The Impact of Veteran Peer-Tutoring on Mathematics Course Performance
Date
2019-08
Authors
Cortez, Santos R.
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Abstract
Veteran peer-tutoring programs have been growing in number, but little research has addressed their effects on student veterans’ success in postsecondary education. Schlossberg’s (2012) adult transition theory has been applied to scholarly research on veteran postsecondary transition experiences using the fourth factor, strategies, focusing on student academic assistance such as tutoring. My study builds on Schlossberg’s theory by examining a veteran peer-tutoring program. This study utilized a causal-comparative, between-subjects design to examine end-of-semester grades of a treatment (n=28) and comparison (n=28) group. Also, the relationship between frequency of tutoring visits and end-of-semester grades within the treatment group was examined. To obtain an adequate sample size, data across four semesters (spring 2017, fall 2017, spring 2018, and fall 2018) and mathematics courses (college algebra, precalculus, & calculus I) were aggregated for each group. A stratified randomized matching procedure was used to ensure the treatment and comparison groups had equal representation with regard to semester, course, and ethnicity. Mann-Whitney U test was the appropriate analysis approach due to low sample sizes and having an ordinal outcome variable (Field, 2013). Results found no statistically significant difference in grade distribution between groups. Spearman’s rho was used to measure the frequency of tutoring visits and end-of-semester mathematics grades within the treatment group. The relationship between these two variables was not statistically significant. Greater usage of the intervention did not result in higher grades for those in the treatment group. Implications and recommendations for developmental education and learning assistance researchers and practitioners are discussed.
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Keywords
Student veteran, Veteran peer-tutoring, Nontraditional, Learning assistance centers, Developmental education, Nonveteran tutor, Nonveteran student, Traditional student, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman's rho, Underprepared student
Citation
Cortez, S. R. (2019). <i>The impact of veteran peer-tutoring on mathematics course performance</i> (Unpublished dissertation). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.