Effectiveness of academic tutoring in terms of undergraduate students' learning experience and outcomes at a public university in China

Abstract

In the era of the knowledge economy, education is regarded as a key domain for national competitiveness. The quality and the effectiveness of higher education directly impact students' learning development and in turn the overall progress of society. The undergraduate tutoring system which has been developed rapidly in recent years in China is believed to hold significance for improving educational quality and promoting the personalized development of university students. There is, however, little research done to gauge the effectiveness of the academic tutoring system.

To investigate the effectiveness and optimization pathways of the undergraduate tutoring system after its introduction into universities, this case study focuses on evaluating the undergraduate academic tutoring system at a university in central China. The study targets key stakeholders involved in the system, including tutors, students, and parents, and employs a mixed methods approach including in-depth interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentation.

The findings which are centered around three research questions are divided into four parts. First, the study identifies that academic tutoring policies are not rigidly implemented universally, due to many factors including tutor recruitment, tutoring contents, arrangement, evaluation and reward mechanisms. These factors also influence the effectiveness of academic tutoring in schools that implement them. Second, personalized guidance, emotional support, career planning and future development guidance, and the cultivation of teamwork spirit are effective ways through which tutors can influence students' learning experiences and outcomes. Third, the study highlights that tutors need to possess such core values as teacher expectations, empathy and understanding, academic integrity, academic interest, and inclusivity, along with skills in communication, time management, teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation. Last but not least, the data indicate that students, school leaders as well as academic tutors are the major stakeholders holding the key for effectiveness of the undergraduate tutoring system. On the basis of these findings, the thesis proposes several stakeholder-oriented measures, including refining institutional design for standardized implementation, strengthening stakeholder awareness and collaborative governance, establishing efficient and interactive tutor-tutee relationships, and integrating tutoring with innovation and entrepreneurship programs.

Date of Award	19 Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Robert Adamson (Supervisor) & Anwei Feng (Supervisor)