Peer-tutoring program : Effects on the Classroom-adjustment Abilities of Resource room Students

[[abstract]]The main purpose of this study is to explore the effects of peer-tutoring program on the classroom-adjustment abilities of resource room students. The subjects of this study are eight tutees in resource room students in junior high school level, including four seventh graders, four eighth graders, four boys, four girls, two mild mental retardation students, one student with mild hearing disabilities and five students with low achievements. Tutors are fourteen nonhandicapped tutors enrolled in regular education classes. A single-subject multiple baseline design cross-behaviors was used in this study. Interviews and document-analysis were also collected. The treatment and maintenance effects of three classroom-adjustment abilities on tutees were investigated individually. Major results of this study were as follows: 1. The effects of classroom-adjustment abilities of resource room students. (1) Peer-tutoring program can enhance classroom-adjustment abilities and maintaining performance of tutees. Tutees have greater improvement in greetings, chatting, playing with peers, initiative inquiring , borrowing workbooks and expressing demands. (2) There are better effects on natural interaction behaviors than on those requiring communication techniques. (3) Tutees who learn better also have more improvement. (4) Tutees with greater improvement during program maintained effects after program. Mild mental retardation students improved during program but didn’t maintain the same effects. 2. The peer-tutoring program provided suitable social validity. The teachers and other peers approved the instructional result. 3. Valid factors of peer-tutoring program includes characteristics of tutors, program implement and training courses. 4. The useful peer-tutoring program includes three stages: (1) Plan: measuring classroom-adjustment abilities, deciding teaching goals and contents, designing measuring methods and forms, selecting peer tutors, framing instructional strategies and procedures, arranging tutoring time. (2) Implement: training resource room students, training peer-tutors, carrying on guidance, supervising and supporting tutoring, interviewing and holding discussion with teachers in regular classroom. (3) Evaluation: evaluating the effects of peer-tutoring, holding discussion with peer-tutors, holding review conference with teachers in regular classroom. Suggestions in practical guidance and future research are also proposed.