PEER-TUTORING: GETTING PAST THE SCIENCE PHOBIA AND ONTO SUCCESS

The University of Texas at Brownsville is located at the southernmost tip of Texas. It is a mid-sized university with approximately thirteen thousand undergraduate and graduate students. Historical geology is a freshman level science course, which most students use to fulfill their core requirements. Historical geology also acts as a recruiting course for the newly added Environmental Science degree. Eighty–two percent of the students declared as Environmental Science majors were recruited from this course.

Many of the students enrolled in this class suffer from science phobia; thus they perceive it to be more difficult than it is. These students often struggle through science courses and are frustrated with their performance. Peer tutoring has helped these students by making the class material palatable.

The selected peer tutor was knowledgeable in the subject matter and able to communicate on the students' level. Exercises were developed based on specific topics that, in the past, have proven difficult for students. Students self-selected to participate in peer tutoring sessions. Throughout the semester, 1-hour meetings were scheduled multiple times per week. Typically these tutoring sessions were held in a student study room and consist of four to five students and a peer tutor. During the sessions the tutor questions the students and clarifies the topic material thus correcting the students' misconceptions. By the end of the session, the students have a better understanding of the course material. Study and test taking skills were also introduced during the tutoring sessions that the students can utilize throughout their college career.

Those students regularly participating in peer-led tutoring performed better on in class assignments and exams than those that either did not attend or were sporadic in their involvement. The students indicated that working with their peers is not as daunting as working directly with the professor. Students reported that the tutoring sessions were beneficial in improving their understanding of the class material, their test scores, and most importantly their level of confidence.