| Summary: | <p>The aim of this action research project was to find an effective intervention programme that could be used in a secondary school to help close the achievement gap in mathematics between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. The key feature of the intervention programme had to be that it would be low-cost and high-benefit. Peer tutoring was identified through the literature as a potential solution.</p>
<p>Peer tutoring has been written about extensively in the education research community since the 1970s, and as a result of the literature search two important themes emerged. Firstly, that a peer tutoring programme could have benefits beyond just academic attainment, so the project also looked at possible changes in mathematical self-concept. Secondly, that the way the peer tutoring was organised could have a significant effect on its success.</p>
<p>The organisational dimensions of the intervention programme were determined in some small part by constraints imposed by the setting, but mostly by evidence gathered from the literature. An 8 week peer tutoring intervention was put in place, with high ability Year 10 students tutoring Year 8 students twice a week for 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Academic attainment was measured using existing end of term tests so that the progress of the participants of the intervention could be compared against the whole cohort. Mathematical self concept was measured using an existing questionnaire that was adapted.</p>
<p>The results of the analysis of the test data showed that the Year 8 tutees had an accelerated rate of progress compared to students who did not participate in the intervention. The intervention did not seem to have any impact on the rate of progress of the Year 10 tutors. Similarly, an analysis of the questionnaire data showed that the Year 8 tutees experienced an increase in mathematical self-concept. The Year 10 tutors did not experience an increase, as their pre-test data showed they already had very high scores.</p>
<p>In conclusion, this research project showed that undertaking a peer tutoring programme in mathematics was a worthwhile endeavor; it met the initial aims of the project for having a good cost-benefit ratio. It is expected that this type of programme could be repeated in subsequent years with a similar group of students, and that it could possibly be extended to other subjects.</p>
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