Abstract
The effects of two levels of peer tutoring on the academic performance of 193 college students enrolled in two sections of introductory psychology were investigated. In Section 1,10 groups of 3 men and 3 women randomly assigned to 10 undergraduate peer tutors participated in Experimental Condition 1 (E-1). In Section 2, two groups of 20 and 21 students randomly assigned to two undergraduate peer tutors participated in Experimental Condition 2 (E-2). Students not participating in an experimental condition comprised the control groups for each section (C-1 and C-2). The treatment analysis of E1 vs. C-1 and E-2 vs. C-2 revealed significant differences where E-1 and E-2 were clearly superior in academic performance. These data demonstrate that undergraduate peer tutors can enhance the academic performance of college students. Positive ratings by the participating students and peer tutors provide further evidence of the positive program effects.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
BRANDWEIN, A., & DIVITTIS, A. (1985). The evaluation of a peer tutoring program: A quantitative approach. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 15–27.
CARPENTER, C. R. (1959, March). The Penn State pyramid plan: Interdependent student work study grouping for increasing motivation for academic development. Paper presented at 14th National Conference on Higher Education, Chicago, Il.
COREY, J. R., & MCMICHAEL, J. S. (1970). Using personalized instruction in college courses. New York: Appleton-Century-Crafts.
DAVAGE, R. H. (1958). The pyramid plan for the systematic involvement of university students in teaching-learning functions. Division of Academic Research and Services, Pennsylvania State University.
DAVAGE, R. H. (1959). Recent data on the pyramid project in psychology. Division of Academic Research and Services, Pennsylvania State University.
DINEEN, J. P., CLARK, H. B., & RISLEY, T. R. (1977). Peer tutoring among elementary students: Educational benefits to the tutor. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 231–238.
FARMER, J., LACHTER, G. D., BLAUSTEIN, J. J., & COLE, B. K. (1972). The role of proctoring in personalized instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 5, 401–404.
GREER, R. D., & POLIRSTOK, S. R. (1982). Collateral gains and short-term maintenance in reading and on-task responses by inner-city adolescents as a function of their use of social reinforcement while tutoring. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 15, 123–139.
HARRIS, M. (1988). Peer tutoring: How tutors learn. Teaching English in a Two-Year College, 15, 28–33.
KELLER, F. S. (1966). A personal course in psychology. In R. Ulrich, T. Stachnik, & J. Mabry, (Eds.), Control of human behavior. Glenview, Il: Scott Foresman.
KELLER, F. S. (1968). “Goodbye, teacher ….” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 79–89.
KIRSCHENBAUM, D., & PERRI, M. (1982). Improving academic competence in adults: A review of recent research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 29, 76–94.
LEVIN, H., GLASS, G., & MEISTER, G. (1987). Cost effectiveness of computer assisted instruction. Evaluation Review, 11, 50–72.
LLOYD, K. E. (1978). Behavior analysis and technology in higher education. In A. Catania and T. Brigham, (Eds.), Handbook of applied behavior analysis: Social and instructional processes. New York, NY: Irvington Publishers.
MCKEACHIE, W. J. (1986). Teaching tips: A guidebook for the beginning college teacher (8th ed.). Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath Co.
POLIRSTOK, S., & GREER, R. (1986). A replication of collateral effects and a component analysis of a successful tutoring package for inner-city adolescents. Education and Treatment of Children, 9, 101–121.
SLAVIN, R. E., & MADDEN, N. A. (1989). What works for students at risk: A research synthesis. Educational Leadership, 4–13.
TROWBRIDGE, N. (1969). An approach to teaching a large undergraduate class. Unpublished manuscript, Drake University, Des Moines, IA.
WEBB, N. J., & GRIB, T. F. (1967, October). Teaching process as a learning experience: The experimental use of student-led groups (Final Report No. He-Ooo-882). Washington, DC: Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lidren, D.M., Meier, S.E. & Brigham, T.A. The Effects of Minimal and Maximal Peer Tutoring Systems on the Academic Performance of College Students. Psychol Rec 41, 69–77 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395094
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395094