The near-peer tutoring programme: embracing the ‘doctors-to-teach’ philosophy – a comparison of the effects of participation between the senior and junior near-peer tutors

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic data of the near-peer tutors

	Junior (n=19)	Senior (n=15)	Overall (n=34)
No. of volunteers (%)	19 (55.9)	15 (44.1)	34 (100.0)
Age (mean±SD)	21±2.14	24±20.5	21±2.75
Gender
Male (%)	10 (52.6)	7 (46.7)	17 (50.0)
Female (%)	9 (47.4)	8 (53.3)	17 (50.0)
Previous teaching experience
Yes (%)	6 (31.6)	2 (13.3)	8 (23.5)
No (%)	13 (68.4)	13 (86.7)	26 (76.5)

Table 2 Comparison of teaching scores

	Pre-teaching	Post-teaching	T-test (p-value)
(1) Junior peer tutors
Skills (Mean±SD)	5.41±0.51	5.46±0.50	0.695
Motivation (Mean±SD)	5.37±0.36	5.53±0.48	0.169
Expectation (Mean±SD)	4.39±1.07	4.43±1.13	0.813
(2) Senior peer tutors
Skills (Mean±SD)	5.07±0.80	5.47±0.53	0.030
Motivation (Mean±SD)	5.27±0.58	5.40±0.52	0.272
Expectation (Mean±SD)	4.93±1.02	4.67±0.75	0.292
(3) Overall (Junior and senior peer tutors)
Skills (Mean±SD)	5.26±0.67	5.47±0.51	0.156
Motivation (Mean±SD)	5.32±0.46	5.47±0.50	0.210
Expectation (Mean±SD)	4.63±1.07	4.54±0.98	0.701

*p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Table 3 Comparison of the students’ and self-evaluations

	Junior peers (n=19)	Senior peers (n=13)	t-test (p-value)	Senior and junior peers (n=32)	Paired sample t-test (p-value)
(1) Responsibility and respect
Students	5.25±0.61	5.45±0.67	0.0001	5.31±0.31	0.694
Self	5.32±0.57	5.19±0.51	0.534	5.27±0.54
(2) Information processing
Students	5.09±0.78	5.38±0.77	0.0001	5.17±0.44	0.725
Self	5.09±0.60	5.18±0.48	0.649	5.13±0.55
(3) Communication
Students	5.14±0.81	5.41±0.82	0.0001	5.23±0.41	0.232
Self	4.89±0.79	5.27±0.53	0.146	5.05±0.71
(4) Critical analysis
Students	5.02±0.86	5.24±0.89	0.0001	5.07±0.38	0.003
Self	4.44±0.86	4.67±0.77	0.449	4.53±0.82
(5) Self-awareness
Students	5.02±0.86	5.24±0.89	0.0001	5.07±0.38	0.718
Self	5.16±0.67	5.08±0.73	0.748	5.13±0.68

*p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Appendix 1. 

Peer tutor's own assessment

Please answer the items below indicating strength of your agreement or disagreement with the statements by circling the number on the scale (1=totally disagree; 6=totally agree).

	Pre-teaching: My purpose of becoming a peer tutor	Post-teaching: The peer tutoring sessions have
Skills	1. Improve own learning skills	1. Improved own learning skills
enhancement	2. Improve practical teaching skills	2. Improved practical teaching skills
	3. Improve understanding of educational principles	3. Improved understanding of educational principles
	4. Increase confidence in speaking to groups	4. Increased confidence in speaking to groups
	5. Improve organisation/planning skills	5. Improved organisation/planning skills
Context	1. Desire to help fellow students	1. Increased my desire to help fellow students
(motivations)	2. Focus on practical skills	2. Helped me to focus on practical skills
	3. A good way to revise own clinical skills	3. Revised my own clinical skills
	4. Desire to emulate good teaching I have had	4. Increased my desire to emulate good teaching I have had
	5. Previous teaching experience encouraging me to do more	5. Encouraged me to do more
Career direction	1. Teaching is an important part of my future career	1. I will undertake further teaching training
(expectations)	2. Experience in teaching will help me to decide my career direction	2. Helped me to decide my career direction
	3. Teaching will be important – whatever my career route	3. Teaching will be a major part of my career
	4. Taking part will enhance my curriculum vitae	4. Enhanced my curriculum vitae

Adapted from Ref. (15).

Appendix 2. 

Peer tutor assessment instrument

Please answer the items below indicating the strength of your agreement or disagreement with the statements about the peer tutor's performance in the CSU session by circling the number on the scale (1=totally disagree; 6=totally agree)

Responsibility and respect
1. Completed all assigned tasks to the appropriate level	1	2	3	4	5	6
2. Completed all assigned tasks on time	1	2	3	4	5	6
3. Participated actively in the session	1	2	3	4	5	6
4. Showed behaviour and input that facilitated learning	1	2	3	4	5	6
5. Was punctual to the session	1	2	3	4	5	6
6. Listened and showed respect for the opinions of others	1	2	3	4	5	6
Information processing
7. Brought in new information to share with the group	1	2	3	4	5	6
8. Provided information that was relevant and helpful	1	2	3	4	5	6
9. Seemed to use a variety of resources to obtain the information	1	2	3	4	5	6
Communication
10. Was able to communicate ideas clearly	1	2	3	4	5	6
11. Made comments and responses that was not confusing	1	2	3	4	5	6
Critical analysis
12. Gave input that was focussed and relevant to the case	1	2	3	4	5	6
13. Gave a summary of the session	1	2	3	4	5	6
14. Gave a summary of the session that showed evidence of reflection and evaluation	1	2	3	4	5	6
Self-awareness
15. Appeared to the able to acknowledge his/her own strengths and weaknesses	1	2	3	4	5	6
16. Accepted and responded to criticism gracefully	1	2	3	4	5	6
Other comments:

Adapted from Ref. 16.

Buckley S , Zamora J . Effects of participation in a cross year peer tutoring programme in clinical examination skills on volunteer tutors’ skills and attitudes towards teachers and teaching. BMC Med Educ. 2007; 7: 20–9.

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