THE EFFICACY OF PEER-TO-PEER TUTORING IN IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SELF-EFFICACY IN UNDERPERFORMING STUDENTS

Peer-to-peer tutoring has emerged as a prominent instructional strategy for supporting academically underperforming students across educational levels. This study investigated the efficacy of peer-to-peer tutoring in improving both academic performance and self-efficacy among underperforming students. Grounded in Vygotsky's Social Constructivist Theory and Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory, the research employed a mixed-methods design involving 120 underperforming students and 60 peer tutors from a tertiary institution. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-intervention academic assessments and validated self-efficacy scales, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Findings revealed significant improvements in participants' academic performance following the peer tutoring intervention (p < .001), with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large across subject areas. Similarly, self-efficacy scores demonstrated statistically significant increases, particularly in self-regulated learning and task-specific confidence. Qualitative analyses identified key mechanisms underlying these improvements, including a safe learning environment, acquisition of effective learning strategies, and motivational support from peer tutors. Notably, peer tutors also experienced enhanced self-efficacy and deeper content mastery through the teaching process. These findings align with recent meta-analyses confirming peer tutoring's effectiveness across cognitive and affective domains. The study concludes that peer-to-peer tutoring serves as an effective intervention for underperforming students, offering both academic and psychosocial benefits, and recommends its systematic integration into institutional support frameworks alongside appropriate training and structured implementation protocols.
Keywords: Peer tutoring, academic performance, self-efficacy, underperforming students, social constructivism, self-regulated learning