AtRisk Students: Reducing Alienation and Resistance through CrossAged Tutoring

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At-Risk Students Reducing Alienation and
Resistance through Cross-Aged Tutoring

• Dr. Allison Nazzal
• Eastern Educational Research Association Annual
  Conference
• February 28, 2002

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The Study Question

• What effects will participation in a
  service-learning tutoring project have on the
  factors that place students at-risk for dropping
  out of high school?

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At-Risk Factors As Identified in the Literature

• Socio-economic Status
• Marginal/Poor Attendance
• Misbehavior
• Academic Failure
• Poor perception of the relevance of school
• Poor perception of success in school
• Sense of alienation from the school community

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Theoretical Perspective

• Critical Theory The failures and difficulties
  at-risk students experience are a form of
  resistance to a schools emphasis on
  individualism, outdated teaching strategies, and
  rules that alienate at-risk students from the
  school community. (Bennett and Le Compte)
• Dewey Meaningful learning is the result of
  experience all experiences result in learning
  but some experiences are mis-educative (present
  future)

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The Sample

• Suburban public school students (8th grade) in a
  suburb of a large Southwestern U.S. city
• Identified as at risk due to low socioeconomic
  status and 1 or more of the following
• Poor attendance
• Misbehavior in school
• School failure (courses or achievement tests)
• Students represented the diversity of the school
  well

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Design of the Study

• From sample students who volunteered to tutor
  (Experimental Group) and students who did not
  volunteer (Control Group)
• 6 week tutoring project
• Qualitative and quantitative measures used to
  compare the two groups in an attempt to measure
  the effects of tutoring

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Quantitative Measures

• Data collected included records for the six week
  grading period prior to tutoring and the six week
  grading period during the tutoring
• Attendance records
• Math class grades
• Office referral records
• Scores on the state mathematics standardized test
  also compared

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Qualitative Measures

• Pre and post tutoring semi-structured interviews
  with tutors
• based on predictive factors of dropping out of
  school
• Unstructured, blind interviews with tutors team
  teachers
• Journal Log entries
• Reflection seminar weekly discussions

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Results - Quantitative

• ANOVA tests revealed no significant differences
  between control and experimental group on the
  factors that would be compared (same population)
• Significant Difference (p. lt.05) in academic
  achievement math grades (p.035)
• Significant Difference (p. lt.05) in academic
  achievement Standardized Math Test (p.05) for
  students who were at-risk for failure
• Significant Differences not found for attendance
  or misbehavior in school

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Qualitative Results - Behavior

• Positive effects on classroom behavior, even for
  students involved with drugs and gangs
• Most common improvements a willingness to do
  class work and help others
• Tutors often assumed the role of teacher in the
  classroom

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Qualitative Results -Attendance

• Tutors identified social relationships as the
  most important reason they attended school
  tutoring provided a new friendship and a new
  reason to attend for many tutors
• Tutors reported a desire to attend school during
  tutoring because they were involved in something
  important

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Qualitative Results -Attendance

• Tutoring had the most positive experience on
  students who were identified as at risk for
  failure and attendance
• These students, compared to students at risk for
  just failure, internalized their failure
  moments of success improved confidence and desire
  to attend school

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Qualitative Results Success in School

• Interviews indicated that tutoring had a positive
  effect on many students perceptions of their
  abilities and success in school.
• It tutoring has made me realize I need to try
  more and that I can do it!
• Tutoring her made me want to figure out this
  problem that I thought Id never get in my head
  because it was up to me. It was up to me to help
  and I did it.

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Qualitative Results-Alienation

• Only a few students participated in school
  community. Tutors expressed excitement and desire
  to be a part of project and again in the future.
• It was cool being one of the chosen ones!
• I loved helping. You need me Ill do it again.
  I loved it!
• I said OOH Mama, I get to be in a club!

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Implications of Research

• At-risk students should be viewed as students
  with potential
• Schools must include all students in the
  community rethink No Pass, No Play
• Opportunities for students to care and serve
  others should be provided and encouraged
• Teaching strategies should focus on cooperation
  rather than competition