PEER TUTORING AMONG ELEMENTARY STUDENTS: EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS TO THE TUTOR¹

Abstract

To determine whether tutoring might be academically beneficial to the tutor, this study investigated the acquisition of spelling words by three elementary students in a peer tutoring program. The experimental design allowed a simultaneous comparison of each child's gain in performance on comparable word lists on which the child tutored another child, was tutored by another child, or neither gave nor received tutoring. The children's spelling improved nearly an equivalent amount on those words on which they tutored another child as on the words on which they were tutored; no such change was noted on the words on which they neither gave nor received tutoring. These findings, that peer tutoring is profitable for the tutor as well as the tutee, provide a basis for recommending peer tutoring as one method of individualizing education.

A Token System for a Class of Underachieving Hyperactive Children

“…Although no specific contingencies were added to the token system to reduce disruptive behaviors directly, the use of the tokens had the same effect in this study as it had for Ayllon and Roberts (1974) Fourth, it is possible to design a token system for a class of hyperactive students that can be effectively controlled by one teacher using reinforcement contingencies to get the students to cooperate with each other in the learning process. The approach of using students to teach other students has been successful in the past with nonhyperactive classes (e.g., Dineen, Clark, & Risley, 1977;Surratt, Ulrich, & Hawkins, 1969). Although poor peer relationships and frequent aggressive actions are said to be attributes of hyperactive children, class cooperation can be obtained in a whole class of hyperactive children with effective reinforcement contingencies.…”

Teacher‐versus Peer‐mediated Instruction: An Ecobehavioral Analysis of Achievement Outcomes

“…For example, Carnine (1976) demonstrated that pacing in Direct Instruction (i.e., the rate of lesson presentation controlled by the teacher) produced high levels of student participation, correct responding, and student attention. Similarly, high levels of academic responding have been reported as characteristic of peer tutoring, due to the increased rate of task presentation, tutors calling for and prompting responses, and the use of immediate error correction (Delquadri,Greenwood,Stretton,& Hall,521 19841 171, [521][522][523][524][525][526][527][528][529][530][531][532][533][534][535][536][537][538] NUMBER4 (wiNm 1984) 1983; Dineen, Clark, & Risley, 1977;Trovato & Bucher, 1980). In PSI, study objectives, student access to course materials, frequent test taking, and frequent interactions with proctors have been related to increased study time and greater student engagement with course content (Born, Gledhill, & Davis, 1972;Born & Herbert, 1971;Kirigin, Braukmann, Atwater, & Wolf, 1982;Semb, Hopkins, & Hursh, 1973).…”

“…Yet, few researchers have examined these three variables within the same experimental context (Bronfenbrenner, 1979;Brophy, 1979;Foster & Cone, 1980). In fact, in the majority of studies in both educational and applied behavior analysis research, assessment has been focused on outcome variables only, and context and behavioral treatment variables thought to produce changes in the outcome variables have been ignored (Brophy, 1979;Deitz & Baer, 1982;Dineen et al, 1977;Trovato & Bucher, 1980). This precludes the ability to explain why some procedures work and others do not.…”

Collateral Gains and Short‐term Maintenance in Reading and On‐task Responses by Inner‐city Adolescents as a Function of Their Use of Social Reinforcement While Tutoring

“…A few studies have assessed and found effects for the tutors in addition to the usual effects found for tutees (Dineen, Clark, & Risley, 1977). Remedial students have been used to tutor other remedial students in at least one case (Davis, 1972).…”