Independent study finds three in four students increase their performance by up to three grades with personalised tutoring
90% of students who improved their grades also reported increased confidence, meaning preparedness for exams
Performance in mathematics showed significant improvements, with 80% improving grades by up to three levels after 12 months of consistent tutoring
Vienna - June 11, 2024 - A comprehensive and independent study, conducted by Dr. Tricia Thrasher, has found that personalised online tutoring results in significant improvements in students’ academic performance and self-confidence, with 3 in 4 students increasing in ability by up to three grades. The paper provides robust evidence for the efficacy of sustained, one-to-one, personalised support.
Dr. Thrasher, Director of Research at Immerse, holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education. She has over a decade of experience conducting empirical research studies on the impact of various technologies on learning outcomes. The study involved 2,616 parents and students from Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, using data gathered by GoStudent, one of the world’s leading tutoring and education platforms.
Personalised tutoring drives academic success
Dr Thrasher’s research found that three in four students improve by up to three grades with personalised online support. These findings are consistent across all ages, school levels and countries.
It is widely understood that children learn best when taught in a way that best suits them. Yet, in crowded classrooms teachers are not armed with the tools needed to tailor the curriculum to every child’s specific needs. The study demonstrates the significant potential for personalised tutoring to substantially increase academic achievement.
Mathematics, a subject that challenges students worldwide, showed particularly impressive improvements. 80% of students who received maths tutoring for 12 months improved by up to three grades, demonstrating the subject’s potential for dramatic progress with consistent, personalised support. This offers a sign of hope amidst a global decline in maths proficiency. The most recent PISA study showed that average mathematics scores across OECD countries have fallen by a record 15 points since 2018.
Confidence is the key to success: 90% of students who increase their confidence improve their grades
Confidence is more than just a feeling, it’s a critical component of academic success. An impressive 90% of students who increase their confidence improve their grades. Within the context of education, one in two students defined confidence as feeling prepared for exams and assessments.
This sense of preparedness is exactly what personalised tutoring provides. When students feel confident they are more likely to actively engage, ask questions, and tackle challenging subjects. This in turn leads to enhanced performance, essentially creating an upward cycle of better grades driving more self-confidence.
The study also sheds light on how confidence varies by age. Primary school children experienced the highest boost in confidence, with a staggering 82% reporting increased confidence after 1:1 tutoring lessons.
Fostering confidence at a young age sets a strong foundation for long-term academic success and ignites a child’s passion for learning. It is also known that confidence contributes to emotional well-being. The 2024 GoStudent Future of Education Report found that three in four parents believe that a child’s emotional well-being is closely tied to their academic performance.
Dr. Tricia Thrasher explains: “As a researcher in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition, I am deeply interested in the intersection of personalised educational support and student outcomes. This collaboration with GoStudent provided a unique opportunity to analyse a diverse and extensive dataset, allowing me to explore the nuanced impacts of one-to-one tutoring. I was especially curious to find that 90% of students who reported increased confidence also saw improvements in their grades. This significant relationship signals that personalised tutoring not only enhances academic performance but also plays a critical role in boosting student confidence, which is crucial for a student’s long-term success.”
Felix Ohswald, CEO and Co-Founder of GoStudent, adds: “Dr. Thrasher’s study provides robust evidence of what we have long believed: personalised learning, when sustained and approached as a partnership, significantly enhances student confidence and academic performance. That more than three in four students experienced a substantial boost in confidence through personalised tutoring is a powerful testament to the impact of one-to-one educational support. By offering regular, personalised tutoring, we help students gain the confidence needed to thrive academically and unlock their full potential”.
The study confirmed that tutoring partnerships are more valuable when sustained over a period of time. Students who participated in more than 36 lessons saw a dramatic 79% improvement in their academic performance (at an average of two grade levels), compared to 44% for those who took less than 10 lessons.
The full study is available for download here
Research Methodology: An online questionnaire surveying changes in students’ grades and confidence was distributed to eligible GoStudent users living in Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Eligibility for participation required students to have engaged with the platform for a minimum of three months and attended at least six one-to-one tutoring sessions, one of these being within the past 30 days. This survey was distributed via email and GoStudent’s Dashboard over three weeks from March 19, 2024, until April 10, 2024. Responses from 2,616 students and parents were included in the analysis.
About Dr. Tricia Thrasher - Dr. Thrasher, Director of Research at Immerse, holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition Teacher Education. She has over a decade of experience conducting empirical research studies on the impact of various technologies on learning outcomes. Dr. Thrasher has received numerous grants and awards for her research, including the 2023 CALICO Journal Article of the Year Award and the ACTFL Award for Doctoral Dissertation Research in World Language Education. She frequently presents her research at national and international conferences and publishes in peer-reviewed journals.
About GoStudent - GoStudent is one of the world’s leading tutoring providers and education platforms. Founded in Vienna, Austria, in 2016 by Felix Ohswald (CEO) and Gregor Müller (COO), the venture-backed unicorn has raised more than €675m from investors including Prosus, Left Lane Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Believing the future of education is hybrid, GoStudent has expanded its offering over the past two years with the acquisition of three EdTech companies - Seneca Learning, Tus Media and Fox Education - and offline tutoring business, Studienkreis. Together, these companies aim to unite the best of the online and offline world to unlock every child’s potential. Across its portfolio, GoStudent supports more than 11 million families each month. Learn more here: www.gostudent.org
Media contacts: Kristina Bassett I Director PR & Communications at GoStudent I M: +44 786 914 3214 I E: kristina.bassett@gostudent.org