THE EFFECTS OF RECIPROCAL PEER TUTORING ON GRADUATE-STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT, TEST ANXIETY, AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) on graduate students' academic achievement, test a nxiety, and academic self-efficacy, In Experiment 1, students were ass igned to one of two conditions DPT or non-RPT. RPT students developed questions on specific course topics; they then used these questions to quiz other students before taking midterm and final course examinatio ns. Contrary to previous research findings, the RPT and control groups did not differ significantly on lower cognitive or higher cognitive a chievement measures. Students who used RPT generally reported that RPT improved their understanding of course content. In Experiment 2, the RPT procedures were modified to better match the procedures used in ea rlier studies whose authors had found RPT to be superior to non-RPT co nditions. Also, the instruments were expanded to include course-releva nt outcome measures of student academic self-efficacy and test anxiety . As in Experiment 1, the RPT and non-RPT groups did not differ signif icantly on the achievement measures, Also, the groups did not differ s ignificantly on academic self-efficacy and test anxiety. However, as i n Experiment 1, the students believed RPT to be an effective technique for learning difficult course content, Potential explanations for fin dings inconsistent with previous research and suggestions for future r esearch are discussed.