Evidence-based practice: a quality indicator analysis of peer-tutoring in adapted physical education.
Peer-tutoring in adapted PE lacks enough high-quality studies to be called evidence-based—screen each study before you use it.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Laura and her team looked at every peer-tutoring study in adapted PE. They used quality checklists made for single-case and group designs.
They wanted to know if peer-tutoring in gym class counts as evidence-based practice.
What they found
Single-case studies hit 80 percent of quality marks. Group studies only hit 62.5 percent.
The authors say peer-tutoring in adapted PE is not ready to be called evidence-based yet.
How this fits with other research
McKenna et al. (2019) found almost no solid studies on academic help for students with emotional disturbance in regular classrooms. Cacciani et al. (2013) shows the same gap exists in adapted PE.
Laposa et al. (2017) ran a strong RCT on peer networks for high schoolers with severe disabilities and got clear social gains. This RCT would have scored high on Laura’s checklist, proving good peer studies are possible.
Gonzales et al. (2020) showed that just having a peer nearby boosts preschoolers’ active play. This small multielement study adds to the pile of peer-focused work, but like many in Laura’s review, it is only a single-case design.
Why it matters
Before you add peer-tutoring to an IEP gym goal, check the study behind it. Look for single-case designs with at least 80 percent quality or strong RCTs. If the evidence is thin, build in extra data collection so you can prove it works for your student.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of the research was to conduct a quality indicator analysis of studies investigating peer-tutoring for students with a disability in adapted physical education. An electronic search was conducted among English journals published from 1960 to November 2012. Databases included ERIC, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus. Fifteen research studies employing group-experimental (Gersten et al., 2005) or single-subject designs (Horner et al., 2005) met inclusion criteria. Each study was assessed for the presence and clarity of quality indicators. Group designs met an average of 62.5% essential and 69% desirable indicators. An average of 80% of indicators was present for single-subject designs. Results suggest claims of peer-tutoring being an evidence-based practice are premature. Recommendations for clarifying and applying the quality indicators are offered.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.004