Abstract
Poor student performance is a problem that has been observed worldwide that needs the attention of policy makers. Low educational achievement contributes to low productivity growth, higher levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality. One of the ways to improve student performance is to introduce tutoring in educational institutions. The support offered by tutors is essential in improving student performance however it is significantly poorer than that offered by teachers therefore it was necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the tools and techniques used in the tutorial process. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting tutoring effectiveness in Finance- related modules at the University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park campus in South Africa.
Individual web-based interviews were conducted to gather data for this study. The data was analysed using thematic analysis to observe the themes emerging from the data collected. The sample of study included lecturers and tutors in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Johannesburg. The data collection period commenced August to September 2021. Results revealed the tutoring practices and strategies that are used by tutors during the tutorials. In addition, the findings from this study revealed that the tutors were effective in executing their duties. The results also revealed that there are personal factors, support factors and technical issues that affect tutoring effectiveness. Further findings indicated the recommendations and suggestions to improve the tutoring function in the teaching and learning process. A conceptual framework showing the factors that affect tutoring effectiveness was developed from the literature reviewed and interviews conducted. The recommended solutions to improve tutoring effectiveness include providing tutors with more devices, material to prepare for tutorials and organising training sessions for them. There is scope for future studies to be done on the same topic, however when tutoring is conducted on a contact basis as this study was impacted by the Covid–19 pandemic.
Keywords: Student performance, Tutoring effectiveness, Finance- related modules.