You might be wondering whether group or private tuition is better for your child to take when it comes to certain A level subjects. At New Dawn Learning Studio, A level physics tuition, A level chemistry tuition, and A level mathematics tuition are provided. Generally, these subjects require lots of practice and, of course, basic understanding.
Group tuition refers to tuition given to a group of 3 to 15 students where the tutor will explain key concepts on a specific topic in a subject, and also encourage group work and discussion whereas private tuition is often known as 1-to-1 coaching whereby the student gets full attention from the tutor who can teach and monitor a student’s progress on specific topics so desired. Each type of tuition has much to offer and suits different learning needs of the students.
Here’s our take on the pros and cons of group and private tuition:
Group Tuition
Pros
- Healthy competition
For all three subjects: A level physics, A level chemistry, and A level mathematics, group tuition can be extremely helpful in allowing students to engage in healthy competition with their peers. This will encourage them to be more proactive and consistent in their work as they will constantly try to improve themselves to do better than those around them.
- Encourages group discussions
Group tuition always has the benefit of learning from peers. Many times, students have tips, on how they approach certain questions, that may be very helpful to other students who face the same difficulties they do. Group tutors have the opportunity to present questions to groups of students and allow them to brainstorm the answers. This promotes learning and lets students learn different approaches to different questions. Having a wide range of methods on hand can potentially help students tackle difficult questions, especially tricky questions phrased in a way to develop critical thinking.
Questions from other students will also allow your child to learn more than he or she would have if tutored alone, and also often prong him or her to consider other angles to a question which might otherwise be missed.
- Motivation from peers
Being able to study with peers can be a great source of motivation. Students may struggle in certain difficult areas in the few subjects. Knowing that ‘you are not alone’, as the students going for tuition are probably facing the similar problems, can be really comforting especially for students who are doing awfully compared to their peers in school. Furthermore, seeing their peers being able to make progress will motivate them to adopt a positive attitude towards mastering their challenging subjects.
- Promotes independence
Apart from having to travel down to the tuition centres for a scheduled class, students going for group tuition may find that more of their learning depends on them taking charge. They have to speak up and ask questions when they have doubts and confide in the tutors when they have concerns, for example, in catching up.
This may seem daunting for students who are shy or not confident, but it may also help them improve their social skills in the long run.
- Cost effective
Apparently, the tuition fees are comparatively lower. Very often, learning centres will charge less for more subjects enrolled or more lessons taken for a subject. Hence, it is more cost effective.
Cons
- Distractions
Other students may talk or discuss their problems within small groups, and this may make it hard for some students to focus.
- Being left out
For slower learners who are afraid to speak up, they may get neglected as the tutors would be busy attending to other students with questions. Though most tutors make it a point to walk around and monitor their students’ progress, students may still find themselves lost and left out sometimes.
Private Tuition
Pros
- Undivided attention
Private tuition gives students the advantage of having undivided attention from their private tutors. This can benefit students who tend to face more challenges trying to grasp certain concepts or tackle application questions.
As the private tutor would be able to focus fully on one student at a time, it may be easier for the tutor to identify the weaker areas of the student and also allow for immediate clarifications and take appropriate remedial actions.
- Customised tutoring
Private tutors can come up with study plans that can allow students to focus on their weaker areas without the need to account for other students’ study paces. Likewise, the tutor can skip specific topics which the students are good at.
- Flexibility
Private tuition lets students pick the most suitable timing for themselves, which enables flexibility as they do not have to shift personal commitments to attend a group tuition with fixed schedules. Sometimes, they can rearrange their schedule to attend to other school or private affairs.
- Being better than before
Often, students compare themselves with their peers. This can work for certain students who use peer pressure to their advantage and engage in healthy competition. However, for some students, particularly introverts, it can be much more rewarding to monitor the progress they have made since they start private tuition. Knowing that one is improving can be satisfying and encourage students to keep going and making improvements.
- Time saving
Usually, students will arrange for their tutors to go to their homes which saves up much travelling time, unlike going to and fro from a learning centre.
Cons
- Higher cost
Undeniably, private tuition incurs higher costs as compared to group tuition.
- Lack of independence
As private tutors continually provide their students with all the resources they need and monitor their students very closely, students may become too reliant on their private tutors for information and it also leads to the tendency to ask the tutors for worked solutions instead of trying to think and solve the questions.
- Speed may not be as fast as expected
As private classes are tailored to the student’s needs, students who do their work slower might not feel the need to speed up. Group tuition, on the other hand, allows students to gauge if their speed is reasonable and work harder to catch up so they do not fall behind.
We hope that the above list of pros and cons of group and private tuition we have given for A level physics, A level chemistry, and A level mathematics, is sufficient and helpful. Now, let us move on to talk about the most important aspect to consider when deciding on the best type of tuition for your child.
As you might have guessed, the most important aspect is your child’s learning preference.
At the end of the day, your child is going to be the one attending the tuition, and thus will be the one reaping any sort of benefits from it. To make the most out of the type of tuition you choose, let the environment best suited for your child take priority.
Some questions you may consider are:
- Does competition drive your child to do better? Or could it potentially lower their self-esteem, making it difficult to find motivation and surpass their group mates?
- Is your child easily distracted or does he or she enjoy sharing knowledge and learning from others?
- Does you child prefer one-on-one learning or would that be intimidating and uncomfortable for him or her? Would learning in an environment similar to a classroom allow your child to focus better?
Being put in an environment your child prefers may very well foster interest in a subject they once found a chore to learn. Furthermore, everyone has different concerns and preferences. Though it is good to have done research on the best type of tuition for your child, our ultimate advice is to put your child’s learning preferences first and let him or her decide what is best for himself or herself.
If you’d like to see if your child can thrive in New Dawn’s learning environment, feel free to contact us!
