Tutoring is a rapidly increasing but under-researched component of the education of immigrant students. This study examines one-on-one tutoring of Taiwanese high school immigrant students in Vancouver. Viewing tutoring as a social practice rather than an instructional tool for teaching academic content, this exploratory study attempts to understand how participants construct tutoring in the British Columbian educational context. Factors such as the patterning of tutorials, the participants' perspectives, and the wider educational context have been considered in this study. This study recruited 12 tutor-tutee pairs, 12 parents, and 10 school teachers. Tutoring interactions were tape-recorded over a ten-month period. Combining aspects of discourse analysis and qualitative research, this study used discourse analysis to study tutoring interactions and qualitative interviews to explore the participants' beliefs about tutoring and schooling. This study explored the interaction patterns of tutoring, examined the participants' assumptions and expectations, and investigated the relationship between the tutoring (informal learning) and the schooling (formal learning) process of immigrant students. The varied patterns of tutorials suggested that tutoring went beyond teaching academic content and served multiple functions for the immigrant families. The patterns focused on addressing the needs of parents and students to interact with their schools, and providing emotional and cultural support. In addition, there seemed to be conflicting voices among the participants regarding the tutorial practices. For example, participants expressed strong and opposing views about the goals of tutoring and the quantity of homework, academic content instruction and grammar instruction in tutoring and in schools. These different voices seemed to cause tensions which were explored and negotiated in tutoring interactions. Lastly, the relation between tutoring and its wider educational context was both cooperative and conflictual. For example, while tutoring offered students homework assistance, this assistance caused the school teachers to be concerned with tutor over-helping. Thus, there is a complex and interactive relationship between tutoring and the educational system. To conclude, studying tutoring as a social practice acknowledges the varied tutorial patterns, the conflicts, the dynamics, and the complexity of tutoring interactions. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

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Among the variety of components comprising the PSI package originally described by Keller (1968) is the use of proctors which permit immediate scoring, tutoring, and personal-social interactions. Recent research has indicated that immediate scoring may not be an essential proctor function. However, personal-social interactions and tutoring may affect student academic performance and consumer satisfaction. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of the personal-social aspect of proctoring. A counter-balanced reversal plus control group design was utilized to investigate the effects of: (a) trained and untrained proctors and (b) trained and untrained proctors who participated in a lottery which was based on student performance and satisfaction. Data were collected on proctor behaviors during grading and student academic performance and consumer satisfaction ratings. Although trained proctors and proctors with lottery contingencies seemed to engage in the target behaviors more frequently, the performance of students enrolled in the course did not seem to be differentially affected in terms of the dependent measures investigated.

Der Einsatz von E-Tutoren als Lernbegleiter in komplexen E-Learning-Szenarien sowie deren positive Wirkung auf die Lernenden wird in der Literatur vielfach diskutiert. Das SMWK-geförderte Projekt E‑TuPrax (07/2013-12/2014) knüpfte an diesen Diskurs unmittelbar an. Es hatte u.a. zum Ziel, die Rolle der E-Tutoren in komplexen E-Learning-Szenarien an sächsischen Hochschulen zu erproben und stärker zu professionalisieren. Um dies zu erreichen, wurden insgesamt 33 speziell qualifizierte E-Tutoren in zwei standortübergreifenden E-Learning-Szenarien des IHI Zittau eingesetzt und beforscht. Die dabei gewonnenen Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen flossen in ein ganzheitliches Konzept für den Einsatz von E-Tutoren in der sächsischen Hochschullehre ein.

Oregon Literacy, Inc., requested a study of the volunteer tutors in Multnomah County. This study is primarily based on responses to questionnaires sent to all volunteer tutors on the active list with the program in Multnomah County, including all persons who were certified in the training workshops held in 1975. Results of the questionnaire are examined, and the thesis offers a descriptive analysis of Oregon Literacy Tutors in Multnomah County, Oregon.

Metacognitive awareness plays an important role in students’ learning as well as in teaching and tutoring. The goal of this thesis research is to investigate the relationship between academic tutors’ metacognitive awareness, their student athlete tutees metacognitive awareness and academic performance (by cumulative GPA). Metacognitive awareness in tutors may have a significant influence on tutoring methods and students’ success. The population of tutors and students in the study is represented by 40 pairs of academic tutors and athlete students at one southern U.S. university. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) was utilized and adapted for this study. Simple regression analysis results revealed that metacognitive awareness in students can predict their academic performance. Yet, tutors’ metacognitive awareness did not predict students’ metacognitive awareness and their cumulative GPA scores. Additional research with larger samples and via alternative methods as well as implications about potential of tutors’ metacognitive strategies for learners are discussed.

The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: (a) to investigate how a service-learning class assisted in achieving the goals of a comprehensive guidance and development program in a junior high school, and (b) to examine the effects of a service-learning class on junior high school students. Thirty students who had been in the service-learning class participated in semi-structured interviews. Parents and teachers were also interviewed to cross-validate student perceptions. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed to identify core meanings. Using phenomenological analysis, eight major themes were identified: personal awareness, social skills development, learning skills, career interests, character education, application of class, class satisfaction, and program administration. Each of the eight themes also had several sub-themes. Currently, there is a paucity of research regarding counselors using service-learning as a method to assist in achieving comprehensive guidance program goals. This study found that service-learning is an effective method of comprehensive guidance program delivery and is beneficial to students. Limitations of the study are described and ideas for future research are presented.

A quasi-experimental study determined the effects on students' spelling accuracy when cross-age tutors focused on fixing spelling in writing with their tutees. Fourth-grade tutors, both trained and untrained, helped second-grade tutees fix spelling mistakes in their writing using two strategies: visual memory and word parts. A control group of second and fourth graders were instructed to independently use these two strategies to fix mistakes in their writing. Second graders overall had significant gain scores on measures of spelling accuracy and writing fluency. Regression analyses showed that these gains were not due to a student's participation in either cross-age tutoring or the control group. No significant gain scores were found for fourth graders. These results seem to indicate that cross-age tutors may not be academically beneficial for either tutors or tutees. However, descriptive statistical analyses and informal observations made during cross-age tutoring sessions imply that cross-age tutors can be a valuable educational tool.

Hispanic students are falling behind their peers in reading fluency and are struggling to close the gap. This study examined the reading fluency influence on 73 Hispanic second and third grade students while receiving reading fluency support from middle school Hispanic tutors. These students were compared to Hispanic second and third grade students not receiving tutoring reading support. All students were assessed before the tutors gave reading support, mid-year and after the reading support finished using a school district fluency measurement. Findings found that students made rapid growth in reading fluency from the beginning of the tutoring support to mid-year. From mid-year to the end of the tutoring support, students continued to make growth but at a slower rate. The study used a Likert scale questionnaire given to the teachers and administrators to evaluate perspectives of the effectiveness of the tutors. The findings indicate that tutors are beneficial in supporting the increase in reading fluency achievement as well as being role-models for young Hispanic students. Results of the study suggest that small group instruction guided by a tutor is beneficial to second and third grade students.

Much educational research is currently devoted to determining the most effective instructional strategies for raising student achievement. The instructional strategy used in this study is curriculum integration, which is defined as the process of students and teachers collaboratively designing curriculum and studying real-world problems. The purpose of this study was to understand the implementation of curriculum integration with upper elementary school students in an afterschool program. For this study the guiding research question was "What are the dynamics of implementing curriculum integration with fourth through sixth graders in an afterschool program setting?" The subquestions were (1) What is the teacher's role in implementing curriculum integration in the program? (2) What is the role of student diversity in the implementation of curriculum integration in the program? (3) What is the role of the democratic classroom model in curriculum integration in the program? and (4) What is the role of college-age tutors in curriculum integration in the program? There are several factors to consider when examining a complex concept like curriculum integration. The study concluded that a number of conditions impact the success of implementing curriculum integration in an afterschool program for fourth to sixth graders, including the impact of the federal No Child Left Behind accountability act on the tutors', parents', and children's perceptions of the value of instructional activities that were not textbook-based and awareness of the importance of homework. The study concluded with eight recommendations for those who attempt to implement curriculum integration in an afterschool program. All stakeholders should understand the program's goals, and all program staff should have extensive training in curriculum integration and homework tutoring before and during the program's operation. Resources should be allocated with flexibility. Program evaluation should take into consideration factors not easily quantified. The program should meet daily for at least 3 hours at the school site. Ongoing supervision should prevent a lapse in program implementation. Program implementation should be considered on a continuum, with the goal being a fully implemented program. Mandatory staff meetings should be held each week. More research needs to be conducted on the full implementation of curriculum integration.