The Correlation Between Tutoring and Success in School

Different students learn at various paces. Some writers may need little to no help, while others require large amounts of assistance. Tutoring can be extremely beneficial to students who are struggling. Tutoring is also a great asset if a student needs an extra set of eyes to simply read over their papers or assignments. A study was done at a community college in North Carolina to examine the correlation between student’s English grades and understanding, and how the amount of tutoring applied to those students was directly related. The study was done over the course of three semesters and contained one group of students who had zero tutoring, and another group who went to tutors at their own pace.

            The groups of students were later assessed and the results were unsurprising. “Results indicated that students who received tutoring were more successful than students who did not receive tutoring. Success was noted in a higher percentage of As and Bs, lower withdrawal rates, and higher persistence rates in developmental English courses” (Vick). If tutoring was statistically proven to increase student’s grades and understanding of topics, why aren’t more of them attending sessions? Life after college is becoming more and more difficult. Jobs are becoming less attainable, and day-to-day items are becoming more expensive. Therefore, it is vital for students to have a college degree, because that will open up countless more opportunities for their future careers. Tutoring is essential to the success of some students, but they choose not to get the help they need. Many students may not need tutoring in college to be successful, but the handful that do, don’t always get it and that is a problem which needs to be addressed.

            Tutoring students at a North Carolina community college had a direct relation to the improvement of the grades of the students who attended sessions. Tutoring is free, flexible, and beneficial. Tutoring may be directed more towards English, but trained tutors can be helpful with many other subjects also. Tutoring not only improves comprehension of material, but can also teach students valuable lessons about discipline, motivation and initiative. Not only did the number of As and Bs increase in the students who were tutored, fewer of them dropped the course and the rate of persistence and effort of students increased! Once a student makes the connection between their effort level, and their resulting grade, I’d hope to think they will make the decision whether tutoring is right for them. Community Colleges are excellent places to get a jump start on your future and with the help of others students, professors, and administration, extra help is in the palm of students’ hands.

Works Cited

Vick, Nicholas, et al. "The Effectiveness Of Tutoring On Developmental English Grades." Community College Enterprise 21.1 (2015): 11-26. Education Research Complete. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.