Effects of Contextual Factors on Tutor Behavior

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Abstract
Background: Questions about what makes tutor behavior effective are very important for the ongoing development of problem‐based learning. Because contextual factors are likely to influence teacher behavior, analyses of teaching activities should take these factors into account. Purpose: This study examined the effects of contextual factors through analyzing the stability of tutor behavior and the effects of departmental affiliation on tutoring. Methods: Analyses of variance and generalizability analyses were conducted to assess the effects of contextual factors. Results: The results of this study suggested that the stability and generalizability of tutor behavior is low. The findings of the second part of the study showed that tutor behavior is weakly to moderately related to departmental affiliation. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that what a tutor does in a discussion group depends on context‐specific characteristics (e.g., course features, subject area, requirements set by a discussion group, and departmental affiliation).