Cross-age Tutoring in Mathematics: Sixth Graders Helping Students who are Moderately Handicapped

Abstract

The effects of a six-week cross-age tutoring program in mathematics education with four elementary school students who are moderately mentally handicapped, were examined. The results of the tutoring program indicated that these students’ beginning mathematics skills increased during the program. Also, teachers’ evaluated the program as a positive learning activity and evaluated all participants’ academic and/or social achievement as increasing as a result of the tutoring sessions. The sixth-grade tutors’ attitudes toward their peers who are moderately mentally handicapped were positive as were the latter students’ attitudes toward their tutors. However, based on the results of a follow-up study two years later, maintenance of or improvement in mathematics skills varied across subjects.

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