An instrumental case study on testing an integrated framework for tutoring sessions

Abstract

The objective for the current qualitative case study was to examine participants’ perceptions on the tutor coaching and session review frameworks. The location of the study was at the tutor coach’s place of business. At the beginning of the study, both tutor coach and tutors were trained on how to implement the specific frameworks associated with their roles in the tutoring process. Tutors who participated in the study kept weekly reflection journals regarding their tutoring experiences. After 6 weeks, the tutor coach participated in 30-minute open-ended phone interviews related to the tutor-coaching framework. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Tutors completed an online questionnaire about the methods and strategies used to conduct effective tutoring sessions. Themes were extracted related to tutor coaching, session reviews, effective tutoring sessions, and general tutoring from the data: interview transcripts, online surveys, monitoring notes, and weekly journals. There were 12 emerging themes, 7 categories, and 9 sub-categories that were coded and analyzed. The findings revealed that effective tutoring sessions required lesson preparation and the session review framework provided an avenue of viewing and keeping track on what to look for in tutoring sessions. Another finding was that the tutoring coaching framework influenced coaching with tutors.