Peer education to enhance high school didactics


Paolo M Pumilia – Drops in the ocean (Project aimed at fostering on-the-field educational experimentation)
Valeria Mangione - Ist. Dell'Acqua, Legnano (Mi), Italy

Abstract

A two-weeks-long experimental educational activity has been carried out in two high school classes, to
assess students’ ability to make progress in curricular topics and improve mutual relationship as well, exploiting the peer education potential.
That required a complete reorganization of the didactic activity, touching both the teacher and the students, yet only for one subject matter, without affecting the usual school hours, for the rest of the curricular program.

The experimentation involved the german language matter, where students have been working in small groups, in separate classrooms, lead by a classmate as tutor, without their teacher, during regular school hours. Classrooms could be used in the afternoon as well.

Results appear very encouraging, since even students who did not well in german got a passing grade in the test their teacher gave them, in the end of the experimentation period. Students proved to be able to self govern their activity, to carry out their task effectively, helping each other, when needed.