The Effectiveness of Tutoring from the Perspective of the Tutor: An Ethnographic Study

The purpose of my study was to examine the effectiveness of tutors at the TRIO tutoring program at UNC Pembroke. During this study, I tutored for a semester in the program, so I could better know what questions to ask the tutors. After my time as a tutor, I asked other tutors in the program to take a short 22-question survey about their experience as a tutor at UNC Pembroke. Based on the qualitative and quantitate results of the survey and my time as a tutor, I found that tutors feel effective as tutors. Three common themes emerged from participants hand written responses. First, the tutors felt they were improving academically through review of subject matter. Second, tutors felt disappointed in students that did not try at sessions. Third, I found that tutors felt they benefited positively from the tutoring experience through work related gains or a sense of self-improvement. Tutors found the space provided for tutoring relaxing and conducive to learning. They also found the TRIO training useful and sufficient. Based on my results, I would not recommend any changes to the tutoring program