Reciprocal Peer Tutoring

Overview 

Reciprocal peer tutoring is a strategy where students take on the roles of both tutor and tutee, alternating between teaching and being taught by their peers. This approach fosters collaborative learning and active engagement, allowing students to learn from one another under the guidance of the teacher. Students should be split into pairs and given a concept to teach their tutee. Allow the tutor to teach for a set amount of time, then have the students switch roles and run another tutoring session. Reciprocal peer tutoring fosters student engagement, self-explanation, and enhances communication skills.  

When planning reciprocal peer tutoring, decide on the following: 

• How should my students be paired?

Your pairings will likely change depending on the subject or topic being taught. Make sure that one student is close to mastery on the topic.

• What “tutor training” do my students need?

Do your students need to practice self-explanation? Active listening? Reciprocal peer tutoring can help polish these skills, but decide if you should review these ideas before opening the tutoring sessions.