Instructional Guidance in Reciprocal Peer Tutoring With Task Cards

• Published in: Journal of teaching in physical education 2010-01, Vol.29 (1), p.38-53
• Main Authors: Iserbyt, Peter, Elen, Jan, Behets, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Belgium; College Students; Comparative Analysis; Computer Uses in Education; Educational Strategies; First Aid; Foreign Countries; Instructional Effectiveness; Instructional Materials; Laptop Computers; Learning; Peer Teaching; Peer tutoring; Physical Education; Pretests Posttests; Psychomotor Skills; Reciprocal Teaching; Retention; Retention (Psychology); Student Role; Tutoring; Visual Aids
• ISSN: 0273-5024; 1543-2769
• DOI: 10.1123/jtpe.29.1.38

This article addresses the issue of instructional guidance in reciprocal peer tutoring with task cards as learning tools. Eighty-six Kinesiology students (age 17-19 years) were randomized across four reciprocal peer tutoring settings, differing in quality and quantity of guidance, to learn Basic Life Support (BLS) with task cards. The separate and combined effect of two instructional guidance variables, role switching and role definition, was investigated on learning outcomes. In all settings student pairs were given 20 min to learn BLS. Individual student performance was measured before (baseline), immediately after (intervention) and two weeks later (retention). Repeated ANOVA showed strong learning gains but no significant differences between groups for total BLS scores. However, at retention significantly more students from the most guided condition remembered and consequently performed all BLS skills. It is concluded that guidance comprising role switching and role definition enhances skill retention in reciprocal peer tutoring with task cards. (Contains 2 figures.)