The feasibility of tutor-based assessments in cognitive skills, functional literacy, and literacy-related self-confidence was studied through assessment batteries completed by 38 tutors from curriculum-based or learner-centered literacy programs for adults. It is recommended that such assessments be incorporated into tutor training workshops to…

Describes the nature of social interactions within the context of tutorial sessions and describes the role of listening within the mentoring relationship as seen in fourth-grade at-risk children in a culturally diverse elementary school. Concludes that highly successful tutors were skillful communicators who modeled effective listening skills,…

Uses a study of a high school writing center program to illustrate and explain the different forms and skills needed for collaborative writing in both classroom and writing center contexts. (MM)

Group interviews and observations of 477 British secondary students in a personal development planning (PDP) project were analyzed. Both male and female students were highly motivated toward career success, but males had greater confidence in their self-knowledge. The quality of the PDP process was highly influenced by the skills of tutors who…

Japanese students are tracked, not into different programs within a school, but into entirely different high schools--academic, vocational, and commercial--that educate them poorly. Virtually 100% of public school graduates would fail college entrance exams without the "juku," or cram school. Reforms are not imminent, since the current…

A review of four articles concludes that the work of literacy workers is not valued, partly because of its identification as "women's work." Challenges to its recognition are lack of funding, worker reluctance to organize for change, and overwork and part-time status. (SK)

Describes problems encountered by a British basic skills accreditation initiative and teacher certification program, both of which used competency-based assessment. (SK)

Reviews studies of psychosocial variables that maximize outcomes in peer tutoring programs. Considers research on tutoring behaviors and their relation to outcomes; effective tutorial instruction methods; expectations and attributions in tutoring settings; tutorial roles and student pairings; and cooperative learning formats. Makes recommendations…

Analyzes tutoring and other educational programs offered for Southeast Asian refugees at a social service site. Data gathered by observers show the importance of the supportive climate and the teaching occurring during tutoring, English-as-a-Second-Language classes, and informal play. (SLD)

Details a tutor's experiences in teaching a 12-year-old gifted student with learning disabilities. The positive effect of allowing the student to choose his own literature and working with his strengths is recounted. The narrative highlights the importance of honoring a student's gifts. (CR)

Effects of peer versus teacher delivered individualized instruction when teaching basic sight words with a constant time delay procedure to four secondary students with moderate/severe disabilities are compared. Results show that, while both modes of delivery are effective, teacher instruction was slightly more efficient than peer tutor…

Peer assessment provides a useful mechanism to develop many positive qualities in students studying in higher education (HE). Potential influences on peer-awarded marks include student qualities such as gender, HE background (e.g. university affiliation) and participation in the development of the assessment criteria. Many studies that have…

This article describes a two-year study addressing the effectiveness of a highly structured, systematic tutoring intervention implemented by minimally trained college students with two cohorts of at-risk first-grade readers. Participants were 61 first-grade children in Cohort 1 and 76 first-grade children in Cohort 2. Tutors participated in three…

This qualitative study aims to interpret the results of a randomized controlled trial comparing two educational programs (directed learning and self-directed learning) in evidence-based medicine (EBM) for medical students at the University of Oslo from 2002 to 2003. There is currently very little comparative educational research in this field. In…

Chronic disease is a public health issue that could be addressed, in part, by increasing the ability of individuals to better manage their condition and its consequences on a day-to-day basis. One intervention designed to facilitate this is the Chronic Disease Self Management Course (CDSMC) that is delivered by volunteer, lay tutors who themselves…