Tutoring makes you a better student. Or so goes the conventional wisdom. But when it comes to improving test scores and mental attitudes, is tutoring really all it’s cracked up to be—or is it just a myth? You might guess our stance here at Jantzi Test Prep—after all, we wouldn’t expert tutoring ourselves unless we knew we could have a tremendously positive impact on students’ lives—but sometimes, it’s best not to take our word for it. That’s why we dug through some of the literature to demonstrate exactly how and why tutoring does have a measurable, positive impact on students:  

The Study: Educational Outcomes of Tutoring: A Meta-Analysis of Findings

The Conclusion: “A meta-analysis of findings from 65 independent evaluations of school tutoring programs showed that these programs have positive effects on the academic performance and attitudes of those who receive tutoring. Tutored students outperformed control students on examinations, and they also developed positive attitudes toward the subject matter covered in the tutorial programs.”

What it means: A “meta-analysis” is unique in that it’s a study of studies. In other words, it’s an analysis of results across a wide range of studies aimed at finding some sort of consensus conclusion. Looking at 65 findings, this meta-analysis found that tutored students outperformed on tests and developed positive mental attitudes to go along with their new scholastic success. Although this study dates back to the early 1980s, it is an important piece of evidence demonstrating the power of tutoring.

The Study: The Impact of Tutoring on Academic Success in Undeclared Students

The Conclusion: “Findings from the study indicate that tutoring had a significant impact on retention,” although tutoring for GPA in college and time to select a major were not affected. Additionally, “among those students who were tutored, fewer students than expected withdrew from school, while more students than expected graduated or were retained,” suggesting that tutoring had a positive impact on mental attitudes as well.

What it means: This study of college students showed that tutoring positively affected the ability of students to remember information—and important variable for test-taking—as well as them staying in school.

The Study: Tutoring Center Effectiveness: The Effect of Drop-in Tutoring

The Conclusion: “Freshmen who visited the TC more than 10 times in a quarter during the first year at Western had statistically higher rates of persistence and were statistically more likely to be in good academic standing than students who did not visit the TC.”

What it means: “TC,” in this case, refers to a Tutoring Center, which suggests that students who did receive regular tutoring were more persistent and more likely to remain in good academic standing, showing that there are tangible benefits to tutoring even at the college level.

All in all, it’s clear that there is plenty of scientific literature demonstrating the positive effects of tutoring not only on academic performance, but on the ability to persist and maintain a positive mental attitude about schooling in general. If that sounds like the kind of effect you’d like to see in your own child, perhaps it’s time to think about registering for tutoring.

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