Older high school students acted as tutors for younger students teaching physics concepts: this method of cross-age peer tutoring was used at four schools with different age groups. It was interesting that only few empirical research studies had existed on the effects of this method. In the predecessing study we had found evidence that tutors as well as tutees benefited from cross-age peer tutoring in electricity and optics. It had not been, however, clear yet whether or not this effect was kept in different age groups and different content areas. In the current research project we continued to reduce this research gap. The study focused more on content regarding invisible radiation and on older students than in the prior study. In the first phase of the project, selected high school students investigated younger students’ conceptions of radiation. Together with the scientists from the AECC, they worked on a design for a learning environment. In the following phase of cross-age peer tutoring, teacher students first worked together with students from upper secondary high school; these students tought younger high school students afterwards. The research in the project focused on the learning processes of the high school students. This was important to gain more insight into how cross age peer tutoring affects learning.

This project has been completed.