Running head: INFLENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

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A Study of the Influence of Different Types of Tutoring Methods on Motivation and

Achievement of Grade 9 Math Students in Alberta
Melissa L. Martin
University of Calgary

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

Introduction
Academic achievement has been shown to decline among students in early
adolescence, particularly in mathematics (Gherasim, Butnaru, & Mairean, 2013).
Gherasim et al. found that motivational beliefs are the most common internal factors of
school problems in adolescence. Low classroom support and a highly competitive
classroom environment are frequent factors of decrease in motivation and achievement.
Empirical evidence indicated that, in general, teacher and peer support are positively
related to learning motivation, academic attitudes, self-efficacy, emotions and
achievement (Gherasim et al., 2013).
Tutoring provides a positive effect on student achievement in different subjects,
including mathematics (Ritter, Barnett, Denny, & Albin, 2009). Significant gains in math
attainment have been found in students receiving math tutoring compared to those who
do not participate in tutorial programs (Topping et al., 2011). There are different types of
tutoring programs available, especially with current advancements in technology. Crossage tutoring provides traditional teacher-student interaction, peer tutoring allows
classmates to mentor each other, and online tutoring allows virtual instruction over the
computer. The Internet also provides tutoring videos and math-based computer games
that can increase the engagement of students through entertainment while learning
different math skills (Fengfeng, 2012). Scanlon, Buckingham, & Burn (2005) noted a
trend where mathematics education has moved away from abstract calculations to more
meaningful applications towards mathematics in context. Interactive media, including
digital games and math on the Internet, allows students to engage in real-life examples of

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

the use in mathematics. This real world application helps to increase engagement among
students.
Mendick (2005), Hargreaves, Homer, and Swinnerton (2008) and Gherasim et al.
(2013) acknowledge that there are concerns with gender in terms of achievement of
mathematics in the junior high level. Hargreaves et al. recognize that in early
adolescence, boys stereotypically perform better and are more confident in math than
girls. However, Hargreaves et al. determined that there was no significant gender
difference based on performance among gifted girls and boys. They did find significant
difference in attitudes towards math, where girls had less confidence towards the subject
than boys. The extraneous variables of gender and ability in mathematics will be
addressed in this experiment by creating equal amounts of mixed-gender, female, and
male tutoring groups as well as dividing the academically weak and strong into
appropriate groupings.
Previous studies have reviewed the effectiveness of these different tutorial
methods on an individual basis. There is a lack of research comparing these tutoring
strategies to determine which would be the most effective for junior high math students in
terms of motivation and academic achievement. There is also a lack of research on
tutoring methods that are effective for junior high students in Alberta. This research
study will address the question of how different tutoring methods can affect motivation
and performance in the Math 9 Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) in Alberta schools.
Research Questions and Hypothesis
Determining which tutoring programs are beneficial for junior high students can
help facilitate more effective assistance to struggling math students. It is important for

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

these students to achieve some success in order to help build their confidence in the
subject, which will hopefully motivate them to improve their effort in math. Are the
traditional cross-age and peer tutoring methods more effective than online tutoring? Can
even further success be measured if these tutoring students have parent-monitored,
independent practice at home? Can an increase in motivation be measured with tutoring
assistance? If so, what kind of an impact will these tutoring interventions have on these
math students? What types of students are going to achieve the most success (weak,
below average, average, or strong)?
Previous studies have found that students who receive some form of tutoring will
achieve greater success than those who do not. It is expected that a majority of students
who receive one of the three forms of tutoring will obtain significantly better results in
the Math 9 PAT and have increased levels of confidence and motivation than those who
do not receive any assistance. It is also predicted that those students who receive the
cross-age and peer tutoring will obtain better results than those who are completing the
online tutoring. Students who also complete the guided practice at home with parental
supervision should obtain higher results than those who are being tutored online. In
regards to the different mathematical abilities in the groups, those students who are
considered weak and below average and are receiving regular tutoring should obtain a
significant increase in their PAT mark and confidence level in comparison to those who
are in the average and strong groups. Generally, students who achieve more success in the
Math 9 PAT should have an increased level of motivation and confidence towards math
than those who are not as successful.
Methodology

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

Sample and Measures

Classrooms of grade 9 students at rural and urban schools in Alberta will be
chosen to take part in this study at the beginning of the school year in September. There
will be 100 grade 9 students sampled, where an equal division of 20 students will be
separated into 4 different types of groups: cross-age tutoring, peer tutoring, online
tutoring, and a control group where students will work independently and not receive any
tutoring. Each classroom surveyed will have one of each of these four groups. The
students will also be separated into mixed-gender, female, and male only groups.
The cross-age and peer tutoring groups will be working in a classroom setting
after school for half-hour sessions twice a week. The online tutoring students can
complete their work in their school setting in a computer lab or else on their own
computer at home for a minimum of two half-hour sessions per week. An online record
will keep track of when students are logging in, the tutoring programs they complete, and
how long they are online when completing these activities
A review of the students final marks in grade 8 will determine what academic
category they need to be placed in. A student will be assessed as weak if they obtained a
grade 8 final mark of less than 50%, below average if their final mark was between 50%
and 64%, average if their final mark was between 65% and 79%, and strong if their final
mark was between 80% and 100%. Students will also be evaluated according to their
mathematical ability using the KeyMath 3 Diagnostic Assessment Canadian Edition. The
results of this diagnostic testing will verify that they are in the correct grouping according
to academic achievement, as well as to provide feedback about the strengths and
weaknesses among these students. The KeyMath results will be used as a comparison to

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

their Math 9 PAT results in June.

Materials and Procedure
Once the students have been divided into the weak, below average, average, and
strong categories, they will be randomly chosen into one of the four groups of cross-age
tutoring, peer tutoring, online tutoring, or the control group. The cross-age tutoring
groups will contain students in the same class who are divided into sub-groups of two to
five students according to similar academic achievement from grade 8 (weak, below
average, average, or strong) as well as from the results of the KeyMath assessment they
completed at the beginning of September. There will be one adult tutor who will be
assigned to these groups and will help them with homework, provide guidance on
examples, and teach sample exercises that correspond to what they are currently studying
in class.
In peer tutoring, students in the same class will be divided into groups that consist
of two academically strong students and three other students that contain one weak,
another below average, and a third student who is average. The strong students will be
assisting those who are struggling in the group by helping them complete their homework
through guided practice as well as reviewing important concepts that they learned in their
lessons.
Students will receive tutoring for the same amount of time beginning in
September for approximately two half-hour sessions each week. In addition to the
tutoring, half of the students within each group will be selected to complete independent
work at home for a total of one hour a week while being monitored and/or assisted by a
parent. The tutoring sessions will adjust to the curriculum that is being taught in their

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

math class. The tutoring, parent-monitoring, and self-regulated sessions will finish once
the students have written the PAT exam in June.
The online tutoring group will log on to a computer and complete tutoring
programs that will be selected by the researcher and math teachers. These programs will
correspond to the grade 9 Alberta math outcomes and will be divided into sections that
correspond with their course timeline. These students are completing this tutoring work
on an individual basis so they will not be observed. Only their online activity will be
monitored.
The self-regulated groups can complete their work on an individual basis. These
students will keep track of their progress using a journal and will also evaluate their effort
using a survey that includes likert rating scales and open-ended questions. Since these
self-regulated students will be completing their math independently, they have a choice to
work at home or else at school. There will be a balanced amount of weak, below
average, average, and strong math students in this group.
Design
This research study will consist of both qualitative and quantitative data
collection. Students will complete a questionnaire at the beginning of the study to
accumulate data on their perceptions of math, motivation, and academic goals that will be
developed by the researcher. For example, students could rate from 1 to 5 (1 being never
and 5 being always) on how often they complete their math homework, their level of
participation in the classroom, their motivation to succeed in math, etc. This
questionnaire will consist of likert rating scales and open-ended questions to obtain both
quantitative measurement and descriptive feedback on their motivation and current work

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

ethic. The KeyMath evaluations will provide additional quantitative data of the students
current mathematical abilities at the beginning of grade 9.
The students teachers and parents will also complete a researcher-developed
rating scale and descriptive questionnaire to provide feedback of the students current
successes and/or struggles in math, study habits, participation in class, completion of
homework, etc. For example, the parents and teachers could rate on a scale of 1 to 5 (1
being least likely and 5 being most likely) on questions such as how likely does this
student struggle in math, how often does this student participate in math class, etc.
Students will keep a journal and record any problems and/or achievements they
are experiencing in their tutoring, parent-monitoring, or self-regulated learning sessions.
Tutors will also keep a journal of what topics were covered in each tutoring session,
student progress, and important observations. Qualitative analysis will be completed on
some of the common themes that are expressed in these journal entries among the
students and the tutors.
Students, teachers, parents, and tutors will fill out rating scale and open-ended
questionnaires after the PAT is completed to gain insight on any improvements made
throughout the school year, changes in their attitudes towards math, and to collect
meaningful feedback on the tutoring sessions.
Data Analysis
Quantitative data will be collected from the students KeyMath results at the
beginning of September. An ANOVA analysis of these test scores can show comparisons
of any significant strengths or weaknesses among students. These KeyMath results can
also be compared to the students grade 8 marks to help determine if these results are

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

reliable.
An ANOVA can be completed for the Math 9 PAT results in June to compare the
differences in the mean values between the tutoring groups and control group. These
results can be compared to their final marks in grade 8 as well as their KeyMath results in
September to show any decline, consistency or improvement in the tutoring groups and
control group. The significance level is p < 0.05.
A post hoc test in ANOVA, such as Discriminant Function Analysis would be
beneficial to determine if the mean scores on the Math 9 PAT between the tutoring groups
and control group are significantly different from one another. This test will be beneficial
in determining which tutoring method may be more effective.
The results from the nominal likert scales measuring motivation of the students as
well as parent/teacher feedback can be evaluated using a non-parametric test such as the
Chi-Squared Test. The responses in motivation in each group can be compared to the
groups mean scores on the PAT exams. Chronbachs will also be used to ensure that
there is internal consistency among the likert scales.
Possible Results and Implications
Based on the data analysis, the ANOVA should obtain the expected results that
students who are receiving some form of tutoring will obtain significantly higher results
on the Math 9 PAT than students in the control group who receive no tutoring. In general,
the independent variable of time spent working on math should result in a significant
positive relationship with dependent variables of measured academic achievement and
motivation levels (p < 0.05). Students who struggle in math should see the most
significant increase in their performance and motivation because of an increased

INFLUENCE OF TUTORING ON GRADE 9 MATH STUDENTS

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exposure to more guided practice that they may not have had previously.
Students who are receiving online tutoring are expected to obtain higher results on
the PAT and in their confidence levels than the control group. However, this increase will
not be as significant as those who are receiving the cross-age and peer tutoring. It is
believed that interaction with others will hold more accountability to complete work and
it will provide more meaningful support since there is face-to-face communication. The
results between the cross-age and peer tutoring groups may not be significantly different
from each other since they both receive the benefits of guided practice with a
knowledgeable team leader. It depends on the group dynamics, especially among the
peer groups. The students need to be willing to work together and to be focused during
their time together.
Parental monitoring of math practice at home should also lead to an even greater
increase in academic performance and confidence since it is allowing students to
complete more independent practice. It also allows for more accountability to complete
work since the students are being supervised.
Summary
This study provides a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of the benefits that
different tutoring methods can have on junior math high students. The results of this
experiment allow researchers to determine what forms of math tutorials will be the most
meaningful and successful for the students. If there is an increase in success in math,
then there will be an increase in confidence and motivation for these students to continue
to do well. The feedback from the parents, tutors, and students also allow a more
meaningful interpretation of the results of this study.

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There are a few drawbacks in carrying out this experiment. The length of this
study creates a challenge. Students may not want to consistently receive tutoring
throughout the whole academic year. Maturation and students dropping out of the study
can result in a decrease in internal validity. Experiment history is also another threat to
validity. Each tutoring group is not going to conduct itself the same way. This is a
challenge where it is impossible to create the exact same learning environment due to
different students in the groups, different classrooms, and different tutors. Students who
are receiving the online tutoring may not be completing all of the exercises properly due
to the fact that they are not monitored. It is also difficult to ensure that students who are
taking work home are actually completing this task.
It is also important to note that some students suffer from test anxiety. They may
show significant gains in knowledge with tutoring help throughout the year, but their
results on the PAT may be less than what should be expected. This may lead to a
decrease in reliability. Also, some students who are strong at math may end up
performing better on their own than students who are receiving assistance through
tutoring. That is why it is important to divide the students accurately into groups based on
their previous ability. A lack of motivation and having students, parents, and tutors
complete their own assessments may also lead to a decrease in inter-rater reliability.

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