Intervention(s)
With support form superintendents of the Toronto District School Board, invitations will be sent to Grades 5-9 math teachers to participate in the experiment. All teachers will be assigned a khoach and participate in the regular KWiK program. The randomized tutoring component will happen concurrently from the third of week of school onwards. Among the lowest ~10 practicing students, approximately five students from each class will be randomly selected for the treatment group, offering them free virtual tutoring sessions once a week as an extra effort to improve their performance. Teachers will email parents of selected students to consider participating in the tutoring component of the program, with the student meeting once a week throughout the school year. The email will contain a special link to the program, housed at Schoohouse World. Schoolhouse is Khan Academy’s sister organization that offers free online volunteer tutoring using volunteers from around the world. Selected students will either be assigned a group tutoring session or a one-on-one tutoring session.
The primary objective of the tutoring sessions is to create a supportive learning environment where students can receive assistance in completing their current assignments. Typically, when students come to the sessions, they have already completed one or two out of their three current assignments, as they are given dedicated time to work on Khan Academy during class. However, some students may progress at a slower pace or require guidance, particularly if they have weaker foundations in math. Tutors are trained to prioritize the use of Khan Academy resources, such as hints, videos, and articles, instead of directly teaching or providing answers. If a student requires additional guidance, the tutor encourages them to start over in order to demonstrate their understanding and gain more practice. If a student has already completed all their current assignments before the tutoring session, tutors will assist the student in completing past exercises.
At the end of each session, the tutor will encourage the student to choose a past assignment to complete independently before the start of their next session. This practice is intended to promote accountability and foster independent learning in math. The overall goal of the tutoring program is to help students become confident, independent math learners, leading to positive long-term learning progress.