Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents as Peer Tutors: Immediate and Generative Effects on Instructional Performance and Spelling Achievement

Abstract

This study was a formative evaluation of a peer tutoring package. The purpose was to investigate the effects of a peer tutoring package on the instructional performance of behaviorally disordered adolescents, directly trained by their teachers, and subsequent effects on the performance of their learners. Generative effects of the peer tutoring procedures were observed in successive peer tutor-learner dyads not directly trained by teachers. This study used an across subject multiple baseline design to study peer instructional behavior during daily training sessions and concomitant learner spelling performance. Results showed that learner performance on daily spelling tests increased considerably when intervention in the form of peer instruction occurred. Peer use of the instructional strategy varied greatly but all peer tutors consistently used the recordkeeping and graphing strategies as presented in the peer teaching package.