Investigating the Academic Impact of Embedded Tutoring and College Readiness on Corequisite Gateway English Courses

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of embedded tutoring and college readiness on students’ academic outcomes in corequisite gateway English courses at a Texas community college. With the growing implementation of corequisite gateway classes in higher education to expedite students’ academic tenure, schools are looking to implement academic support mechanisms that increase learners’ academic achievement and retention rates. A Texas community college used embedded writing tutors as a means of academic support during the school’s implementation of the corequisite gateway English course model. Archival academic achievement data were collected on different groups of students who participated in regular and corequisite English courses where embedded tutors were and were not present to gauge the tutors’ and students ‘college readiness impact on the students’ academic outcomes. In addition, qualitative information was gathered from interviews with the instructors and students who participated in corequisite gateway English courses on their perceptions of the embedded tutors. Quantitative findings indicated that college readiness was a good predictor of students’ academic success in a gateway English course and that the corequisite model was having the intended effect of helping non-college ready students earn their initial credits faster. The quantitative research also indicated that embedded tutoring had a minor impact on improving students’ academic outcomes. This finding was confirmed through the qualitative data analysis that showed faculty and students both have a positive impression of the embedded tutors’ classroom presence. However, the students shared they hardly utilize the embedded tutors’ services.