A Handbook for Personal Tutors [Book]

This book is an exploration of personal tutoring, addressed mainly from the point of view of British higher education, examining it from a practical approach based on commonly encountered student problems and their treatment. The major focus is on providing practical guidance for tutors with a variety of previous experiences and backgrounds, and each chapter offers a variety of specific situations and examines how they were handled. The first chapter discusses the role of the personal tutors and how they fit into the university academic setting, discusses why students need personnel tutors, and notes how some of the current trends in higher education impact upon their role.

Subsequent chapters discuss counseling and listening skills, adolescence, student academic difficulties and study skills, mature and postgraduate students, tutoring students from culturally different backgrounds, the personal tutor as part of the pastoral care system, and the process of change in higher education. A final chapter focuses on the resources available and the skills required to become an effective personal tutor A resource directory of sources of help for students and staff is appended. (Contains 19 references.) (JLS)