Spencer Beck

#2

Classwide Peer Tutoring

Why: Classwide Peer Tutoring systems are designed to

Promote social learning; this strategy incorporates one-on-one time with varying student
partnerships and can help to lessen social tension and create solidarity within a class

Help students who are disadvantaged; teachers can select partnerships to maximize both
student mentoring and teacher interaction opportunities.

Provide an opportunity for students to explore the different levels of content

understanding; as described in Blooms Taxonomy (Remember, Understand, Apply,
Analyze, Evaluate, and Create).

This tutoring strategy can be used in general ed., inclusion, resource, and/or selfcontained classrooms; to varying degrees.

Classwide peer tutoring provides the opportunity to respond, for students. Opportunity
to respond has been observed to directly correlate with student engagement. Giving
students time with a partner to engage with academic content in a more relaxed/informal
environment can encourage students to experiment with the functionality of the academic
content or skill.

Classwide peer tutoring is classwide, so when implemented correctly this strategy can be
beneficial to all students. Well established tutor pairings will be student centered and rely
on discussion with the teacher acting as a floating facilitator.

Corrective feedback is very important to gaining knowledge and skills, but for some
students this feedback is dreaded because of the stigma of being addressed in front of the
class. Corrective feedback must be done thoughtfully because students are timid about
answering incorrectly or answering at all. However in tutoring pairs, with a peer, the idea
of making a mistake or being incorrect can become less daunting. The importance of
corrective feedback addressed by a teacher spending focus time with a specific tutor pair
while the other pairs continue to engage with the content. In a lecture-style classroom the
teacher is afforded much less time to address the needs of each student.

When implemented correctly, classwide peer tutoring can help to negate disparities
caused by the heterogeneity within a classroom.
How:

According to experiments done by Hall, Delquadri, and Greenwood in the early 1980s
learning is a product of an eco-behavioral interaction; which can be accomplished via
peer tutoring. Classwide Peer Tutoring provides the Opportunity to respond which
encourages students to engage in eco-behavioral interaction with academic content.

An eco-behavioral interaction is described as: the meeting of environmental factors (time,

instruction manner, content, etc..) and the level of active student response (academic
conversation, read alouds, etc..). When we incorporate the teaching strategy of classwide
peer tutoring we are maximizing the time in which we, as teachers, can oversee
individual students eco-behavioral interaction with content.

Each tutoring pair is dealing with the content in a personal, and conversational, manner
which can empower students to interact and help teacher spot students in need.

Classwide Peer Tutoring relies on behavior analysis principles, we must be able to

establish appropriate pairings and group expectations. Failure to do so can lead to
behavioral and academic disruptions; the goal is to establish a give-and-take mentality

with each student pairing flowing between the roles of learning; leading and listening.
Procedure: Suggested time: 30 minutes
Establish the expectations; a signal and procedure for students to pair and begin Classwide Peer
Tutoring. Explain the value of the strategy (ie casual academically driven conversation, tutoring,
opportunity to respond, corrective feedback, etc..)
Explain the concept of classwide tutoring; working in partners to create a greater classwide
understanding of content; partners should be changed fairly often, weekly if necessary.
Establish a point/error correction system (points given for correct answers, good behavior, etc..),
and the tutor/student rotation (partners should take around ten minutes to participate as tutor and
ten minutes to participate as student).
Model the tutoring strategy procedure; review each component in a classwide walk through of
the process.
Practice the classwide tutoring strategy by overseeing the procedural steps and providing positive
and corrective feedback to the student tutor pairs.

Spencer Beck
#2
References:
Alderman, G., Green, S., Liechty, A. (2004). Peer Tutoring, Individualized Intervention, and Progress Monitoring
with At-Risk Second-Grade Readers.
Carta, J., Delquadri, J., Greenwood, C., Hall, R., Whorton, D. (April 1986). Classwide Peer Tutoring.
Chow, J., Gilmour, A. (2016). Designing and Implementing Group Contingencies in the Classroom; A Teachers
Guide.