Peer tutoring includes a range of approaches in which students work in pairs or small groups to provide each other with explicit teaching support, such as:
The common characteristic is that students take on responsibility for aspects of teaching and for evaluating their success.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, peer tutoring approaches overlap with tuakana-teina teaching and learning approaches. The tuakana-teina model involves a reciprocal and respectful mentoring relationship between learners, typically encompassing four main dynamics:
It goes beyond skill mentoring, emphasising collaboration and mutual appreciation, rooted in the principles of te ao MÄori, and applied within many school settings in Aotearoa New Zealand.
1. Peer tutoring, on average, has a positive impact on both tutors and tutees and may be a cost-effective approach to delivering one to one or small group tuition in a school.
2. Peer tutoring seems most effective when used to review or consolidate learning, rather than introducing new material.
3. Training for staff and tutors is essential for success. It is crucial to allocate sufficient time to train both staff and tutors, to ensure training provides structure to the tutoring, and to identify and implement improvements as the programme progresses.
4. Four to ten week intensive blocks with regular sessions (4-5 times a week) appear to provide maximum impact for both tutors and tutees.
Peer tutoring approaches have been shown to have a positive impact on learning, with an average positive effect equivalent to approximately five additional monthsâ progress within one academic year. Studies have identified benefits for both tutors and tutees, and for a wide range of age groups. Though all types of students appear to benefit from peer tutoring, there is some evidence that students who are low-achieving and those with special educational needs make the biggest gains.
Peer tutoring appears to be particularly effective when students are provided with support to ensure that the quality of peer interaction is high: for example, questioning frames to use in tutoring sessions, and training and feedback for tutors. In cross-age peer tutoring some studies have found that a gap of less than three years is optimal, although ensuring that the gap is wide enough so that the work is challenging to the tutee whilst easy enough for the tutor to support them is key. Regular tutoring sessions (4-5 times a week) of up to 10 weeks appear to be more effective than less intensive or longer programmes.
Successful approaches may also have other benefits, such as supporting the social and personal development of students and boosting their self-confidence and motivation for learning.
Effects are similar (+5 months) for both primary and secondary age students.Â
Impact is similar (+5 months) for both literacy and mathematics.
Lower achieving students tend to benefit more (+6 months) than higher achieving students.
A number of studies have been undertaken that use digital technology to support peer tutoring approaches, with similar overall impact.
In peer tutoring students are taught by other students, either of the same age or sometimes older. This section focuses on the academic impact of delivering tuition on the tutors themselves.
Some schools are concerned that the tutors may not benefit and may be losing learning time. However, the impact of Peer tutoring on the tutors is typically slightly higher than the overall impact of 6 months additional progress, on average.
The evidence base for this is weaker than the overall evidence for peer tutoring, as only 12 of the 127 studies examined the impact of the approach on tutors.
In Reciprocal tutoring students take in it in turns to be the tutor and the tutee, usually in the same session. Each student experiences being taught by a peer and in being the tutor.
The impact of Reciprocal peer tutoring is typically about the same as the overall effect. The average months progress is 5.
Peer tutoring relies on close interaction between two or more students with students taking responsibility for aspects of teaching and for evaluating their success. When implementing peer tutoring approaches, schools should consider how to ensure high quality interactions between students. This might include:
Peer tutoring interventions are typically delivered over four to ten week intensive blocks. Approaches may involve cross-age or same-age tutoring usually in pairs. Approaches may be based on a fixed tutee and tutor relationship, while others may be reciprocal.
The average cost of peer tutoring is expected to be very low. The cost to schools is largely based on teacher training and learning resources. Implementing peer tutoring will also require a moderate amount of staff time, compared with other approaches.
Alongside time and cost, school leaders should consider how to maximise the quality of peer tutoring interactions and ensure sufficient time is allocated to identify and implement improvements to approaches. When utilising programmes, school leaders should assess the quality and strength of evidence behind them.
The security of the evidence around peer tutoring is rated as high. 127 studies were identified that meet the inclusion criteria of the Toolkit. The topic lost a padlock because a large percentage of the studies were not independently evaluated. Evaluations conducted by organisations connected with the approach â for example, commercial providers, typically have larger impacts, which may influence the overall impact of the strand.
As with any evidence review, the Toolkit summarises the average impact of approaches when researched in academic studies. It is important to consider your context and apply your professional judgement when implementing an approach in your setting.