Tutors Guide - Tutoring and Tuition

Tutoring QualificationsGCSE syllabus is likely to have moved on since they
Required level of qualification for Tutoringwere taught the subject at GCSE level.
Quality of teaching is not always directly related toIt might be more appropriate for the PhD student to
the level of education. Some subjects ofcourse willtutor under graduates and A-level students.
require a good understanding of the curriculum, butThere are several minimum requirements we would
there is no reason to believethat the higher thesuggest when considering what tuition levelyou should
education the tutor has, the better at tutoring theybe tutoring. For academic subjects, the tutor should
are.at least have a bear minimumqualification in the
For argument's sake, let us use an example of GCSEsubject they are teaching. However, we would
Biology. A PhD student in biology may beable toadvise at least to have onefurther level up,
teach Biology very well, but this is not to say a tutorpreferably 2 levels of qualifications upwards. For
with only an A-level in biologywill be any worseexample GCSE studentsof Mathematics should be
better at teaching GCSE students.taught by tutors that hold a good grade in Maths
It's not the level of qualification that makes you aA-Level or
good tutor, but your ability to teach thesubject.Mathematics degree level.
Having a deeper knowledge of the subject fromThese requirements are not by any means a rigid
further education can be an advantage,but it can alsomould, merely a suggestion. It might be thatsome
be considered a hindrance when one considers howtutors are better suited to teach older individuals and
long the education takes.other tutors have methods thatbetter apply to
A beginner tutor with a PhD in biology may not evenyounger students, regardless of their educational
remember doing their GSCEs, while thebackground.