Emotional and cognitive effects of peer tutoring among secondary school mathematics students (2017)

Emotional and cognitive effects of peer tutoring among secondary school mathematics students by Francisco José Alegre Ansuategui, L. M. Miravet (2017)

Effects of a peer tutoring program on students’ self-concept, academic performance, and attitude of solidarity in mathematics” by Moliner, Sales, Ferrández, and Traver (2017) conducted a study to examine the effects of a peer tutoring program in a secondary school mathematics class.

The study found significant improvements in the students’ academic performance, mathematics self-concept, and attitude of solidarity after the implementation of the peer tutoring program. The average grade for the students increased from 4.25 out of 10 before the program to 6.01 out of 10 after the program. This improvement was statistically significant and was observed for both tutors and tutees.

The students’ self-concept in mathematics also improved after the program. This was reflected in the students’ increased confidence in tackling problems and their reliance on their own skills to solve and explain them to their peers. The students also expressed that mathematics was a useful subject and necessary for almost everything in life.

The attitude of solidarity among the students also increased significantly after the program. The students were observed to be more willing to help their peers, even outside of the peer tutoring program. The students also expressed a desire to try other cooperative learning techniques, indicating their motivation and interest in active participation methods.

The teachers noted that most of the students positively engaged with this methodology and felt comfortable in a situation in which some of the tutees expressed a desire to become tutors. The students found the methodology useful in helping them to solve mathematical problems. The students also stated that the worksheets had enabled them to review what they had learned in class, and they were helpful in preparing for the exam.

In conclusion, the study suggests that peer tutoring can be an effective method for improving academic performance, self-concept in mathematics, and attitudes of solidarity among secondary school students. However, the authors also note that the results should be interpreted with caution due to certain limitations of the study, such as the small sample size and the short duration of the program.