Several learning models exist which teachers use to ensure that their students understand and grasp academic content. One of them is pairing students where one of them teaches the other student. There are different peer tutoring strategies which all aim to accommodate needs of students.
Peer tutoring has been around for many years. However, it is currently gaining more popularity in many schools across the world. Initially, it was focused on reading skills but now it has expanded to include study areas such as science, spelling, writing and social studies. The principle behind the effectiveness of this model is that tutors have to grasp the content before they can teach. The reversal of roles ensures that both student partners have the chance to tutor.
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.
Pairing students of the same age is called same age pairing. The students have an opportunity to learn from one another and also teach each other. In addition, students may be paired according to their abilities. When pairing is made considering differences in abilities, it ensures that those with stronger set of skills are able to respond first and accurately which the less strong students can emulate.
Matching in terms of equal abilities, the students have the chance to switch between tutor and tutee roles. In this way, it is possible for both gain expertise in the select area of study. Matching can be done by first ranking students in accordance to their ability. This list is then applied in pairing students. Personality differences, learning needs and also preferences may also be considered to increase diversity of the pair.
The instructional material has to be first developed for the this tutoring strategy to work. It begins by first teaching the learners how to tutor and how to be ideal pairing partners. It is also important that the instructional material is accommodative of the tutor and tutee feedback. In addition, the ability to switch roles between the students should be allowed and the class teacher able to monitor.
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 has been around for many years. However, it is currently gaining more popularity in many schools across the world. Initially, it was focused on reading skills but now it has expanded to include study areas such as science, spelling, writing and social studies. The principle behind the effectiveness of this model is that tutors have to grasp the content before they can teach. The reversal of roles ensures that both student partners have the chance to tutor.
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.
Pairing students of the same age is called same age pairing. The students have an opportunity to learn from one another and also teach each other. In addition, students may be paired according to their abilities. When pairing is made considering differences in abilities, it ensures that those with stronger set of skills are able to respond first and accurately which the less strong students can emulate.
Matching in terms of equal abilities, the students have the chance to switch between tutor and tutee roles. In this way, it is possible for both gain expertise in the select area of study. Matching can be done by first ranking students in accordance to their ability. This list is then applied in pairing students. Personality differences, learning needs and also preferences may also be considered to increase diversity of the pair.
The instructional material has to be first developed for the this tutoring strategy to work. It begins by first teaching the learners how to tutor and how to be ideal pairing partners. It is also important that the instructional material is accommodative of the tutor and tutee feedback. In addition, the ability to switch roles between the students should be allowed and the class teacher able to monitor.
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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