Date
4-7-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)
Chair
KristyAnn Motte
Keywords
peer tutoring, higher education, online, self-efficacy, student success, student retention
Disciplines
Higher Education | Online and Distance Education
Recommended Citation
Carpenter, Van E., "A Case Study Examining Why Students Succeed When Exposed to Peer Tutors" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8153.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8153
Abstract
The purpose of this instrumental case study was to identify the impact of online peer tutoring on students’ perceptions of their success for students who participated in online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University (a pseudonym used for this research). This research was grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which provided a comprehensive framework for examining the factors influencing the effectiveness of peer tutoring among students. This study answered three research questions: How do online students use peer tutoring at Summit Faith University, how does online peer tutoring at Summit Faith University shape students’ perceptions of their success at Summit Faith University, and how do online students at Summit Faith University use their peer tutoring experiences in courses that do not have embedded tutoring in place? Qualitative data were collected from 10 student volunteers at a university’s online supplemental instruction department through journaling prompts, individual interviews, and focus groups. The collected data were coded and analyzed, yielding four themes: experience, success, interaction, and extension.
