Exploring Effective Tutoring Strategies in Asynchronous Online Mathematical Discussions: Insights from Ordered Network Analysis
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| Title: | Exploring Effective Tutoring Strategies in Asynchronous Online Mathematical Discussions: Insights from Ordered Network Analysis |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yukyeong Song (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Science Education and Technology. 2025 34(5):1143-1163. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) |
| Contract Number: | R305C160004 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Tutoring, Asynchronous Communication, Electronic Learning, Mathematics Instruction, Discussion (Teaching Technique), Instructional Effectiveness, Knowledge Level, Problem Solving, Tutors, Secondary School Students, Educational Strategies, Secondary School Mathematics |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10956-025-10233-0 |
| ISSN: | 1059-0145 1573-1839 |
| Abstract: | Online mathematical discussions provide numerous educational benefits, such as supporting collaborative knowledge construction, increasing learner engagement, and enhancing students' higher-order thinking. Yet, the effectiveness of these discussions is not always guaranteed; rather, it is highly dependent on the use of tutoring strategies. While previous studies investigated the impact of tutoring strategies on the effectiveness of discussions, they mostly focused on the success of problem-solving, and less attention has been paid to how students represented their knowledge during the discussions. This study investigated the relationship between tutoring strategies and the effectiveness of discussions, operationalized as the level of student knowledge representation as well as the success of problem-solving. We retrieved textual data from 2318 tutor-student discussion threads at a secondary school online math learning platform and annotated them with the coding schemes of problem-solving success, students' knowledge representation, and tutoring strategies. Then, we conducted regression analyses to investigate each strategy's impact on the discussion's success and students' knowledge representation. We also conducted an ordered network analysis (ONA) to visualize the sequential networks of the tutoring strategies among four groups of dialogues categorized by discussion's problem-solving success and knowledge representation. Findings suggest that "motivating and encouraging" and "feedback" are the most effective tutoring strategies for both successful problem-solving and knowledge representation, while "direct intervention" is effective for success but minimally influential for knowledge representation. On the other hand, "questioning" was found to be important in promoting students' knowledge representation while showing minimal impact on problem-solving success. The findings provide theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for promoting effective tutoring strategies in online mathematical discussions. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1497451 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Online mathematical discussions provide numerous educational benefits, such as supporting collaborative knowledge construction, increasing learner engagement, and enhancing students' higher-order thinking. Yet, the effectiveness of these discussions is not always guaranteed; rather, it is highly dependent on the use of tutoring strategies. While previous studies investigated the impact of tutoring strategies on the effectiveness of discussions, they mostly focused on the success of problem-solving, and less attention has been paid to how students represented their knowledge during the discussions. This study investigated the relationship between tutoring strategies and the effectiveness of discussions, operationalized as the level of student knowledge representation as well as the success of problem-solving. We retrieved textual data from 2318 tutor-student discussion threads at a secondary school online math learning platform and annotated them with the coding schemes of problem-solving success, students' knowledge representation, and tutoring strategies. Then, we conducted regression analyses to investigate each strategy's impact on the discussion's success and students' knowledge representation. We also conducted an ordered network analysis (ONA) to visualize the sequential networks of the tutoring strategies among four groups of dialogues categorized by discussion's problem-solving success and knowledge representation. Findings suggest that "motivating and encouraging" and "feedback" are the most effective tutoring strategies for both successful problem-solving and knowledge representation, while "direct intervention" is effective for success but minimally influential for knowledge representation. On the other hand, "questioning" was found to be important in promoting students' knowledge representation while showing minimal impact on problem-solving success. The findings provide theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for promoting effective tutoring strategies in online mathematical discussions. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1059-0145 1573-1839 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10956-025-10233-0 |
