What is the main benefit of peer tutoring?

Concept

Peer tutoring is a structured peer-learning approach in which learners work in pairs or small groups and take responsibility for supporting one another during learning.

Its central social mechanism is reciprocal interaction: learners explain, practise, question, and give feedback to peers while the teacher organizes and monitors the activity.

Application

In this item, the benefit that follows directly from reciprocal learner interaction is student cooperation. Working with a peer requires learners to communicate, share responsibility, and provide mutual support.

Contrast

• Limiting the benefit to top-performing students conflicts with the broad tutor-and-tutee participation used in peer tutoring.

• Limiting classroom discussion removes the peer exchange on which the approach depends.

• Replacing the teacher confuses peer support with full instructional control; the teacher continues to plan, structure, and monitor the activity.

Cross-check

The defining test is whether the choice describes learners learning with and from one another. Student cooperation meets that test, so it is the best-supported option offered.

Result: Peer tutoring mainly encourages student cooperation.