schoolmasters. Bell was a truly remarkable educator who recognized the many advantages of peer tutoring, not only in terms of educational progress but in the
improved self-esteem of all involved and the accruing improved discipline in classroom and school as a whole. For tutor Bell realized that far from being held back
in his studies, „the tutor far more efficiently learns his lesson than if he had not to teach it to another. By teaching he is well taught‟.
22
d. Social psychology, economic and political benefits of peer tutoring.
Students become aware of their social dynamic. Topping reported that in peer tutoring, social isolation might be reduced, the functionality of the subject modeled,
and aspirations raised, while combating any excess of individualistic competition between students. Study by Moust and Schmidt found that students felt more
interested in their lives and personalities, and were less authoritarian, yet more focused on assessment. Economic advantages of peer tutoring might include the
possibility of teaching more students more effectively, freeing staff time for other purposes. Politically peer tutoring gives the management of learning to the learners in
a democratic way, seeks to empower students rather than de-skill them by dependency on imitation of a master culture, and might reduce student dissatisfaction
and unrest.
23
22
Keith Topping. Effective Peer Tutoring in Further and Higher Education: The Typology and Review of The Literature. Peer Tutor in higher
Education 32,1996, pp. 32 –340.
23
Ibid.
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.
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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.
