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CHAPTER SIX
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
The present study investigated the detailed interactions in peer-tutoring remedial class on two fifth-grade elementary school students. This chapter first summarizes the findings of this study. Next, a summary of the findings of the present study versus findings of the previous studies was provided. Last, limitations, pedagogical implications and suggestions for further studies are discussed.
Summary for the Findings
The case study, based on qualitative inquiry, investigated the effect of peer tutoring in Taiwan remedial instructions. One dyad was drawn from the 15 remedial instruction groups. The interactions between the tutor and the tutee were observed and discussed in detail.
Conducted through a class-wide peer-tutoring program, this study arranged 30 participants into 15 dyads in a remedial class. The combination was of high-low level of English proficiency. In order to obtain more detailed, in-depth observation and accounts of one-semester long peer interactions, focus was on one dyad which was selected according to learning attitudes and participation willingness in the study. This research lasted for a whole semester (twenty weeks). It began with a pre-tutoring preparatory stage, which was a two-week tutor training provided by the researcher before the peer tutoring sessions started. The tutor was trained with basic teaching knowledge, techniques and social skills in the pre-tutoring training. Then the peer tutoring session was conducted for 18 weeks: thirty minutes per session, two sessions per week. It was conducted in mornings at the tutee’s extra learning hours. The peer-tutoring sessions were to have the tutee complete the designed tasks and to have
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and of gradation which helped the tutee meet the expectations of her grade level of English. Every three weeks during the peer tutoring sessions, the researcher and the tutor would meet and went through a reflection review to ensure that the tutoring process proceeded without any serious problems. In the last week, interviews were conducted after the peer tutoring sessions. The tutor and the tutee was
interviewed individually or in a group at least three times during data collection.
The result was：First, with tutor training ahead of the peer tutoring, the tutor was able to get the gist of helping the tutee in solving learning difficulties. It was found that the tutor training helped Kate be able to know how to interact with Mary and assist her in learning. Second, due to the tutor training, the levels of assistance helped the tutor clearly diagnose the tutee’s learning difficulties so as to provide appropriate assistance. Under the teacher’s training guidance, Kate generally followed the original five levels of help while incorporated the other self-developed four levels of help from direct to indirect kind to assist Mary. Every ongoing decreased/increased level of help provided was based on Mary’s current learning level during the interaction. From the tutee’s interviews and classroom observation, the tutor’s providing several levels of help and carefully tailoring assistance to the tutee’s needs helped the tutee have a better understanding of what her difficulties were and how to solve problems. Third, as friendship grew in the tutor and the tutee, more challenging learning matters became possible. The tutor came to know more about the instructional needs of the tutee and the tutee was willing to be more self-revealing about her shortcomings. The tutor played a significant other in the tutees’ learning.
Findings of the Present Study vs. Findings of Previous Studies
All in all, the results of the study are in agreement with the findings of the
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previous studies in the following aspects. First, this was consistent to Pugh’s (2005) findings that the tutee was not the only beneficiary of peer tutoring. In the interactions, the tutor gained a better understanding of the subject matter as she explained it to the tutee. And the responsibility of being a peer tutor could be empowering. Second, the levels of assistance given in the tutor training helped the tutor clearly diagnose the tutee’s learning difficulties so as to provide appropriate assistance. This corresponded to what was confirmed in Lantolf and Aljaafreh (1995) studies that the help led development did not occur in a random way, but in an orderly and developmentally sensitive manner in peer interactions. Third, the researcher found that relationship played a role in shaping the peer tutoring. Good relationships made both the tutor and the tutee felt comfortable with each other first and reduced the learning/teaching anxiety.
On the other hand, inconsistencies also arose between this study and the previous research. In Lantolf and Aljaafreh (1995) studies, the adult tutor was able to provide the assistance naturally to the tutee which could be categorized into nine levels. And the levels of help did assist the tutee in every level of progressing. In their research, little attention has been paid to discussion of the tutor’s teaching ability. Whether the tutor training was given ahead of the peer tutoring was unknown and not emphasized.
However, in elementary level, students placed in collaborative contexts do not spontaneously use higher order thinking and ask good questions, nor do they use appropriate social skills (Cohen, 1994). Without training, explanations in
collaborative groups or dyads are often confused and time wasting. (Fuchs, Fuchs, Bentz, Phillips, & Hamlett, 1994; Fuchs, Fuchs, Kazdan & Allen, 1999). In the present study, the researcher gave some credits to the tutor training for shaping the peer tutoring in a good way. There were two benefits found in provision of some
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to act properly with the tutee; pedagogically, it facilitated the tutor to obtain clear ideas of helping the tutee and stimulated the tutor’s potential ability such as creativity to do the tutoring job better.
Another inconsistency was found. In previous studies, the combination of the tutor and the tutee was assigned by the teachers basically based on the high/low ability.
Their perceptions of a good/bad peer tutoring were known from cognitive
perspectives only. Little attention has been paid to discussion of their perceptions from sociocultural perspectives. Friendship was listed as an important factor that might have an impact on the peer tutoring, yet with limited discussion. The combination in the present study was based on both the high/low ability and
friendship. In the study, perceptions of the peers were elicited from more sociocultural perspectives. It was found that they tended to learn more from such a good
relationship. Good relationships made both the tutor and the tutee felt comfortable with each other as previously stated. As friendship grew deeper in between, more challenging learning matters became possible such as self-disclosure of real learning difficulties. Significant revelations of difficulties sometimes could be the tutee’s turning points to progress because the tutor could offer suitable solutions to her problems. Thus, from sociocutural perspectives, “friendship” was found a significant role in benefiting peer tutoring whose in-depth meanings might be missing if we only look at it from cognitive perspectives. It would be better for a teacher to look after the holistic needs of students for there are a variety of factors being involved in learners’
dynamic learning.
Theoretical and Pedagogical Implications
Theoretical implication. Consistent with Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory, Students, traditionally viewed as recipients of education, are now seen as a potential
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source of help and assistance. Students have potential for acting good helpers among peers. Creativity and flexible adjustment to peers’ needs make the tutors better help.
The present study confirms that providing tutor training ahead of the peer tutoring sessions is helpful to equip the tutors with knowledge of social and teaching skills, i.e. observation/probe of the tutee’s learning style and difficulties, and timely provision of appropriate assistance. These skills are beneficial for the tutor in motivating the tutee and getting her involved more in learning. The trained tutor did
have potential in sharing the teacher’s responsibility in helping out the low achiever.
Pedagogical Implications. The first implication is the emphasis on tutoring training. Peer tutoring relieves teachers of many reteaching burdens, and the skills peers learned through peer tutoring carry over into success in the regular classroom setting. As previously discussed, tutor training plays an important role in shaping good peer tutoring. Random and uniform provision of help is a customary procedure of offering assistance in peer tutoring interaction (Aljaafreh, 1992). Traditionally, the tutors usually guess at what the tutees have in mind or try to say on the basis of their own understanding. Aljaafreh stated that it will be a problem or time wasting if the tutors do not follow assisting procedures guided by the tutees’ capabilities and responsive to their ZPD. This echoed Cohen (1994) study that students placed in collaborative contexts do not spontaneously use higher order thinking and ask good questions, nor do they use appropriate social skills. The tutor training provides the tutors with skills as to how to teach and interact with the tutee. But, how long is the tutor training appropriate and enough, what should be included in the tutor training, should the training be structured or semi-structured, who should be the trainer, should there be more support for the training…these are the questions suggested for further studies.
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to make sure if the tutor proceeds the tutoring without any difficulties. The review is also a reminder for the tutor to check if her assistance was too much or too easy so as to adjust to the tutee’s needs and meet the current grade level of the tutee.
Second, every student has a preferred learning style, and it is better for the peer tutor—with the teacher’s assistance—to learn about the tutee’s learning style and try to tutor by using that way. Peer tutoring should not be drudgery for either the tutor or the tutee. Tutors can use academic games that promote learning, for example. One part of the tutor training is to help the tutors become good observers and listeners so that they can better discern what they can do to help their tutees learn most. The teacher should work with tutors so that they can find out what learning styles their tutee prefer: visual, oral or kinesthetic… A learning styles discovery can be helpful.
Then the teacher can help the tutors adapt their tutoring to their tutee’s preferred style.
Limitations of the Study
This present study was designed to better understand the insights of peer tutoring process in the interaction of two students in elementary English remedial class. The study was conducted for 20 weeks of tutor training and observation of peer-tutoring process but nevertheless, has certain limitations.
As a consequence of the restricted time and limited human power, this study could only observe one dyad. Even though this qualitative case study did not aim to generalize the findings; yet, if more time is given and more human power can be involved, it would be possible to see a larger trend of different combinations of dyads and peer-tutoring styles. Other factors that might have impacts on combination of peers such as age, gender, learning styles…are not discussed here but they are good resources for future studies.
Peer tutoring is as valuable for the student tutor as it is for the tutee. Both gain from the interaction. The tutor and the tutee do learn from one another. Peer tutoring
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helps students share responsibility of teaching workload. Based on the findings of the present study, it is suggested that language teachers should pay close attention to developing pedagogical ability in students that are likely to enhance learning and achievement. When grouping peers, consideration of the learners’ learning difficulties, learning styles, relationship preference and psychological needs is important.
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adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language
adolescent French immersion students working together. The Modern Language