Stilwell, S. M., & Pearson, Z. V. (2026). ‘Cracking the invisible code’: A mixed-methods exploration of K-12 tutor goals and motivations. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2026.2660645
ABSTRACT
Tutoring provides an opportunity to address student learning needs and extends classroom learning. While existing research largely focuses on students’ perspectives, a deeper examination of the tutor’s role is needed to fully understand the tutoring process. To examine tutor goals and motivations, the current study employed an explanatory quantitatively driven sequential mixed-methods design. In Phase 1, an adapted goal orientation framework was applied to survey data from practicing K-12 tutors (N = 211) to distinguish between levels of goals tutors set for their students, where findings suggested variation in goals by tutor characteristics and motivation. In Phase 2, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a subset of tutors from Phase 1 (N = 12) to further explore relationships between tutor goals and motivations. Overall, findings discuss the complex and diverse nature of goals, where broader and larger life goals hold implications for how success is defined, conceptualized, and measured within tutoring practice.
KEYWORDS:
K-12 tutor perspectives, mixed-methods, goal orientation theory