The Advantages of Peer Tutoring

C. Peer Tutoring and Students’ Academic Achievement

There are many studies investigated the effect of peer tutoring in students‟ academic achievement. First, the study by Jibrin, A. G. and Zayum, S. D. investigated the effect of peer tutoring instructional method on students‟ achievement in Biology among secondary school students in Zaria Metropolis, Nigeria. The design for the study was pretest and posttest experimental control group design. All the 60 senior secondary schools within Zaria metropolis constituted the population of the study. Two senior secondary schools were randomly selected and made into experimental and control groups. Biology Achievement Test BAT was prepared by the researcher and validated by Two senior lecturers from education department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a reliability coefficient r=0.67 was arrived at. Biology Achievement Test BAT was administered to the students by the researcher. Data collected were analyzed using t-test statistics. The results indicated that students taught biology using peer tutoring instructional method achieved higher than those taught using expository method. 24 Other study by Janet W. Colvin in the communication department at university in Utah,USA. The data collection procedures occurred over an 18-month period, from April 2003 through December 2004, when a peer tutoring program was developed for. The procedures are training course and tutor internship. The training course focused on providing undergraduate students with training in pedagogical theories, principles, and skills necessary for successful tutoringTutor internship. Students who wanted to practice what they learned were asked to submit a brief resume the second month of the training course and to complete an application to become a peer tutor or advisor intern for the communication department during the following semester. The internship was for three hours course work and was considered a practicum for the training course. There were 230 students between the 24 Jibrin, Zayum. effect of Peer Tutoring Instructional Method on the Academic Achievement in Biology among Secondary School Students in Zaria Metropolis, Nigeria. Journal of Research in Education and Society , Vol.3. Agustus 2012. pp. 13-17. two classes, and tutors were assigned to groups ranging from five to seven members each. Results of study showed that peer tutoring program has many benefits in students‟ academic achievement such as math or science. 25 While the study by Yolanda Vaillant Sanz1 and Michael Rubin report a peer tutoring program providing a supportive learning environment was designed to help students achieve successful General Chemistry course outcomes. This program was developed to increase student retention by providing a peer-led personalized and individualized learning experience to address their academic and emotional needs in a holistic way. Some students enrolled in chemistry courses at the Cayey University College CUC of the University of Puerto Rico UPR participated in this program over the past two and a half years. Data was collected from student questionnaires as well as official class lists of all General Chemistry course sections with the final grade for each student. The Program includes directors, an administrator, student mentors, and student participants. The Results over the past two years, show a significant increase in satisfactory course outcomes final grades of A, B, or C and indicate the development of positive attitudes among program participants when compared with non-participants. 26 In sum, peer tutoring in which students help other students learning in a group, can be an alternative way of teaching because it gives many advantages especially in academic achievement. Although each group has its own personality and unique interactive pattern, with a good planning and program, peer tutoring have some positive effects on students‟ achievement. 25 Janet W. Colvin, Peer Tutoring and Social dynamics in Higher Education. Mentoring and Tutoring, Vol. 15, No. 2, May 2007. pp. 165-181. 26 Yolanda, Michael Rubin. Peer Tutoring and Mentoring Creates a Supportive Learning Environment that Enhances Achievement in General Chemistry Course. June 19, 2000. pp. 1 – 14.

D. Theoretical Thinking

The writer used theory of Peer tutoring in this research. Peer tutoring is a technique in teaching in which students helping other students who lack of ability. The grammar of English consists of all the rules that govern the formation of English sentences, and this is what student should learn because it is the key of understanding the language and using it to communicate. Some students find difficulty in learning English grammar because there are many components of English grammar and it is very complex discussion. One of component in English grammar is tenses. Since learning tenses is quiet difficult for some students, peer tutoring in which students have role as teachers tutors and tutee and help each other, can be an alternative tehnique in teaching grammar especially simple past tense.

E. Research Hypothesis

Hypothesis consists of alternative hypothesis H 1 and null hypothesis H as the negation of the alternative hypothesis. Based on the explanation above, the hypothesis of this study was formulated as: The null hypothesis H : Teaching simple past using peer tutoring technique is not effective. The alternative hypothesis H a : Teaching simple past using peer tutoring technique is effective. 24

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The objective of the study is to find out whether or not using peer tutoring is effective toward s students’ understanding in using simple past tense. The indicators of the peer tutoring effectiveness are increasing students’ score and students have better understanding of the materials. Since the students’ score on post-test is higher than score on the pre-test, peer tutoring is effective towards students’ understanding in using simple past tense.

A. Place and Time

The study was conducted in MTs Negeri 19 Jakarta located in Jalan Pinang Kalijati Pondok Labu, Jakarta Selatan. It took place for about four months or during PPKT occurred on March until June 2013.

B. Population and Sample

This study was distributed to students in eighth grade of MTs N 19 Jakarta. This study was a quasi-experimental study. Technique in choosing the sample was purposive sampling. Purposive sampling is a technique to decide object for study based on some considerations that enable writer easy to conduct the study. The writer’s considerations for choosing two classes were: 1 these two classes have same characteristics in learning, so it can avoid other variable to influence the study, 2 based on the information from their teacher, these two classes have better achievement than other classes, 3 the students of VIII – 1 and VIII – 3 are more cooperative than others to be in groups. The sample consisted of 48 students from two classes. Each class consisted of 24 students.