Effects of Adapted Class Wide Peer Tutoring on Students’ Achievement and Perception towards Learning Mathematics in Asia Pacific University, Malaysia

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of Adapted Class Wide Peer Tutoring (ACWPT) on teaching and learning of mathematics module for undergraduate students in Asia Pacific University (APU), Malaysia. Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) is one of the instructional strategy to meet the requirements of a rapidly diversifying student population. This paper adapted CWPT such that the lecturer worked collaboratively with peer leaders to guide low performing students. ACWPT strategy is to group low performing students with a peer leader to achieve learning outcomes of the module. This paper examines the impact of ACWPT on enhancing low performing students’ mathematical skills. Existing module assessments is used as a tool to measure the effectiveness of ACWPT. ACWPT develops the peer leaders’ responsibility and accountability for peer learning as well as consolidate their own learning which creates a win –win situation for all students. In this study, 271 participants from three different computing cohorts went through successful ACWPT approach. The findings of this study showed that ACWPT exhibited improvement in mathematics achievement and positive perception towards learning mathematics. Participants of ACWPT states that the active discussion of ideas within small clusters not only increase interest and also encourages motivation which leads to activity based learning.  The course achievement indicated that 95.6 % of the students able to meet substantial learning outcomes and improved their achievement. Finding shows ACWPT provides a learning community platform that increase opportunities to understand mathematical skills by having positive social interaction between the participants.