Relative effectiveness of peer and cross-age tutoring in improving ianguage achievement of high need primary school pupils

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the relative effectiveness of peer tutoring and cross-age tutoring on the language achievement of high need primary four pupils of public primary schools. The study adopted the equivalent group design with two experimental groups and a control group. Participants comprised of ninety pupils in primary four, their teachers, along with three each of primaries four and six pupils who respectively served in the study as peer and cross-age tutors. Assessment of language achievement was determined using a test developed for the purpose of the study (r= .79). Three hypotheses were posited and tested. Analysis of Variance indicated that there is a significant treatment effect on language achievement of participants (F 2,89 = 5.600; p <.05). Also, all treatment groups produced significant gains in the achievement of subjects. The Peer tutored group however had the greatest gains, and produced relatively higher performance than any other group, with Crossage (x = 2.033; p> .05) with control group (x = 3.600; p< .05). Implications of the findings for language policy of the National Policy on Education were drawn and suggestions made for the innovative use of peer tutoring in primary schools.

Key words: Peer tutoring; Cross-age tutoring; Language achievement; High need pupils; Primary schools