Classwide Peer Tutoring

EDB 601 Lenore Jackson

Topic: Classwide Peer Tutoring - is a comprehensive instructional procedure or teaching strategy based on reciprocal peer tutoring and group reinforcement wherein an entire classroom of students is actively engaged in the process of learning and practicing basic academic skills simultaneously in a systematic and fun way.

Greenwood, Charles R. And Delquadri, Joseph C. (1989) Longitudal Effects of

Classwide Peer Tutoring, The Journal of Educational Psychology Volume 81, No 3, 371 -383.

The purpose of the study was to see if area children are succeeding in school at grade level or meeting state curriculum standards. The concerns in the study were a wide range of student ability in any one classroom - up to 3 or more grade levels. Next, general education programs used in classrooms do not accommodate for variability. Last, effective instructional practices are needed - these must be empirically based.

The study took place at the Juniper Gardens Children's Project at the University of Kansas, a community based program devoted to improving the developmental outcomes of children. The participants were 416 students who were followed from the beginning of first grade to the end of fourth grade. The students came from six chapter 1 schools and 1 non-chapter 1 school. There were a total of 94 teachers that participated in the study. The teachers were only involved for one year of the study.

The students were randomly assigned to three groups. Group 1 was low economic status students whose teachers implemented classwide peer tutoring. 90 percent of these students were from ethnic minority groups. Group 2 consisted of low SES who received a teacher designed instructional program. 98 percent of these students were from ethnic minority group. Group 3 a comparison group, consisted of high SES students who received a teacher designed instructional program. Some 2 percent of students in this group were from an ethnic minority group.

General procedures were as follow pretest on Monday and post test on Friday covering materials for the week given an indication of progress mastery for the week. Next, after pre testing students are paired up and each set of partners is assigned to one of two teams. Then partners take turns tutoring each