutor system for comparison (group C).ResultsThe type of tutorial system, the frequency of guidance, and the way of guidance were independent influence factors of the view of 8-year medical students on scientific research. Group B behaved better than group C in literature processing (P = 0.012), experimental operation (P < 0.001), statistical analysis (P < 0.001), and manuscript producing (P = 0.019). Group A and B joined in more National college students' innovation and entrepreneurship training programs (P = 0.003, P < 0.001). The most popular types of articles published by students were bioinformatics, meta-analysis, and reviews.ConclusionUndergraduate tutor system has made tremendous achievements in cultivating students' scientific research capacity; however, implement improvement should be considered to better educate students.

A Balancing Act: Black Women Experiencing and Negotiating Racial Tension in the Center

Writing centers increasingly have been concerned with issues of race and racism in the center. However, most of the conversation around race has centered on student writers, with references to tutors of color given only in passing or in the context of larger discussions on race. This study uses interview data and a grounded theory methodology to examine the experiences of racism and anti-Blackness in writing centers for female Black undergraduate and graduate peer tutors, categorizing the experiences in three ways: attacks on character and identity, denials of credibility, and silencing. Connections are drawn with the experiences the tutors have outside the center, and the argument is made that the racial tension of their centers puts the women in a position of constant negotiation, performing a balancing act in which they must filter their responses to their racist encounters out of self-preservation. The results indicate that writing centers are not yet where the field and practitioners would like them to be and that much of the emotional labor of maintaining a tolerable work environment is falling to tutors of color. Writing center directors must do more to take back this responsibility and change the culture of their centers.

Exploring the Perspectives and Readiness of Undergraduate Tutors Regarding Synchronous Online One-to-One Tutoring for Pupils in Rural Areas

Exploring the Perspectives and Readiness of Undergraduate Tutors Regarding Synchronous Online One-to-One Tutoring for Pupils in Rural Areas

Impact of the Emergency Transition to Remote Teaching on Student Engagement in a Non-STEM Undergraduate Chemistry Course in the Time of COVID-19

In Spring 2020, we began a study focused on the development of inclusive teaching practices in an undergraduate chemistry lecture course for non-STEM students. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing educational disruptions, we changed the design of our study to focus on the learning and teaching experiences of students and instructors. Here, we conducted student surveys before and after the emergency transition to remote teaching and analyzed data on student participation in the online setting. We observed that student engagement was likely negatively impacted by the emergency transition. We also found that lectures engaged students less after the transition. By contrast, course activities that did not heavily rely on a physical classroom, such as students blogging about their research of chemistry literature and crafting an independent research paper about a chemical question, were more effective in retaining student engagement after the transition. We also analyze student utilization of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities (for example, recorded lectures). We contextualize student engagement in the course relative to policies adopted by the educational institution, notably a mandatory universal pass/fail grading policy. Finally, we communicate thematic reflections from students, undergraduate peer tutors, graduate student teaching fellows, and the course instructor about learning chemistry and teaching non-STEM undergraduates in the time of COVID-19. On the basis of these studies, we recommend seven instructional strategies for teaching chemistry during sustained educational disruptions.

Children and tutor's perspectives on a homework support program in Melbourne: A university-school partnership.

This study focuses on a homework program where an Australian University partnered with a school to support children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Undergraduate tutors, paired with a child each semester, provided weekly learning support. This exploratory study aimed to understand the experiences of the children participating in the program and any benefits received. Nineteen children participated in activity-based focus groups, and seven undergraduate tutors participated in one-on-one interviews. Overarching themes identified were as follows: making homework club enjoyable, program outcomes, tutor-child relationship and transitioning to a new tutor. Although children were required to do homework they usually avoided, the task was made less onerous and even enjoyable because of the relationship the children had with their tutor, the support received and new skills learnt. The tutor-child relationship was deeply valued, with the tutor's role going beyond instructional support to also providing social and emotional support and a sense of belonging in line with Social Support Theory. Both the children and tutors expressed contrasting views about the experience of children transitioning to a new tutor each semester and this departs from the extant literature. The challenges related to the loss of connection, while positive aspects concerned the opportunity to make new friends and learn from different teaching styles. Given these contrasting findings, it is worth considering how the transition process can be managed and explained to children and increase the chances of positive adaptation. Despite the relatively short-term nature of the tutor-child relationship, the children expressed clear academic, social and emotional benefits. The findings suggest that semester-based university-school homework tutoring programs can be effective despite their short-term nature, provided due consideration is given to the transition process. These findings address the paucity of research exploring short-term programs of this nature.

Promoting general practice as a career to medical students; a qualitative study of the approaches of undergraduate GP tutors

ABSTRACT Background Undergraduate (UG) General Practice (GP) tutors have been identified in the literature and in key UK workforce planning documents as one of the main influences on medical students’ decisions about pursuing a career in GP. Aim To explore the attitudes and educational approaches of UG GP tutors in promoting GP as a career. Design and Setting A pragmatic constructivist qualitative study, interviewing 8 UG GP tutors supervising undergraduate final year medical students on placement. Method Interviews were transcribed, coded and grouped into themes using NVIVO11. Analysis was descriptive and interpretive using principles of thematic analysis. Results Tutors saw their role as promoting GP, supporting informed career decisions, correcting misconceptions and giving honest views. They used tutorials, critical reflection, exposure to authentic GP and role-modelling to promote GP, challenge misconceptions, and showcase managing complexities.. Discussion By guiding students to identify, discuss and reflect on their beliefs and by using clinical encounters and role modelling with further reflection, tutors enabled students to get a true picture of GP to identify if they could handle the challenges and complexities of the job. Kolb’s experiential learning cycle could form a framework to guide tutors in clinical settings supporting students making informed career decisions.

Training for Undergraduate Tutors in Japanese Academic Writing: Proposal for a Matrix To Distinguish Between Teaching and Facilitating Studentsʼ Thinking

Training for Undergraduate Tutors in Japanese Academic Writing: Proposal for a Matrix To Distinguish Between Teaching and Facilitating Studentsʼ Thinking

Peer tutoring in nursing: Quantitative evaluation of a formalized undergraduate tutoring program

Background and objective: Based on the limited literature, a formalized peer tutoring program was developed at the study institution’s School of Nursing to promote the success of academically at-risk students. The evaluation process was designed to guide program improvement as well as to contribute to the available literature related to peer tutoring in programs of nursing. The purpose of this study was to formally evaluate a newly developed formalized peer tutoring program for undergraduate nursing students, to inform other undergraduate nursing programs considering implementing a peer tutoring program.Methods: The peer tutoring program was evaluated using parallel post-experience surveys for tutors and tutees. Participants also completed a Learning and Studying Strategies Questionnaire, to determine if strategy use differed between the two groups.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in learning/studying strategies used by tutors and tutees, with both being predominantly superficial strategies. Tutors and tutees evaluated the tutoring program overwhelmingly positively. A few students did make suggestions for improvements in the payment system and suggested making tutoring more widely available.Conclusions: The formalized peer tutoring program is a valuable asset in promoting the academic success of undergraduate nursing students. Minor changes to the program have been made according to student suggestions.

Tutor Guiding Style’s Effect on College Student’s Growth

In the course of college students' development, the tutor's guidance plays an important role. By introducing the theory of paternalistic leadership styles and taking the personal initiative as a moderator variable, this paper explored how the undergraduate tutor guiding style influence on college students' growth. The results show that: (1) Kind type guidance and virtue type guidance has positive influence on college students' growth; (2) Authoritarian type guidance style has negative influence on college students' growth; (3) and personal initiative moderate the relationship between kind type guidance and college students' growth.

Public engagement with a twist

An increasing number of post-graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Edinburgh do not have English as their first language. Indeed some researchers have barely acquired the minimum standard of English required by the College. This hinders their own development as scientists and engineers and also has implications for undergraduate tutoring and laboratory demonstrating in their science and engineering disciplines. To address this issue, an English Language Skills course was developed in collaboration with the Institute for Applied Language Studies (University of Edinburgh). The course uses the techniques and activities of science communication training for Public Engagement in sessions dedicated to learning English. Part of the rationale was that students would find comfort and confidence in their scientific knowledge, and would therefore feel empowered to speak out and improve their English skills. This case study outlines the development and implementation of the course, includes feedback from the participants and observations on the course.