Elder Students Offer Instruction to Younger Classmates in a Reciprocal Learning Environment
In a recent study titled "Examining the Academic Effects of Cross-age Tutoring: A Meta-analysis," researchers led by Elizabeth Swanson have found that cross-age tutoring, a method where older students help younger ones learn, can be just as effective as adult-led tutoring. The study, published in Educational Psychology Review in March, looked at 32 studies with over 4,500 participants combined.
Swanson and her team recorded and scored the tutoring sessions to measure their alignment with the intervention. The study found that cross-age tutoring was beneficial for both students receiving help and the tutors themselves, with the tutors seeing slightly more improvement in their reading skills.
The findings suggest that students can deliver the intervention as effectively as adults, sometimes even better. Swanson notes that the benefit seen for the tutors is significant, as a struggling third through fifth grader who delivers a first-grade reading intervention can also benefit from the process.
The study's findings indicate that cross-age tutoring can work in various settings, subjects, and types of students, giving flexibility to teachers and school leaders. Swanson even suggests that cross-age tutoring should not be limited to schools but can be used in after-school care providers and programs.
To further explore the effectiveness of cross-age tutoring, Swanson and her colleague Andrew Chang are currently working on a large randomized control study of cross-age tutoring interventions conducted after school at over 60 YMCAs, involving hundreds of students. The results of this study have not yet been detailed, but Swanson and Chang express enthusiasm about the potential impact of their research.
Swanson advises educators not to view cross-age tutoring as a silver bullet but as a cost-effective intervention that could be added to existing interventions with little time and no extra cost. Chang also highlights that none of the factors examined significantly changed the results, indicating that cross-age tutoring was helpful across different situations.
In conclusion, the latest research suggests that cross-age tutoring is a promising method for improving reading skills and could be a valuable addition to educational interventions in various settings.
- Cross-age tutoring, an effective method for learning, can be conducted by students themselves, justifying its potential application in education-and-self-development and personal-growth programs.
- The study's findings suggest that cross-age tutoring can be advantageous for both the student tutors and the students receiving help, with the latter often observing improvements in their reading skills.
- Instructional opportunities beyond traditional classroom settings, such as after-school care providers and programs, could leverage cross-age tutoring for digital learning, offering a flexible approach to education.
- Ongoing research continues to support cross-age tutoring as a cost-effective, adaptable intervention method, promoting broader accessibility to educational resources and enabling personal growth and academic improvement for students.
