There are many learning models that students and their teachers employ to ensure that students master academic content. One of these is where students are paired up and become study partners which is also known as peer tutoring strategies. Models are flexible to accommodate the learning needs of students.
Peer tutoring is not a new concept. Nevertheless, in recent times it has gained popularity in many parts of the world. The initial focus was on improving reading skills but now can encompass spelling, social studies, science and writing. The most important aspect of this model is the comprehension of the academic content by the tutor before assuming the role.
It is easy to confuse peer tutoring with other learning models. To be clear, it is not the normal instructional class where adults teach students. It is also not the cooperative model where students are organized into groups and hold discussions. This is a class where the student is the teacher of one or a few more students. It is a unique model encompassing several others which may differ in the way students are paired, the instructional content and comprehensiveness.
In Class Wide Peer Tutoring also called CWPT the whole class is divided into sub-groups of from two to five learners with different learning abilities. The students can then act as tutees, tutors or both. Students of the same age or different ages can be paired. Cross aged pairs enable the older students in upper classes teach the younger students in the lower classes. For this case, the tutors acquire less in terms of the content and much more in terms if social responsibility.
In cases where students of the same age are paired, they are able to teach each other. Each of them receives and gives something. Pairs may have similar matching abilities or different abilities. When students with different abilities are paired, those with stronger skills give first responses and therefore being a model to the weaker students.
When the student pair is of equal ability, they can take turns in assuming the tutor role. This way both of them learn and become experts in that particular topic of study. The students can be ranked according to their abilities and the list then used to pair them. Students with different personalities, needs and preferences should be paired to increase diversity.
This tutoring strategy involves developing instructional material that favors this type of learning model. The material should first teach the students how to be experts in tutoring and how to be good partners. In addition, the course content should be well prepared to accommodate feedback from tutors to tutees. Moreover, there should be capacity for the experts to reverse their roles and also the class teacher to monitor the learning.
Application of this model to classrooms has been observed to increase the engagements of the student in class and also improved school attitude of the students. The student participation in class is also better. Lastly, students who do not speak English as the first language also stand to benefit.
Peer tutoring is not a new concept. Nevertheless, in recent times it has gained popularity in many parts of the world. The initial focus was on improving reading skills but now can encompass spelling, social studies, science and writing. The most important aspect of this model is the comprehension of the academic content by the tutor before assuming the role.
It is easy to confuse peer tutoring with other learning models. To be clear, it is not the normal instructional class where adults teach students. It is also not the cooperative model where students are organized into groups and hold discussions. This is a class where the student is the teacher of one or a few more students. It is a unique model encompassing several others which may differ in the way students are paired, the instructional content and comprehensiveness.
In Class Wide Peer Tutoring also called CWPT the whole class is divided into sub-groups of from two to five learners with different learning abilities. The students can then act as tutees, tutors or both. Students of the same age or different ages can be paired. Cross aged pairs enable the older students in upper classes teach the younger students in the lower classes. For this case, the tutors acquire less in terms of the content and much more in terms if social responsibility.
In cases where students of the same age are paired, they are able to teach each other. Each of them receives and gives something. Pairs may have similar matching abilities or different abilities. When students with different abilities are paired, those with stronger skills give first responses and therefore being a model to the weaker students.
When the student pair is of equal ability, they can take turns in assuming the tutor role. This way both of them learn and become experts in that particular topic of study. The students can be ranked according to their abilities and the list then used to pair them. Students with different personalities, needs and preferences should be paired to increase diversity.
This tutoring strategy involves developing instructional material that favors this type of learning model. The material should first teach the students how to be experts in tutoring and how to be good partners. In addition, the course content should be well prepared to accommodate feedback from tutors to tutees. Moreover, there should be capacity for the experts to reverse their roles and also the class teacher to monitor the learning.
Application of this model to classrooms has been observed to increase the engagements of the student in class and also improved school attitude of the students. The student participation in class is also better. Lastly, students who do not speak English as the first language also stand to benefit.
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