Rushforth, Katie; (2011) The quality and effectiveness of one-to-one private tuition in England. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

There is a belief amongst educators and laymen that one-to-one tutoring is inevitably positive and effective. Although some research has shown that tutoring programmes can be very effective in raising achievement, other surveys have found negligible learning gains. These findings raise questions about the quality of PT. Literature has focussed on effective practice for specific subjects and age groups; few studies have examined effectiveness from the perspective of the tutor and student. This thesis aimed to determine the impact of private tuition (PT) on KS2 and GCSE achievement and to explore tutors' and students' views of effective pedagogy. Data on PT participation collected from over 2000 pupils in years 6 and 11 enrolled in 30 primary and 28 secondary schools was matched with government achievement and pupil background data. Using statistical modelling that reflects school effects in the data, pupils who received PT in maths achieved significantly higher GCSE maths results. There was no evidence to suggest that PT in English and science made an impact on respective GCSE or KS2 attainment. Using a combined measure of tuition in any subject, findings indicated that extended periods of PT made a small impact on maths and average KS2 score. In the second study, data was collected to determine tutors' and students' views of effective pedagogy by contacting tutors who advertise online and by utilising word-of-mouth recruitment methods. A total of 204 tutors and 90 tutored students completed questionnaires. The achievement gains perceived by both tutors and students contradict the quantitative findings; almost all participants considered PT to be effective in raising achievement and confidence, demonstrating that for some students PT can be very beneficial. Tutors' and students' views of effective tutoring included the perceived importance of subject knowledge, rapport and patience; although there was some variation by subject and age group.

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