Date of Award
Summer 7-1-2018
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Secondary Education
Department
Education
Committee Chair
Jennifer S. Dail, Ph.D.
First Committee Member
Nita A. Paris, Ph.D.
Second Committee Member
Anete Vasquez, Ph.D.
Abstract
This quantitative study examined the effectiveness that a peer-tutoring model facilitated through a writing center has on student writing self-efficacy and writing skills. Students completed a pre-survey of beliefs and attitudes towards writing and a pre-assessment of writing before embarking on a unit of study that required students to utilize the writing process, including extensive revision. During the writer's workshop class time, students in the experiment group were assigned to attend three peer-tutoring sessions with a trained writing center tutor. After completing the writing task assigned, all students completed the post-survey of beliefs and attitude towards writing. The post-survey and the polished writing task were compared with the pre-survey and pre-assessment to assess the effectiveness of the peer-tutoring model. Findings suggest that the model does increase writing self-efficacy and writing skills. Further expansion of the research population into a wide variety of instructional settings as well as an examination into the effect of a writing center peer-tutoring model on varied demographics might allow schools to examine the secondary school writing center model as an efficient way in which to promote a student body’s growth in writing literacy.