Online Tutoring Interventions to Boost Pupils’ Reading Performance and Attitude

With the growing possibilities that technology offers to education, this study set out to explore the potential of online, intensive, individualized reading interventions. The study compared the effects of the UIL (Universele Instructie in Lezen) and Read-along intervention methods on the reading performance and attitude of pupils with reading difficulties. The 35 grade 5 and 6 pupils took part in eight 30-minute tutoring sessions via Microsoft Teams. Prior to and following these sessions, the pupils were asked to complete a pretest and posttest comprising a series of reading tasks and a questionnaire with items on self-perception of reading skills and reading motivation. Our analysis showed that the pupils made substantial gains in reading performance from pretest to posttest and that their reading attitude improved. The observed gains were similar for the UIL and Read-along groups. We conclude that intensive one-on-one tutoring is potentially beneficial to improve the reading...Show moreWith the growing possibilities that technology offers to education, this study set out to explore the potential of online, intensive, individualized reading interventions. The study compared the effects of the UIL (Universele Instructie in Lezen) and Read-along intervention methods on the reading performance and attitude of pupils with reading difficulties. The 35 grade 5 and 6 pupils took part in eight 30-minute tutoring sessions via Microsoft Teams. Prior to and following these sessions, the pupils were asked to complete a pretest and posttest comprising a series of reading tasks and a questionnaire with items on self-perception of reading skills and reading motivation. Our analysis showed that the pupils made substantial gains in reading performance from pretest to posttest and that their reading attitude improved. The observed gains were similar for the UIL and Read-along groups. We conclude that intensive one-on-one tutoring is potentially beneficial to improve the reading performance and attitude of struggling readers. Future studies with a control group, larger samples, and more divergent intervention methods can strengthen the present conclusions and help develop new or improved reading interventions to achieve even larger gains in reading performance and attitude.Show less

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Online Tutoring Interventions to Boost Pupils’ Reading Performance and Attitude