EFFECT OF PEER TUTORING ON THE READING ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

EFFECT OF PEER TUTORING ON THE READING ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

ABSTRACT

This research work is carried out to investigate the effect of peer-tutoring teaching strategy on secondary school student academic achievement in Reading. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The design adopted was a Quasi-Experimental. Two hundred (200) students from four selected schools in Awka South Local Government Area were used as research sample. The simple random sampling technique was used to select the sampled schools. The experimental group was exposed to peer-tutoring, while the control group was taught with conventional method. Reading Achievement Test (MAT) was used to collect data from both pretest and posttests. A reliability coefficient of 0.71 was obtained. The data were analyzed using t-test. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study are student taught with peer-tutoring strategy performed better than those taught with conventional teaching method and gender has no effect on their Reading achievement scores. It was recommended that   Government agencies whose responsibility is to design and revise the curriculum for secondary schools should incorporate the use of peer tutoring in teaching.

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

The field of education has undergone a significant shift in thinking about the nature of human learning and the conditions that best promote the varied dimension of human learning (Applefield, Huber & Moallem, 2001 as cited in Gan, 2008). Several researchers had suggested that human learn best if they repeat same behaviour several times, and the theory behind this type of learning in most western schools is viewed through the viewpoints constructivist. (Gan, 2008).

According to Facey-Shaw & Golding (2005) cognitive theories of learning attempt to explain how instructors can use information to improve students’ learning. However, constructivist theory suggests that human learn better if there is an interaction between previous knowledge and new knowledge. Thus, there has been a paradigm shift in the designing of instruction from behaviourists to cognitivists and now to constructivists (Cooper, 2008).

According to Gan, (2008) the conventional teaching approach usually involve teacher starting the lesson by introducing the topic or concept, explaining it and then give some works examples. Lastly, the teacher gives home work to the students. In this kind of learning situation, students are not able to construct their own understanding since they are not actively participating in the teaching and learning process. Students are not able to think creatively, innovatively and critically since they perceivably received what have been taught to them.

In addition some students are not able to keep with the teaching pace. Hence, in order to promote active participation of student’s teachers should adjust their teaching style to a more learner-centred once. One possible teaching approach is the peer-tutoring teaching approach. On the other hand, peer-tutoring are systematic, peer/mediated teaching strategies (Rohrbeck, Ginsburg-Block, Fantuzzo & Miller, 2003).

To further buttress on the above statement, Ezengwu (2007) stated that majority of teachers in the field still employ conventional methods in the classroom teaching, these methods though not without some advantages are found to be didactic, stereotype, ineffective and non-result oriented. The National Reading Advisory Panel (2008) as cited in Anselm (2010) argued that to continue to progress in Reading achievement, we must improve the quality of Reading instruction received by all secondary students. Although many factors affect a student’s Reading learning, one factor over which schools have the most immediate control is the choice of Reading program to be implemented by teachers, administrators and curriculum developers.

Peer tutoring is not a new idea, it is possibly as old as any form of collaborative or community action and has probably always taken place implicitly or vicariously (Topping 2005). But in a changing Higher Education landscape, more formalised and even assessed forms of peer teaching are becoming ever more popular. Indeed Peer tutoring schemes appear to becoming strategized; developing to meet calls for accountability, better assessment, and improved outcomes for students. (Anselm, 2010).

Peer tutoring is a very old practice traceable back at least as far as the ancient Greeks.  Archaic Definitions of peer tutoring perceived the peer tutor as a surrogate teacher in a linear model of the transmission of knowledge from teacher to tutor to tutee. Later it was realised that the peer tutoring interaction was qualitatively different from that between a teacher and a student, and involved different advantage and disadvantages (Razia, 2012).

Peer tutoring is an instructional strategy that consists of pairing students together to learn or practice an academic task. The pairs of students can be of the same or differing ability and/or age range. Peer tutoring encompasses a variety of instructional approaches including Cross-Age Tutoring, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT). Variations exist among instructional approaches. However, the underlying theory is consistent: peer interaction can have a powerful influence on academic motivation and achievement (Light & Littleton, 2000; Steinburg, Dornbusch, & Brown, 2004; Wentzel, 2006). The research base also suggests that socialization experiences that occur during peer tutoring can benefit both the tutor and tutee by motivating students to learn and increasing their social standing among peers (Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L.S., Mathes & Martiniez, 2002; Rohrbeck et. al, 2003; Miller & Miller, 2008). When students understand the benefits of peer tutoring and have the tools to become effective tutors and tutees, they make greater progress than those who are not given any instruction on how to work together (Fuchs, Fuchs,  Hamlett,  Phillips,  Karns, & Dutka, 2007).

Peer-tutoring consists of students partnership, linking high achieving students with lower achieving students or those with comparable achievement for structure reading and Reading study seasons. Peer-tutoring refer to situation where one child provides instructional assistance and guidance to another child (Tan, Cheah & Choug, 2005).

Furthermore, Nathern and Liz (2007) as cited in Ezenwosu, and Loretta (2013) noted that peer tutoring gives teachers the capability to accommodate a classroom with diverse learners to improve academic achievement across ability levels and content areas. According to Vygotsky (1987) as cited in Razia (2012) peers play a special role in children’s development. Although children’s relationship with their parents is more intense and enduring than relations with peers, interactions among age-mates are more free and egalitarian. The greater fluidity of peer relationships offers children the opportunity for a new kind of interpersonal experimentation and exploration.

Schools across the country are adopting and using student centered instruction rather than the conventional teaching method of instruction. This method of teaching has increased student achievement in all subjects of the elementary classroom, as well as the use of Reading in everyday life (Topping, Campbell, Douglas & Smith, 2003).

Motivation was an additional benefit of using peer assisted learning to promote student learning in the Reading classroom. Results have also indicated that learners were motivated in achieving their own success in Reading (McMaster, Fuchs and Fuchs, 2006). Research on peer-assisted learning and its effects on students in Reading, has proven to be a beneficial way in achieving success (McMaster et al., (2006); Nesselrodt & Alger, (2005); Robinson, (2005); Spencer, (2006).

According to research on same-age and cross-age peer tutoring, significant gains were made in learners of all backgrounds (Cairo & Craig, 2005). Nebo (2012) stated that this conventional method of teaching has failed to recognize the uniqueness of the inquiry base nature of Reading and the learner’s individuality thus failed to encourage creative thinking in the learner leading to poor achievement of students. Based on this  educators and scholars are challenged to seek for an intervention or innovative methods that would enhance academic achievement of students in Reading some of these methods includes concept mapping, discovering method, co-operative learning, target task approach, peer tutoring e.t.c. (Okoye, 2013).

According to Benjamin 2010 the benefits of peer-tutoring is that a struggling student can benefit greatly from having to prepare and teach the topic that they are studying to a tutor from the same age group as them. The formal lines that exist between a teacher and a student aren’t as defined with someone who is the same age as the person learning, and are therefore easier to cross and find common ground with that said student.

Therefore, students need to be able to master problem-solving skills. One way to achieve this goal is through peer-assisted learning (also known as peer tutoring), which, according to Calhoon (2003), is defined as students working together to teach one another. According to Summers (2006), this style of learning is correlated to social constructivism because students use their own knowledge to assist each other with assignments and class assessments.

• Statement of the Problem

            The low level of attainment of students in Reading at every segment of educational system have given Reading and even Reading educators a high level of concern which is so because of the universally held assumption of the growth and development of mankind. A lot of research efforts have been focused on identifying factors that inhibit the learning of Reading. According to Anselm (2010) Poor motivation, and lecture method have been highlighted as problems. The approached used by many Reading teachers is one which does not give room for students to develop their intuition, imagination and creative abilities. As a results of this, Reading educators are constantly interested on how and when to optimally adopt different Reading instructional strategies in order to achieve the stated Reading educational objectives. Obviously, the traditional Reading teacher as information giver or textbook guided classroom has failed to bring the desired outcome of producing well thinking Reading students to meet the present global challenges. (Anselm, 2010)

Therefore, there is need to search for more effective instructional strategies that are likely to improve students’ academic achievement in secondary school Reading. Hence, this study seeks to make a comparative analysis on peer tutoring type of co-operative based learning instructional strategy and the traditional teaching strategy in relation to Reading achievement among Primary School Pupils in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this research is to investigate the effect of peer tutoring and conventional teaching strategies on the Reading achievement of Primary School Pupils in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Specifically, the research objectives include the following:

1. To compare academic achievement of students using peer-tutoring method and conventional method of instruction.
2. To compare male and female students academic achievement using peer tutoring method.
3. To compare the effect of peer-tutoring and conventional method of instruction in student’s retention level in Reading.

• Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions:

1. What impact does Peer-tutoring and Conventional Teaching Strategies have on Student Academic Achievement in Reading?
2. Does Gender have any influence on the Academic Achievement of Students in Reading using Peer-tutoring?
3. What are the effects of peer-tutoring and conventional teaching strategies in student’s retention level in Reading?

• Research Hypothesis

H01: There is no significance difference in academic achievement of students taught Reading using peer tutoring method and those taught using conventional teaching Strategies

H02: There is no significance difference between male and female performance in Reading when taught using peer tutoring.

H03: There is no significance difference between students retention when taught Reading using Peer tutoring and Conventional teaching Strategy.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The quest to find an acceptable, relevant functional and conclusive method for teaching and learning of Reading has been of great concern to Reading educators. As a result, Reading educators are constantly interested on how to optimally adopt different Reading instructional strategies in order to achieve the stated Reading educational objectives. Peer tutoring as learning aid may improve students’ feeling of success and help them develop confidence in Reading through their direct involvement. This innovation when use helps in solving the problem of mere teaching-learning of Reading syndrome by domination. Since the teacher-centered measures have not eradicated poor achievement from Reading students, it is time to adopt alternative ways of arresting it. Hence, this study will provide the basis for Reading educators towards the adoption of Class-wide peer tutoring as a measure against poor academic achievement.

The study also significant, as the findings can improve on Reading teachers’ ways of presenting their lesson appropriately, thereby making students’ to become interested, participate actively with Reading concept. This will help to inculcate good cooperative learning habits on Reading students to enhance good academic achievement through involvement in peer tutoring.

The curriculum experts at large would benefit a lot from the outcome of this study.

• Scope and Delimitation of the study

The scope of the study is based on the comparative analysis of peer tutoring and teaching strategy on academic performance of Primary School Pupils in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The research work will be limited to the analysis based on the achievement test, and relevant text (literature). The topics to be covered are Differentiation and Integration. Other limitation of the study is: inability of the researcher to cover the entire population of the study.

1.7 Operational Terms Used

1. Peer: Students of the same age/ability.
2. Tutoring:  A person charged with the instruction and guidance of another

• Comparative: A systematic observation of the similarities or dissimilarities between two or more subjects or variables of study.

1. Academic Performance: Evaluation of students’ expected performance on academic activities in the classroom.

EFFECT OF PEER TUTORING ON THE READING ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE

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