Peer-Tutoring as a Student-Centered pedagogy in Nursing research Education: Effects on Knowledge Acquisition and Academic Self-Confidence

Introduction

Nursing education has increasingly shifted toward student-centered, active learning pedagogies aimed at fostering high-order thinking, collaboration, and learner autonomy. Peer tutoring is a collaborative learning strategy in which students teach and support one another, fostering academic growth, confidence, and social skills for both tutors and tutees in a flexible, relatable environment particularly in theoretically demanding courses such as nursing research. As research competence is foundational to evidence-based nursing practice, identifying effective instructional strategies that enhance students’ engagement, understanding, and academic self-confidence remains a priority (Al Yahyaei et al., 2024).

Peer tutoring is a collaborative learning strategy in which students support one another’s learning through structured or semi-structured academic interactions (Kim et al., 2021). Grounded in social constructivist learning theory, peer tutoring emphasizes knowledge co-construction, reciprocal learning, and active participation. When learners assume teaching responsibilities or study alongside their classmates, they frequently demonstrate improvements in thinking, communication, and self-assurance. Research also indicates that peer learning may be equally effective as lectures in improving academic performance and equipping students for clinical practice (Choi et al., 2021; Muthalib et al., 2023). An additional advantage of peer learning is its ability to reduce the loneliness experienced by contemporary students, promoting an environment of teamwork and mutual accountability in education (Koo et al., 2024). Several investigations have linked this approach to improvements in achievement, analytical skills, and learner satisfaction (Choi et al., 2021; Wang, 2024). Peer tutoring is a widely recognized, evidence-based instructional strategy employed across various disciplines. Despite its enduring popularity, comprehensive research on its effectiveness in teaching nursing research concepts remains scarce.

Evidence from nursing education literature indicates that peer tutoring contributes positively to students and non-students academic achievement, satisfaction, and sense of belonging (Kim et al., 2021b; Mottershead, 2022). Students who participated in tutoring consistently performed better academically than those who did not and reported that the sessions were helpful to their learning (Im Kang et al., 2021; Dias et al., 2026).

Despite the growing body of evidence supporting peer tutoring in clinical, skill-based, and foundational nursing courses, its application in nursing research education remains underexplored. Nursing research courses are often perceived as abstract, complex, and anxiety-provoking by undergraduate students, leading to reduced engagement and lower academic confidence. While innovative instructional approaches have been advocated to address these challenges, empirical evidence examining peer tutoring as a strategy for improving learning outcomes in nursing research courses is limited. This gap is particularly evident in the Gulf region, including Oman, where cultural norms favor collaborative learning and peer interaction, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of peer-assisted pedagogies.

Recent call in nursing education literature emphasize the need for innovative, evidence-based teaching strategies to strengthen research literacy and scholarly inquiry among undergraduate nursing students (Catarelli et al., 2023; Dias et al., 2026). Integrating peer tutoring into nursing research education aligns with contemporary curricular reforms that prioritize competency-based education, collaborative practice, and lifelong learning skills. As nursing programs increasingly emphasize self-directed learning, collaborative practice, and development of scholarly inquiry capacities, peer tutoring provides a proven mechanism for cultivating these capabilities. However, rigorous evaluation of its effectiveness within this context is necessary to inform curriculum design and teaching practice.

To date, no published studies have systematically examined the impact of peer tutoring on learning outcomes in undergraduate nursing research courses in Oman or the wider Gulf region. Addressing the gap is critical, as understanding the pedagogical value of peer tutoring in research education may support the development of more engaging, inclusive, and effective teaching strategies. Such evidence is also aligned with national educational priorities emphasizing quality, innovation, and student-centered learning.

Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of peer tutoring in improving knowledge acquisition and academic self-confidence among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in Nursing Research course at a private university in Oman. By examining learning outcomes within this under-researched context, the study seeks to contribute empirical evidence to the nursing education literature and inform best practices for teaching research competencies in undergraduate nursing programs.

Method

Result

A total of 137 undergraduate nursing students participated in the study, comprising 70 students in the experimental group and 67 in the control group. Participant demographic characteristics are summarized in Table 1.

The majority of participants in both groups were female. In the experimental group, 62 students (88.6%) were female and 8 (11.4%) were male, while in the control group, 59 students (88.1%) were female and 8 (11.9%) were male. No statistically significant difference was observed between groups with respect to gender distribution (χ² = 0.926, p > .05).

With regard to residence status, 41 students (58.6%) in the experimental group and 43 students (64.2%) in the control group resided on campus, whereas 29 students (41.4%) and 24 students (35.8%), respectively, lived off campus. This difference was not statistically significant (χ² = 0.501, p > .05).

However, statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in age and cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The mean age of students in the experimental group was higher (M = 25.14 years, SD = 6.58) than that of the control group (M = 22.27 years, SD = 3.13), and this difference was statistically significant (p = .001). Similarly, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher mean CGPA (M = 3.28, SD = 0.67) compared with the control group (M = 2.91, SD = 0.60; p = .001).

Perceived usefulness of peer tutoring

Perceptions of the usefulness of peer tutoring were assessed among students in the experimental group only. As illustrated in Figure 1, the majority of participants reported highly perceived usefulness of peer tutoring. Specifically, 48 students (68.6%) scored within the high perceived usefulness range (scores 66–90), while 22 students (31.4%) reported moderate perceived usefulness (scores 42–65). None of the participants reported low perceived usefulness. These findings indicate a consistently positive perception of peer tutoring among students exposed to the intervention.

Figure 1. Perception of usefulness of Peer tutoring.

Discussion

The present study demonstrated that undergraduate nursing students who participated in peer tutoring within a nursing research course achieved significantly higher knowledge scores and academic self-confidence compared with those who received traditional lecture-based instruction. These findings are consistent with previous empirical studies conducted among nursing students in clinical skills and foundational courses in Oman and Turkey, which reported superior academic and affective outcomes following peer-assisted learning interventions (Al Yahyaei et al., 2024; Şengül et al., 2022).

The observed improvement in knowledge acquisition supports existing evidence that peer tutoring facilitates deeper learning through interactive discussion, clarification of complex concepts, repeated engagement with content, and meaningful social interaction (Al Yahyaei et al., 2024; Dias et al., 2025; Kim et al., 2021). In the context of nursing research education, where students are required to develop abstract reasoning and proposal-writing skills, peer tutoring may enable learners to process content more actively and contextualize research concepts through collaborative dialogue. Furthermore, observational learning, peer modeling, and social persuasion appear to contribute to improved academic self-confidence, particularly when students receive feedback in a supportive peer-led environment (Feng et al., 2024; Mottershead & Alonaizi, 2022).

A notable contribution of this study is the significant enhancement of academic self-confidence among students who engaged in peer tutoring. Nursing research courses are frequently perceived by students as conceptually difficult and intimidating, often leading to reduced confidence and engagement. Peer tutoring offers a student-centered pedagogical approach that creates a psychologically safe learning space, enabling students to ask questions freely, articulate uncertainties, and receive peer affirmation. These findings align with earlier studies reporting increased psychological empowerment, academic self-efficacy, and confidence among nursing students participating in peer learning initiatives (Al Yahyaei et al., 2024; Dias et al., 2025; Kim et al., 2021; Shaukat & Bashir, 2016).

The positive and statistically significant correlation between knowledge and academic self-confidence identified in this study further reinforces the interdependent relationship between cognitive and affective learning outcomes. As students’ understanding of nursing research concepts increased, their confidence in engaging with academic tasks also improved. This relationship is particularly salient in research education, where inadequate confidence can act as a barrier to active participation, critical inquiry, and scholarly engagement.

Students’ perceptions of the usefulness of peer tutoring further support the quantitative findings. The majority of participants in the experimental group rated peer tutoring as highly useful, reflecting strong acceptance of the intervention and perceived value in collaborative and individualized learning opportunities. This finding is consistent with prior research demonstrating high levels of student satisfaction and perceived effectiveness of peer tutoring in nursing education (Kim et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2025; Wang, 2024). Within the Omani cultural context, which emphasizes collectivism and group-oriented learning, peer tutoring may be particularly effective in fostering motivation, engagement, and shared responsibility for learning.

Associations between higher CGPA, older age, off-campus residence, and improved knowledge and self-confidence scores may reflect greater academic maturity, self-directed learning skills, and prior educational exposure. Nevertheless, despite these baseline differences, the peer tutoring intervention was associated with significant improvements in learning outcomes, suggesting that the instructional strategy itself played a meaningful role in enhancing students’ academic performance and confidence.

Importantly, this study extends the existing body of nursing education literature by demonstrating the effectiveness of peer tutoring in a theoretical course, namely nursing research, rather than in clinical or skills-based settings alone. To the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies conducted in Oman to evaluate peer tutoring within a nursing research course. As such, the findings provide region-specific evidence supporting the integration of student-centered pedagogical strategies in Gulf nursing education and align with Oman Vision 2040, which emphasizes innovation, quality, and learner-centered approaches in higher education.

Conclusion

This study provides evidence that peer tutoring is an effective instructional strategy for enhancing both knowledge and academic self-confidence among undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a nursing research course. Students who participated in peer tutoring demonstrated superior learning outcomes compared with those who received traditional instruction and reported high perceived usefulness of the approach. Incorporating peer tutoring into nursing education curricula may contribute to the development of more confident, competent, and research-literate future nurses.