Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Linda Howard
Committee Member
Richard Conrath
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic areas, assessment, attrition, college attendance, cultural differences, diverse population, evaluation methodology, Fort Valley State University, formative committees, grade point average, implementation, learning styles, literature review, peer tutor training, peer tutoring, problem-solving methodology, questionnaires, retention rate, student success, summative committees, tutor preparation, tutor training, tutorial services, tutoring, university retention rate
Abstract
The problem was that Fort Valley State University had a low retention rate, and the mean grade point average fell over a 4-year period. As the population at Fort Valley State University became more diverse, tutors needed to be aware of cultural differences, various learning styles, and strategies necessary to promote success in students who might lack college level skills in certain academic areas.
The purpose of this project was to develop a peer tutor training model at Fort Valley State University. The use of a model enhanced tutorial services in an effort to increase the retention rate and the mean grade point average of the university overall.
This project was accomplished through investigation of five research questions. The first research question was, What does the literature reveal about the effectiveness of tutoring and tutor training on the learning of both tutors and students? The second question was, What are the elements of an effective peer tutoring plan? The third question was, What would be an appropriate plan to train peer tutors at Fort Valley State University? The fourth question was, What would be an effective plan for implementation of a peer tutoring program? The fifth question was, What criteria may be used to assess the effectiveness of a peer training model at Fort Valley State University?
This project used the evaluation methodology to assess the needs of the tutors for this model. The development problem-solving methodology was used to answer the five research questions. The research questions were answered through the involvement of formative and summative committees, the use of questionnaires, and a review of relevant literature.