Juniper Gardens Children's Project
University of Kansas

Project Description

The goal of this study is to examine the success of ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) with and without a class-wide self-management strategy in place. Research questions include: (a) How does CWPT affect students’ academic outcomes? (b) Does the presence of a class wide self-management component promote increased academic gains and on-task behaviors? This study will provide an initial look at the effectiveness of CWPT in alternative education settings with middle and high school students with behavioral challenges.

CWPT will be implemented during biology instruction in two high school classrooms (grades 9-12), and during spelling instruction in one middle school classroom (grades 5-9). A single subject research design will be employed across the two phases of the study. During the first half of the school year, CWPT will serve as the intervention, and will alternate with the baseline condition of teacher lecture during Phase 1. During the second half of the year, CWPT will be implemented with a Class-Wide Self-Management (CWSM) component during Phase 2. The CWSM will provide a mechanism by which peers can give each other feedback on how well they are following the rules of CWPT. It will also provide students with an avenue by which they can self-evaluate and self-monitor their behavior.