The relationship between student voice and personal tutoring
Updated Mar 16, 2026
A strong personal tutoring relationship can be the difference between a student who feels supported and one who feels invisible. When students trust the person assigned to guide them, they are more likely to raise problems early, ask for help, and stay connected to their institution. A personal tutor is a member of staff assigned to a student as their primary source of support within a higher education institution. Personal tutoring is designed to offer guidance on both personal and academic issues. Recognising student voice in higher education is essential to the development of inclusive educational practices, especially those that rely on strong relationships between staff and students. The 2020 paper by Raby (Source) explores students' perceptions of personal tutoring by drawing on a diverse range of voices.
Effective personal tutoring depends on trust. Students have highlighted the need for tutors to be both empathetic and empowering, because students are more likely to speak openly when they feel respected rather than managed. Care must be taken to reduce the unequal power dynamic between student and tutor so that students feel confident participating in discussions. At the same time, some imbalance of power may be unavoidable, because tutors still need enough authority to manage interactions and respond to issues.
It is also important to acknowledge the effect of cultural background on students' perceptions of personal tutoring, academic relationships, and voice. Universities are diverse institutions, where both students and staff come from many different countries and backgrounds. International students may be less likely to approach tutors for support or to view themselves as equals within the relationship. As a result, tutors may find it harder to build trust and provide the right support. This highlights the need for additional training for tutors who support international students.
However, international students are not the only students who may struggle to engage with personal tutors. Many students do not speak up in tutor meetings, and this can easily be misread as poor engagement. As discussed by McLeod (2011), students may participate in a range of ways that are less obvious to an observer. Universities should take care not to silence students by imposing a narrow, culturally specific definition of participation on a diverse student population. Tutors also need to ensure that more confident voices do not overpower others.
There is a mutually beneficial relationship between student voice and personal tutoring. Student voice is vital to the effective development of personal tutoring schemes, because feedback helps institutions improve the service and gives tutors clearer insight into what support feels useful in practice. Feedback collected by Raby suggests that students value tutors who are informal, approachable, and able to offer empowering academic support. International students also reported that tutors helped ease their transition into a new culture, while showing that stronger intercultural support would be valuable. In return, personal tutoring can encourage a wider range of student voice by giving students a safer platform to express concerns and opinions. Offering alternative ways for students to contribute through tutoring can help institutions hear more voices and respond more effectively.
FAQ
Q: How can text analysis techniques be applied to better understand and interpret the range of student voices in personal tutoring feedback?
A: Text analysis tools for student feedback can help institutions spot patterns across large volumes of personal tutoring feedback without losing sight of individual concerns. Natural language processing can surface recurring themes, show whether comments are positive or negative, and highlight issues such as empathy, accessibility, belonging, or cultural support. That gives tutors and administrators a clearer starting point for action, especially when quieter students are more comfortable writing than speaking. Used well, text analysis helps institutions hear more voices, not just count more comments.
Q: What specific training or resources are recommended for tutors to effectively support international students and ensure their voices are heard?
A: Tutors need practical training in intercultural communication, inclusive questioning, and recognising that silence does not always mean disengagement. Useful support can include workshops on cultural expectations in higher education, guidance on encouraging participation without pressure, and clear referral routes for language or wellbeing support. Institutions can also provide translated materials or access to specialist teams where needed. The aim is to help tutors build trust, so international students feel safe asking for help and sharing their views.
Q: Are there any best practices or case studies illustrating successful implementation of alternative methods for amplifying quieter student voices in personal tutoring sessions?
A: Yes. Common approaches include reflective journals, anonymous digital feedback, short pre-meeting prompts, and peer-supported discussions that give students more time to think before speaking. These methods work because they reduce the pressure of having to respond immediately in a one-to-one meeting. The strongest practice is usually not one replacement method, but a mix of channels that lets students contribute in different ways. That makes tutoring more inclusive and gives institutions a fuller picture of the student experience.
References
[Source] Alison Raby (2020). Student Voice in Personal Tutoring. Frontiers in Education, 5.
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2020.00120
[1] Julie McLeod (2011). Student voice and the politics of listening in higher education, Critical Studies in Education, 52(2), 179-189.
DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2011.572830
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