Being the “Go-To” Student: A Phenomenological Study of Peer Tutoring as Help, Identity, and Pressure

Document Types

Paper Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

21st Century Learning and Innovations (CLI)

School Name

Quezon Science High School

Track or Strand

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Tagudin, Jenina Nicole, L.

Start Date

23-6-2026 1:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 3:00 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person) - Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall - Y304

Abstract/Executive Summary

In academic-intensive institutions like Quezon Science High School (QSHS), students often face intense pressure to maintain outstanding grades, leading them to seek informal peer-to-peer support for complex subjects. While peer tutoring is a common coping mechanism, the lived experiences and personal perspectives of the student tutors themselves remain underexamined. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of QSHS students serving as peer tutors, guided by the central phenomenological question: What meanings may be drawn from these reflexive descriptions, and what are their implications for student welfare and education? The findings revealed four major themes: peer tutoring as identity formed through usefulness, a relational practice rooted in trust, a source of pressure under reliance and fear of harm, and a role sustainable only through self-regulation and boundaries. The essence of the experience is that tutoring is a meaningful yet carefully managed practice where supporting others is linked with self-preservation and thoughtful boundary-setting. The study concludes that while tutoring fosters competence and social connection, it imposes a psychological weight that requires tutors to maintain autonomy over their involvement. The most significant implication is the need for school support systems to help student leaders manage the emotional labor and academic pressures inherent in these informal helping roles.

Keywords

peer tutoring; phenomenology; identity; academic pressure; self-regulation

Statement of Originality

yes

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Jun 23rd, 1:30 PM Jun 23rd, 3:00 PM

Being the “Go-To” Student: A Phenomenological Study of Peer Tutoring as Help, Identity, and Pressure

In academic-intensive institutions like Quezon Science High School (QSHS), students often face intense pressure to maintain outstanding grades, leading them to seek informal peer-to-peer support for complex subjects. While peer tutoring is a common coping mechanism, the lived experiences and personal perspectives of the student tutors themselves remain underexamined. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of QSHS students serving as peer tutors, guided by the central phenomenological question: What meanings may be drawn from these reflexive descriptions, and what are their implications for student welfare and education? The findings revealed four major themes: peer tutoring as identity formed through usefulness, a relational practice rooted in trust, a source of pressure under reliance and fear of harm, and a role sustainable only through self-regulation and boundaries. The essence of the experience is that tutoring is a meaningful yet carefully managed practice where supporting others is linked with self-preservation and thoughtful boundary-setting. The study concludes that while tutoring fosters competence and social connection, it imposes a psychological weight that requires tutors to maintain autonomy over their involvement. The most significant implication is the need for school support systems to help student leaders manage the emotional labor and academic pressures inherent in these informal helping roles.

https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2026/BoA_CLI/9