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At-Risk Students: Reducing Alienation and Resistance

through Cross-Aged Tutoring

Dr. Allison NazzalEastern 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 PerspectiveCritical Theory: The failures and difficulties at-

risk students experience are a form of resistance to a school’s emphasis on individualism, outdated teaching strategies, and rules that alienate at-risk students from the school community.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 recordsScores 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. <.05) in academic achievement – math grades (p=.035)

Significant Difference (p. <.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 I’d 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 – I’ll 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