Exploring the impact of student tutoring on at-risk fifth and sixth graders' self-regulated learning Sabrina Vandevelde ⁎, Hilde Van Keer, Bram De Wever Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Belgium abstract article info Article history: Received 24 November 2009 Received in revised form 14 January 2011 Accepted 21 January 2011 Keywords: Self-regulated learning Student tutoring At-risk students Primary education This study explores the effects of a student tutoring programme focusing on self-regulated learning. Ninety- three Flemish fifth- and sixth-grade tutees at-risk due to their socio-economic and/or non-native background participated. A pre-post test design was used and the ‘Learning Motivation Test’, ‘Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory’, and ‘Self-Regulated Learning Interview Schedule’ (SRLIS) were administered. In line with prior research, the present study demonstrates beneficial effects of student tutoring. More specifically, positive effects on sixth graders' learning motivation and metacognitive awareness are revealed. In contrast, no effects on learning motivation and metacognitive awareness were found for fifth graders. Based on the qualitative analysis of SRLIS, both fifth and sixth graders displayed the use of a larger variety of self-regulated learning strategies after the intervention. Suggestions for further research are discussed in order to corroborate and broaden the findings of the present study. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction As research reveals that students from lower socio-economic and/ or immigrant background tend to perform less well at school than their peers (Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development [OECD], 2004; 2006), providing an equitable distribution of educa- tional opportunities has become an important challenge for educa- tional systems. Therefore, it is imperative to study initiatives that can enhance the educational opportunities of these target groups. Recently, tutoring has been considered as a promising method to provide individual support to students who are at-risk for educational failure (Barley et al., 2002; Cassio, 2008; Ritter, Barnett, Denny, & Albin, 2009). In this respect, the present study centres on the implementation and evaluation of a student tutoring project focusing on self-regulated learning. 1.1. Student tutoring Student tutoring refers to “the practice of having students from universities and colleges tutor pupils in primary and high school classrooms under the guidance of the class teacher” (Topping & Hill, 1995, p.15). Research generally shows positive outcomes for tutees on the cognitive, affective, and social level (e.g., Cohen, Kulik, & Kulik, 1982; Gordon, Morgan, O'Malley, & Ponticell, 2007; Ritter et al., 2009; Topping, 2000; Topping & Hill, 1995). Positive outcomes for tutees include increased aspirations, improved basic skills, deeper learning, improved motivation, affective and attitudinal gains, intrinsic interest in the subject matter, and a reduction in drop-out (e.g., Cohen et al., 1982; Gordon et al., 2007; Ritter et al., 2009; Topping & Hill, 1995). Moreover, Dubois, Holloway, Valentine, and Cooper (2002) argue that students at-risk are more likely to benefit from participation in tutoring programmes. These positive effects can be explained by the typical char- acteristics of student tutoring, namely individualised help, greater social involvement between tutor and tutee, modelling and scaffolding by the tutor, provision of immediate and relevant feedback, and more active and interactive learning (e.g., Chi, Siler, Jeong, Yamauchi, & Hausmann, 2001; Gordon et al., 2007; Topping, 2000). 1.2. Self-regulated learning Most previous studies on tutoring (e.g., Barley et al., 2002; Cohen et al., 1982; Gordon et al., 2007; Topping & Hill, 1996) have focused on a specific subject as curriculum of tutoring (e.g., mathematics, science, reading). In contrast, the present study focuses on cross-curricular skills, namely self-regulated learning (SRL). Although definitions of SRL differ depending on researchers' orientations, there is an agreement on Zimmerman's (1990) general conceptualisation that self-regulated learners are metacognitively, motivationally, and strategically active participants in their own learning (e.g., Boekaerts, 1999; Paris & Paris, 2001; Perry, Phillips, & Dowler, 2004; Pintrich, 2000; Winne & Perry, 2000). The Learning and Individual Differences 21 (2011) 419–425 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Department of Educational Studies, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Tel.: +32 331 03 16; fax: +32 331 03 20. E-mail address: Sabrina.Vandevelde@ugent.be (S. Vandevelde). 1041-6080/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2011.01.006 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Learning and Individual Differences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/lindif