Peer tutoring and student outcomes in a problem‐based course

Summary: Summary. Does peer‐tutoring affect students’ educational outcomes in problem‐based learning? Students’ characteristics and outcomes were compared along 14 successive classes of a problem‐based learning course in the University of Brasilia medical programme. In the first stage of this time series, 26 teacher‐tutored groups were formed; in the second stage, 50 groups had both teacher‐ and peer‐tutoring. Both groups had equivalent characteristics in stages one and two as regards membership size and composition (students’ learning style, self‐confidence and motivation to learn). Results showed that scores for problem‐solving tests and self‐evaluation of skills were not significantly different between first and second stage groups. However, scores of meaningfulness of course experience and group work usefulness were significantly higher in the peer‐tutoring stage. Significant positive correlations were found between scores of meaningfulness of course experience and both self‐evaluation and group work usefulness but not between the first measure and group size or motivation to learn. The findings suggest that peer‐tutoring can facilitate group work without sustained loss of cognitive achievement in long range conditions of problem‐based learning experience.