The Power of Peer Tutoring

‘Make your friends your teachers, and mingle the

pleasures of conversation with the advantages of instruction.’

(Baltasar Gracian 1647)

The idea of Peer Tutoring isn’t new, as this quotation from Baltasar Gracian shows. Indeed, it is only in the last century or so that young people have been grouped in the rigid, age-related classes that we are familiar with today.  Keith Topping, perhaps the most well-known exponent of Peer Tutoring in the UK (or, as he prefers, Peer Assisted Learning or PAL), actually traces the roots of Peer Tutoring back to Andrew Bell in the late 18th century where Bell’s innovative approach was to pair-up tutors and tutees in his classes, with the happy result that the motivation and behaviour of both groups improved greatly. This system was widely-adopted in England and further afield (Topping 2001), however, it is not until relatively recently that Peer Tutoring has been reintroduced and has become more widely practised.

Ever since the UFA’s inception in the mid 1990s, we have experimented with moving away from rigid ‘ages and stages’ in our work, encouraging those working with young people to group them more creatively and to begin to experiment with Peer Tutoring. Our experience of working with young people in a variety of settings over the years has led us to conclude that positive relationships need to be at the heart of any learning endeavour. The involvement of Peer Tutors as part of a diverse Learning Team gives young people the opportunity to foster positive relationships with a range of adults, as well as with other young people.  Learning Teams modelling the UFA Learning Values (UFA 2003) also help Peer Tutors to learn about the process of learning, which enables them to more effectively support other young people  and, in turn, helps them to become better learners themselves.

So, what’s a Peer Tutor?

There are various definitions of Peer Tutor.  Damon and Phelps define Peer Tutoring as ‘an approach in which one child instructs another child in material on which the first is an expert and the second is a novice’  (1989, p.11). Some define the relationship as being between two students of the same age, whilst others define it as a relationship between an older tutor and younger tutee, or a tutor having a greater proficiency than the tutee in a particular subject area. Essentially, in the UFA we define Peer Tutors as young people who help other young people to learn.  This definition does not exclude cross-age tutoring and even tutoring of older students by younger students.

It is also important to make the distinction between Peer Tutoring and other types of peer support.  Peer Tutoring has learning as its focus, rather than mediation, befriending or mentoring. Although there may be some overlap in the skills required for these roles, the training needed for each will be different.  Other models of peer support may fit well with the UFA’s values and the kind of learning we promote, but although the benefits we see are often wider than purely academic, it is Peer Tutoring that has so far been our focus.

What impact does Peer Tutoring have?

There are many studies showing the benefits of Peer Tutoring on both the tutee’s and tutor’s academic and social development (Cohen, Kulik and Kulik, 1982; Hedin, 1987; Goodlad and Hirst, 1989). In fact, it may be that the impact on the tutor is greater than that on the tutee.  Some studies have also suggested that there are benefits in a school setting, allowing the for the class teacher to refocus on facilitating learning.

The Graduate School and University Centre at the City University of New York give the following evidence in support of Peer Tutoring programmes:

Peer Tutor outcomes:

• At-risk high school students raised their reading scores by almost 3 years during a 5-month period, as a result of tutoring 4th graders in reading.
• Peer Tutoring is the most cost-effective way to increase math and reading achievement: when compared with computer-assisted instruction.
• Both Peer Tutors and young people being tutored have reported improved attitudes towards school as a result of their participation.
• In helping others, tutors reinforce their knowledge and skills; in turn building their self-confidence and self-esteem.

(‘Peer Tutoring works both ways’, http://www.selfhelpweb.org)

This study also suggests that a programme where tutors and tutees discuss, plan and undergo training together, is even more effective. A review of research into Peer Tutoring by Sharpley and Sharpley in the early 1980s also suggests that training for Peer Tutors was important for the success of the tutoring (Topping, 2001, p.12).

Often teachers select higher-achieving students to be Peer Tutors. However, studies show that young people with disabilities, emotional and behavioural difficulties and low-achievers also benefit from being Peer Tutors (‘Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring’, http://www.nwrel.org). In some schools in the USA, the impact of Peer Tutoring on the tutor is seen as so significant for their own personal development, that all young people are given the chance to be tutors.  Perhaps this entitlement to tutoring others should be something we consider in the UK.

Our experience in the UFA concurs with many of these findings.  People from across the UFA network see Peer Tutoring as both affirming for the Peer Tutor and the tutee. Peer Tutors learn how to tutor, how to listen and communicate and, perhaps most importantly, they learn about the process of learning. Tutees benefit from learning with someone closer to them in age, who is more likely to be able to communicate with them effectively, is able to tailor support more closely to their individual needs, and thus helps to personalise their learning.  As Topping  points out, ‘children are extremely important to children, and this may be particularly true as they approach and enter adolescence, and retreat from the influence of their parents’ (1988, p.3).  It seems to be that Peer Tutors offer positive role models at the time when young people need them most.

Beyond achievement?

We are confident that the benefits of Peer Tutoring go beyond the gains in achievement.  Goodlad (1979) makes the case for Peer Tutoring being ‘humanly rewarding’, and in addition to being an effective process for raising achievement, we feel there are strong arguments for its development as a vehicle for promoting social capital.  Field defines social capital in the following terms:

The theory of social capital is, at heart, most straightforward. Its central thesis can be summed up in two words: relationships matter. By making connections with one another, and keeping them going over time, people are able to work together to achieve things that they either could not achieve by themselves, or could only achieve with great difficulty. (2003, p.1)

When young people have something to offer others, they become involved in a reciprocal relationship, promoting an ethos of help, sharing, hope and caring. Young people taking on the role of Peer Tutor realise they have a positive contribution to make to the group, organisation or community in which they are working, and as a result they grow in self-regard, realise they have a voice, and the sense of community grows.

Robert Puttnam’s work in America shows the importance of nurturing social capital:

‘States that score high on the Social Capital Index – that is, states whose residents trust other people, join organisations, volunteer, vote and socialise with friends – are the same states where children flourish: where babies are born healthy and where teenagers tend not to become parents, drop out of school, get involved in violent crime, or die prematurely due to suicide or homicide. Statistically, the correlation between high social capital and positive child development is as close to perfect as social scientists ever find in data analysis of this sort.’ (2000, pp. 296–297)

Can there be a better reason to undertake Peer Tutoring than this?

Leadership roles for young people

The expectation for young people to have a say in their own education has gained widespread support and momentum in the UK in recent years. We have been working with our network and other partners, notably the National College, to develop training and opportunities for young people to take on a range of leadership roles. Peer Tutoring offers an opportunity for young people to take on a responsible leadership role and make a positive contribution in their school or community.  We have also developed further training and support for young people to explore their own learning and how they can lead themselves and others more effectively in a learning context.  Those who are experienced Peer Tutors may wish to take on a Lead Learner role or perhaps become Peer Researchers.  These are just two possible opportunities for those who want to develop progression routes for Peer Tutors.

A positive step in a changing world?

A rapidly changing world demands that education in the 21^st century shifts its emphasis, enabling young people to take a more central role in their own learning. The current personalisation agenda, and the development of thinking and practise focusing on young people having a greater voice and influence in their learning, requires young people to have a greater awareness of the processes of learning and to make a contribution to the way that learning is designed and facilitated.  Young people now have a wider range of choices and decisions to make around their learning and their lives than ever before. These complex demands mean that they need to develop a greater range of skills and dispositions that will enable them to achieve success in their lives.

With the amount of evidence and anecdotal reporting of the worth of Peer Tutoring, it seems strange that it isn’t more widely practised.  Perhaps this is due to a basic underlying belief that adults know best? Like any radical intervention, perhaps it needs time to become established.  There are significant costs in terms of set-up time and training, and there is also relatively little in the way of curriculum materials designed specifically for Peer Tutoring.  However, there is some evidence to show that Peer Tutoring is a cost-effective measure too, with one study demonstrating that it was 4 times more cost-effective than reducing class size (Levine, Glass and Meister 1987).   However, even with convincing evidence of the benefits of Peer Tutoring, it requires something of a culture change for teachers and schools, and culture change takes time, energy and commitment.

Our experience at the UFA would suggest that Peer Tutoring is a powerful force for raising the achievement of all involved and encouraging a co-operative, caring ethos. It is well worth the time and effort needed to set it up.  In this book we hope to offer some practical steps to encourage more people to explore the opportunities it offers.

References:

Cohen, P.A., Kulik, J.A., and Kulik, C-L.C (1982) ‘Educational Outcomes of Peer Tutoring: a meta analysis of findings.’ American Education Research Journal, 19(2), 237-248. EJ272 101.

Cowie, H. and Wallce, P. (2000) Peer Support in Action: From Bystanding to Standing By. London: Sage Publications.

Damon, W. and Phelps, E. (1989 9-19) ‘Critical Distinctions Among Three Approaches’ in Peer Interaction, Problem Solving And Cognition: Multidisciplinary Perspectives. Edited by N.M. Webb. New York: Pergamon Press.

Field, J. (2003) Social Capital. London: Routledge.

Goodlad, S. (1979) Learning by Teaching: an introduction to tutoring. London: Community Service Volunteers.

Goodlad, S. and Hirst, B. (1989) Peer Tutoring. A guide to learning by teaching. New York: Nicholas Publishing. ED 311 006.

Hedin, D. (1987) Students as Teachers: a tool for improving school climate and productivity.  Social Policy, 17(3), 42-47. EJ355 106.

Puttnam, R.D. (2000) Bowling Alone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Topping, K. (1988) The Peer Tutoring Handbook: promoting cooperative learning.  Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

Topping, K. (2001) Peer Assisted Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Newton, MA: Brookline Books.

University of the First Age. (2005a) Celebrating Learning. Birmingham: UFA.

‘Peer Tutoring Works Both Ways’. http://www.selfhelpweb.org/peer.html#tutoring (accessed on September 20th 2005)

www.lehigh.edu/prejectreach/research/peer_tutoring.htm (accessed on September 20th 2005)

‘Peer and Cross-Age Tutoring’. School Improvement Research Series, www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/9/c018.html (accessed on September 20th 2005)