The impact of an in-class peer tutoring program on student social capital

Social networks, supported by social norms, develop through personal interactions and provide the framework from which social capital emerges and the means through which resources are accessed. Social capital is resources embedded in social networks that are mobilized by members of those networks. Social capital has been positively associated with academic achievement. In addition, tutors have been proven beneficial to student learning. The link between peer tutoring and social capital however, has not been investigated. This project investigates how an in-class-peer-tutoring (ICPT) program in the statics courses at WSU and OSU has helped students to access and utilize social capital. Special interest is given to the challenges faced in the engineering curriculum and how the benefits of ICPT help to address these issues. Special emphasis is placed on how ICPT contributes to building student social capital by investigating its effect on social norms, which serve as indicators of social networks and the accessibility of resources through those networks. Findings indicate that social capital has been positively impacted by ICPT, which encourages communication, cross-grade network building, and a more supportive and friendly environment.