Lecture: Tutorteaching by Mr. Hans Wenke, 28 march 2000.

Tutorteaching is an education model not yet used often in Holland.
Anyhow there is hardly any no systematic research done.
Also the idea tutorteaching can be multi interpetered. Some people understand by it "same-age-tutoring"; classmates help each other, other people speak about "cross-age-tutoring"; the older student helps the younger ones.
Sometimes it can be an adult or some one from inside or outside the school, or a student of the university who helps a student of the high-school.

There are different tutorteaching systems: "same-age-tutoring" (class fixed),
"a- cross-age system" and "a-cross-school system".

In this session I will speak only about the "cross-age" variant, because in my opinion this is a very effective method. Pupils work with each other, on a one to one base, in which the tutor is the leader who assist the other pupil.

Tutorteaching is not something new. In the old Greek, a paidagoges was a Grecian slave, who taught the various activities to the younger slave.

It is not my idea to compare slavery with education.

Helen Parkhurst, the founder of the Dalton concept used systematicly tutorteaching at her first school in Dalton. Older pupils took part in the learning proces of younger pupils.
In America and in England too, tutorteaching is used in various ways and there is a lot of science research done.
I like to point out specificly a tutorteaching research done within a minorety group.
The outcome was startling.

To the following part of my speach I will use next index.
 

1. Whenever a tutorteaching system is started at first one must invest in it.
   Is this investment oké comparing to the benefits of tutorteaching systems?
   What are the benefits?
   
    
   1. To improve the learning achievement.
      Not only for the student that is trained but also for the tutor.
      Seneca said: "The best way to learn something is to teach it."
      
       
   2. Time advantage.
      Pupils get immediate individual instruction focused on what is necessary. If a teacher should do this, it takes a lot of time (= money). To realise a tutorteaching system takes time as well but can't be compared.
      
       
   3. Increasing the motivation.
      Motivation for the whole process of learning will increase if especially when pupils and tutor find out, the results get better.
      Students like the model, mostly it is a welcome change in the usual school job.
      More working pleasure means more motivation, more motivation means better results.
      
       
   4. Individual attention.
      The one to one base give a pupil a lot of individual attention and immediate feedback.
      There is a start of a friendly relationship between tutor and pupil: More attention is almost impossible.
      
       
   5. The school climate is improved a lot.
      Working together is a powerfull issue. There is no competition. However the aim is to improve the results but this happens by working together.
      The involvement of pupils gets stronger. The intens social exchange goes beyond the class. This will improve the total school climate.
      
       
   6. The interactive learning is encouraged.
      In a full class, in a normal situation, pupils get their turn in on a while. There is little active learning behaviour.
      In tutorteaching a higher interactive level is reached. There is a personal attention and therefor the pupil is actively involved in subject matter.
      The pupil has to think of solutions himself, and is motivated to reflect upon his own work.
      
       
   7. Experience of succes improve learning.
      By fixing reacheble targets all pupils can experience succes.
      Pupils that suffer from fear of failure can break through.
      
       
   8. Pupils often can better "explain" than the teacher.
      The tutor is well attuned to the younger pupils. Especially if he has expecienced himself before problems in that subject matter.
      
       
   9. Positive development on social and emotional situations.
      Pupils learn to value each other positively, to give sincerely attention to another, to make compliments. So they get personally involved. These are the values that are not only important at school but also later on in society.
      
       
   10. Positive influence for the tutor.
       The tutor gets a part of the responsibility of a younger pupil. Especially when a pupil improves his learning results it will give the tutor selfconfidence. He will be proud of himself and his pupil. The feeling of his own worth is growing.
       
        
   11. Benefits to the teacher.
       The teacher gets more time to pay attention to pupils he did not have time for before. He does not live anymore with the constant feeling he is failing.
       In comparison with other educational renewing programms it cost relatively little energy.
        

   
   
   Ending this part the question should not be: "Why a tutorsystem?", but: "Why not a tutor system?"
   
   
    

2. Off course in the first instance one can put a few critical questions:
   
    
   1. How to organise?
      In my opinion a lot of educational change fail in organisation. The relevant question is not "How to organise it?", but "Will I organise it ?" If it is my real whish, I always can organise it. A lot is possible with a good attitude, a little bit of creativity and a little bit of inventively.
      
       
   2. Does not the tutor miss too much time of his own lessons?
      Here I like to refer to what Seneca said "The best way to learn something is to teach it." From research it is clear that the benefits to the tutor in cognitive and social emotional development are convincing.
      
       
   3. Do the parents agree?
      Most parents of a pupil that gets extra attention find this excellent. The parents of the tutor may think differently. It is clear, before starting a tutorteaching system it needs to be talked over with the parents and to have an open mind if they raise objections. From strategic point of few I always advise in Holland for instance: never let pupils of the final group (8) be a tutor before the national tests. Don't give the parents an aliby to say when their child scores negative in the test. "You see my child must help other pupils, that's why….." Make these pupils tutor after the national tests.
      
       
   4. What to do when tutor and pupil don't hit off?
      Important is that preparations must be very carefull so problems can be accured. If later on it appears a copple is not so succesfull, than almost talk it over and if necessary stop this coöperation and make a new combination. The concluding of this critical questions is: (to speak with Seneca): "not because it is difficult we don't start, but it is difficult because we don't start it."

   
   
    

3. A practical example.
   
   This is an example of a tutorteaching programm from University of Amsterdam. Pupils with retardation in arithmetic of group 4 (7-8 years) are tutored by pupils of group 7 (10-11 years).
   
   The aim was, both groups could practice basic skills. Because not only the pupil of group 4 practice but also the tutor has to work again with this subject matter in a basic skill.
   Both work on the same matter.
   To start this programm the tutors got a training in social pedagogical and general didactical skills, so they were prepared to work with their pupil.
   
   The tutor programm itself contains 3 tutor lessons a week, 30 minutes each.
   (This including preparations for instance as how to fetch the pupil, to organise material etc.)
   A part of the tutor pairs work in corners in the hallway or other area's outside the classroom.
   Next to the tutorlesson once a week there was tutor training lesson (20 to 30 minutes) with a lot of sociodrama. These lessons become shorter after ± 5 weeks.
   
   From research appears, a pupil who worked with a tutor improved a lot compared to those who did not work with a tutor.
   Also the tutors improved!
   The selfconfidence of the tutor as well as the pupil had improved a lot. This makes a possitive influence on the total learning.
   
    
4. Training of the tutor.
   
   Training of the tutors is absolutly necessary. "Why should not pupils help each other without training before?"
   "Leave it to their own responsibility!"
   
   These kind of questions or remarks are frequently made by the teachers.
   Straight and clear: "If you want tutorteaching to be effective, training must be done!"
   Otherwise there is a big chance that not so ment pedagogical negative remarks of the tutor the results become negative influenced. It is also possible that the tutor is giving only the answers and nothing more.
   
   The attitudes are mostly practiced in sociodrama.
   Agnes Vosse¹⁾ differs various parts, called:
    
   1. How to fletch the younger pupil from the classroom?
       
   2. How to react if your pupil makes a mistake?
       
   3. What to do if your pupil is doing good?
       
   4. How do you mark faults?
       
   5. How do you give feedback?
       
   6. How to practice in substance with your pupil?
       

   
   The parts are written down on small cards; all future tutors play the part of tutor as well as the part of the pupil.
   First the sociodrama is played in the way how things absolutely must not happen, afterwards how things should happen.
   After each time the players are asked to tell their experience.
   
   
   ¹⁾Agnes Vosse, Kinderen begeleiden kinderen bij leerachterstanden. Groningen 1994.
   
   For instance:

   Your pupil makes a mistake.
   You say: "fault" if it happens.
   In case of more mistakes you get irritated, you started to sigh and drum your
   fingers on the table.
   
   If your pupil makes a mistake.
   You say: "Look once again" or "Almost good."
   Don't show if your pupil make mistakes that you dislike it.
   You stay patient and friendly.

   Training is absolutely necessary.
   Mark: the training is not only good for the tutorteaching but also training has a good influence on the total person.
   
   
    

5. Mentoring in Secundary Education.
   
   Mentoring is a form in which a more experienced person (the mentor) coaches a less experienced person (the mentee (the pupil)).
   
   Here I will restrict myself to pupil mentoring. The mentor and the pupil differ a few years in age but belong to the same peer group. So we speak about peer-mentoring.
   
   Maybe, it is also interesting for you to notice the results of research of mentoring programms of minority groups (roman problem).
   
   From research of peer-mentoring the following issues are clear:
    
   1. The pupils like it and are more competent with their school.
       
   2. The individual attention prevents problems.
       
   3. The mentor learns to delegate knowledge and skills. Doing that he learns various skills. This consolidate his selfconfidence and therefor he is more involved in the school.
       
   4. It consolidate the good relation between pupils, and between pupils and the school. This is good for the atmosphere and influences the learning activities positively.
       
   5. It appeals to the responsibility by students and that gives motivation again.
       
   6. Schools can profile themselves with a good pupil coaching system.
       

   
   
   The requirements for this.
   
    

   1. Good preparation and organisation.
      It must be clear who is responsible for which task, and in which period this must be realised.
      For instance:
       
      • to determine the aims
         
      • to recruit mentors
         
      • to select mentors
         
      • to make a time - schedule of coaching moments, training, and evaluation
         
      • to inform the parents
         
      • to inform all teachers
         

      
       

   2. Carefull recruitment and selection of mentors.
      An active, individual approach is often necessary. Mentors need to know all inns and
      outs very well. This concerns to their job as for the time investment.
      The rejection of pupils that apply for mentor, must be done with great carefullness.
      
       
   3. Carefull connection of mentor and pupil.
      It must hit off between mentor and pupil. It could be an advantage if both pupils share the same hobby. Also the same background can be starting point.
      Also the personalities are very important (don't mix two busy behaving pupils).
      
       
   4. Good training, good coaching and support of the mentors.
      A well known trap is mentors are too much involved in their pupils. Therefor they forget they must limit their mentor task. They must know what their limits are and ask for help if these limits are overstepped.
      
       
   5. The bearing surface in and outside the school.
      The whole team must have commitment.
      The director should play if possible a guiding part.
      
       
   6. Continuing coördination and supervising.
      Continuing coördination and supervising of more persons is of greatest interest to prevent that after a flying start the project fade away.
      
       
   7. Periodic evaluation.
      When the aims are correctly formulated in between evaluation is the basic for the update of the programm.
      To look upon the experiences of the mentor is important. Can they cope with their task, are they prepared, was the coaching enough?
      
       

Peer-mentoring can be very effective and atmosphere increasing on schools of Secundary Education.


Finally:
In tutorteaching and peer-mentoring pupils coach each other in a structured way.
Next to the teacher, the pupil and the subject matter the fellow pupil also gets an important part in the education.

"He forms the same kind of relationship in his schoollife that he will afterwards get in his business or professional life". (Helen Parkhurst, Education on the Dalton Plan. New York 1922.)


Hans Wenke
Brno, 28 march 2000