For this blog, we wanted to hear about students’ experience of tuition first-hand. Of course, we’ll be looking at the science as well as hearing about the experience of a student, so you can make up your own mind about tutoring.
What does the evidence say?
According to the Department of Education, the average primary school classroom holds 27.1 students. That’s a lot of children – especially if there’s just one teacher without any support. This leads to group teaching, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and minimal 1-2-1 time. This ultimately risks your child not achieving their full potential.
With tutoring, this issue doesn’t occur as tutors always have smaller groups – usually with just one student, so they can tailor their teachings to the pupil’s learning style, customising every lesson specifically for the child. This results in a better rapport, a higher level of engagement and better outcomes for the child.
According to Varsity Tutors, tutored students outperformed their non-tutored counterparts in 45 out of 52 studies, a rate of nearly 90%! On top of that, it’s reported that tutoring increases the grades for 8 out of 10 students. Not to mention that tutoring can lift an average student to achieve the 98th percentile. Pretty impressive right?
So what do the pupils say?
We spoke to a student who had tuition and the first question we wanted to know was around grades (and in particular what they were like before they had a tutor). The answer was clear and unfortunately one we hear a lot…
“They were awful. Mostly because I didn’t understand the work I needed to complete. Nobody had the time to help me understand it.”
With so many children in a class, it’s no wonder students feel this way. The teacher has to balance teaching, supporting and listening to all of the different students and their needs. If the average lesson is an hour long, that equates to roughly 2 minutes per student – and that’s without the actual teaching time. It’s hard for students to get the individual support they need when they’re at school. That’s where tuition can help, as students get undivided attention for their whole lesson.
We also wanted to understand if they had improved or not and if they felt the experience was rewarding. The response was again something we hear a lot, but something that still makes us smile each and every time.
“I finally felt like someone cared about my future. I was able to understand the work because my tutor understood me and what made me tick. My grades improved from the low-end of the class to somewhere around the mid-high grades, which was a massive improvement.”
It’s no surprise that when a student feels good about themselves, and feels like they’re supported, they do better. They are engaged with the topic and know if they get stuck, they’ve got someone that will help them – no matter how big or small their question might be. There’s a lot to be said for the confidence a child gets from this.
The final question we wanted to know from a student was how much they would recommend tutoring for those in similar (or even dissimilar) circumstances. Again, the answer wasn’t hugely surprising for us but we thought it was great to see a student being able to self-reflect and understand the longer term impact, including preparing them for university.
“I would recommend it. If I can improve from tutoring, I believe anyone can. I learned life-long strategies I can even apply to University”
From someone who didn’t have a tutor
We then spoke to one of our youngest team members who is with us on work experience. Having only recently left school, they are fresh out of the education system but didn’t have the opportunity for tutoring. We asked them if they wished they’d have had tutoring and it was a resounding yes.
“I absolutely feel I would have benefitted from tutoring not just from an academic standpoint, but also from a personal one. At school (and even now, sometimes), I struggled with being confident in the work I produce and always second-guessing myself.”
“If I had a tutor, specifically on a 1-2-1 basis, I would be getting direct feedback on my work, showing how I could improve or what I’m already doing right. Having the tutor focus solely on me would be a good way to target my weaknesses in a direct and efficient way.”
So, after all the information and experiences we’ve shared, do you want a tutor for your child?
If you’re thinking about it, we’d love to chat. Give us a ring at 01926 942140 or fill out the contact us form on the website (www.tutorinabox.co.uk/contact-us) and we can talk through all the options.