At the beginning of this year, 2023, the U.K.-based Education Endowment Foundation published the results of a meta-study of more than 2,500 studies of what helps, (and what doesn’t really help), with a student’s academic success. This analysis, the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, considered 30 different educational strategies and ranked them on the amount of research that has gone into each strategy, their implementation costs, and their effectiveness (how much academic progress was achieved). While there was only one categorization of results for one-on-one tutoring, a number of tutoring-related tactics as well as actions that can be implemented by tutors indicate that the answer to “Does tutoring help students?” is a “Yes!” – tutoring can be an extremely effective approach to student success.
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What do the numbers say?
Looking at the data from the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, it should come as no surprise to either parents or tutors that while 1-on-1 tutoring ranks highly in effectiveness as evidenced by research, it is also one of the most costly strategies to pursue. Peer tutoring and small group tutoring rank similarly highly in effectiveness at a lower cost.
As a strictly academic exercise performed by an unengaged and impersonal instructor, tutoring presents as a high-cost / medium-benefit approach, but when you consider the related activities that an engaged and empathetic tutor can incorporate to their instruction, then the value of tutoring can be immeasurable.
Tutor to Super-tutor!
Referring again to chart above, we can see that there are many research-supported strategies which require little (or no) cost in implementation but which result in significant advances to student achievement. Tutors who want to heighten that benefit-to-cost ratio for their learners may look to these other strategies that have proven incredibly beneficial.
- Feedback: “Feedback is information given to the learner about the learner’s performance relative to learning goals or outcomes. It should aim to (and be capable of producing) improvement in students’ learning.”1 Whether a simple “Good for you!”, in the form of after-class assessments, or as regular unit quizzes, tutors can incorporate feedback easily and effectively to demonstrate the student’s progress to both the student and their parents.
- Phonics: “Phonics is an approach to teaching some aspects of literacy, by developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the relationship between written symbols and sounds.“2 There is currently some debate about the role of phonics in the RLA or ESL classroom, but the research still supports that phonics instruction is effective and beneficial when utilized consistently and appropriately.
- Oral Language Interventions: “…refer to approaches that emphasize the importance of spoken language and verbal interaction in the classroom. They include dialogic activities.“3 So many tutors naturally engage in oral language extension, but it does no harm to reiterate that questioning, discussion, elaboration and imagination trigger so much more of a student’s cognitive development than simple reading alone.
- Reading Comprehension: “Reading comprehension strategies focus on the learners’ understanding of written text. Pupils learn a range of techniques which enable them to comprehend the meaning of what they read.”4 This is more specific to the RLA or ESL tutor. Asking learners to summarize what they’ve read, to infer the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary from context, to sequence a text from illustrations, or to develop questions and discussion points greatly increases the absorption and attraction of reading.
- Metacognition: “…teaching [students] specific strategies for planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning“5. Big word for a relatively simple concept. Metacognition requires that learners think about their own thinking. Tutors can encourage learners to bring to mind what they already know, “This reminds me of..”, “I know that…”; they can evaluate what they don’t know, “I am wondering…”, “I am figuring out…”, “Where did I get stuck previously?”; and they can strategize solutions, “What am I being asked?”, “What are the steps I need to follow?”.
- Parental Engagement: “... refers to teachers and schools involving parents in supporting their children’s academic learning“6. Perhaps the trickiest element for educators of any stripe, high levels of parental engagement has consistently been shown to increase the academic success of students, especially younger learners. Parental engagement doesn’t solely refer to having the parents help with homework and other learning activities, but also to the communications and support that exist between parents and educators.
The Takeaway for Parents
Individual tutoring can be expensive, but is shown to be effective. To maximize the benefit to your child for the cost of tutoring, look for tutors who are not only personable and knowledgeable, but who also encourage your child to reach and think beyond the course material, and who involve you as colleagues in your child’s growth.
The Takeaway for Tutors
The reward of teaching / tutoring is directly correlated to the evidence of the blossoming of our student’s minds. To maximize and ensure that we are most effective in nourishing that growth we must always be alert to approaches that increase our own potential. Though many training programs and retreats exist to sharpen our skills, they can be expensive in terms of both time and cash. Never overlook the proven, low-cost and easily-implemented strategies.
References
1 https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/feedback
2 https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/phonics
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