The Added Value of Facilitative Tutoring for Students’ Learning Taking Students’ Prior Knowledge into Account

• In Event: Supports for Technology-Based Learning

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of a facilitative tutoring approach on students’ knowledge development in contrast to a directive tutoring approach. While results in general failed to differentiate between these two approaches, a different picture emerged when students’ course-specific prior knowledge profiles were taken into account. Results were in favor of the facilitative tutoring approach, which bridged the initial knowledge gap between students. More specifically, less knowledgeable students performed better when being tutored by a facilitative tutor. These results suggest that the most beneficial approach to tutoring as such does not exist as students’ course-specific prior knowledge is an important interacting factor. These results urge educators to take this initial student state into account when organizing instruction.

Authors

• Inneke Berghmans, University of Leuven

• Filip J.R.C. Dochy, University of Leuven