Can students differentiate between PBL tutors with different tutoring deficiencies?

Figures & data

Table

Practice points
•Students are able to differentiate between tutors with different tutoring deficiencies and not only between poorly and excellently performing tutors.
•Tutors who do not stimulate students towards active learning are perceived as least effective; these tutors probably have a tutor style that is more teacher centred than student centred.
•Students’ tips for improvement of tutor performance dealt with: tutors who did not evaluate adequately, tutors who are too directive, tutors who are too passive and tutors who lack content knowledge.

Table 1.  Mean score (scale 1–5) and corresponding standard deviation (SD) for all the 11 items and the five factors (F1 to F5), 2002–03 (n = 573)

	Mean (1–5)	SD
F1 Constructive/active learning	3.78	0.53
1 Summarizing in own words	3.52	0.54
2 Searching for links between topics	3.87	0.56
3 Understanding mechanisms/theories	3.94	0.56
F2 Self-directed learning	3.45	0.47
4 Generation of learning issues by students	3.53	0.52
5 Searching for various resources	3.36	0.52
F3 Contextual learning	3.79	0.55
6 Application of knowledge to problem	3.94	0.53
7 Application of knowledge to other situations	3.64	0.61
F4 Collaborative learning	3.43	0.64
8 Giving constructive feedback	3.38	0.63
9 Evaluation of group cooperation	3.48	0.69
F5 Intrapersonal behaviour	3.95	0.57
10 Knowledge of strengths/ weaknesses as tutor	3.70	0.56
11 Motivation for tutor role	4.20	0.66

Table 2.  Number and percentage of tutors with a deficiency and the corresponding overall score for the tutors’ performance (scale 1–10)

	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	N	%	Mean (1–10)	SD
Low score on all five factors	L	L	L	L	L	57	10%	5.8	1.3
Low score on three or four factors						106	19%	6.9	0.6
Low score on factor 1, active learning	L	A/H	A/H	A/H	A/H	8	1%	7.2	0.4
Low score on factor 2, self-directed learning	A/H	L	A/H	A/H	A/H	33	6%	7.7	0.4
Low score on factor 3, contextual learning	A/H	A/H	L	A/H	A/H	27	5%	7.7	0.3
Low score on factor 4, collaborative learning	A/H	A/H	A/H	L	A/H	34	6%	7.9	0.3
Low score on factor 5, interpersonal behaviour	A/H	A/H	A/H	A/H	L	16	3%	7.5	0.4
High score on four factors						51	9%	8.3	0.3
High score on all five factors	H	H	H	H	H	58	10%	8.5	0.4
All other combinations						183	32%	7.6	0.5
Total						573	100%	7.4	1.0

Note: *L = relatively low score, A = average score and H = relatively high score.

Table 3.  Tips given by students to improve a tutor's performance: divided into four categories

Tutor does not evaluate adequately:

• Tutor should better evaluate the contribution of individual group members to the group functioning

• Tutor should pay more attention to evaluations

• Tutor should not evaluate all students as performing sufficiently: should be more specific in evaluations

• Tutor should also evaluate his/her own performance as a tutor

• Tutor should take evaluations more seriously

• Tutor should also ask students about their perception when evaluating the group

Tutor is too directive:

• Tutor should let the group decide and should not intervene too much

• Tutor gives clear explanations, but these should be shorter

• Tutor should not intervene too early in the discussion

• Tutor should not take the role of the discussion leader

Tutor is too passive:

• Tutor should try to better guide the group; should intervene at the right moment

• Tutor should be more involved in the group; should better motivate the group

• Tutor should ask more questions in order to stimulate the group to study more deeply

• Tutor should give more help when generating learning issues

• Tutor should play a more active role; e.g. give more examples from practice

Tutor is not a content expert:

• Tutor is not a content expert

• Tutor should better prepare tutorial meeting if he/she is not a content expert

Appendix 1 Short Tutor Evaluation Questionnaire, Maastricht Medical School, 2002–03

		Strongly disagree	Strongly agree
F1 Constructive/active learning:
The tutor stimulated us …
1	… to summarize what we had learnt in our own words	1 2 3 4 5
2	… to search for links between issues discussed in the tutorial group	1 2 3 4 5
3	… to understand underlying mechanisms/theories	1 2 3 4 5
F2 Self-directed learning
The tutor stimulated us …
4	… to generate clear learning issues by ourselves	1 2 3 4 5
5	… to search for various resources by ourselves	1 2 3 4 5
F3 Contextual learning
The tutor stimulated us …
6	… to apply knowledge to the problem discussed	1 2 3 4 5
7	… to apply knowledge to other situations/problems	1 2 3 4 5
F4 Collaborative learning
The tutor stimulated us …
8	… to give constructive feedback on our group work	1 2 3 4 5
9	… to evaluate group cooperation regularly	1 2 3 4 5
F5 Intrapersonal behaviour as tutor
10	The tutor had a clear picture about his/her strengths/weaknesses as a tutor	1 2 3 4 5
11	The tutor was clearly motivated to fulfil his/her role as a tutor	1 2 3 4 5
Global score
12	Give a grade (1–10) for the overall performance of the tutor(6 being sufficient, 10 being excellent)	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Open question
	Give the tutor tips for improvement (formulate briefly).Do this especially if you gave your tutor a score below six.