Peer tutoring is an educational methodology that promotes collaborative learning among peers, enhancing relational and communication skills. It fosters relationships between students and plays an important guidance role. However, its effectiveness largely depends on group dynamics and the tutors' ability to manage complex interactions. This article explores the role of the group in peer tutoring projects and the importance of specific training for tutors, focusing on the case of the Tutoring Service at the University of Milan-Bicocca, which supports students at the beginning of their academic journey and during their studies. In peer tutoring, the group of tutors — composed of students with longer university experience — forms a community of practice, where knowledge develops through shared experience and continuous dialogue. Participation in a collaborative context allows tutors to acquire facilitation, problem-solving, and conflict management skills, which are essential for the success of their guiding function. To ensure the peer group becomes effective, structured training is necessary to provide tools for understanding and managing interpersonal dynamics. Therefore, tutor training must include moments of reflection and practical experimentation to develop awareness of roles, functions, and operational strategies that improve the tutoring process. In fact, the use of active and participatory methodologies, such as simulations, role-playing, and team-based design exercises, allows tutors to experience typical peer tutoring situations firsthand, enhancing their mediation and facilitation skills. Hence, a training based on the experimentation of group dynamics enables tutors to develop key competencies for their role, transforming peer tutoring into an effective pedagogical tool.

Given these premises, the article will present the benefits of including individuals who have actively experienced the role of tutor in the coordination group of the tutoring service. This approach enriches the training design for tutors with a fresh perspective, sensitive to the educational needs of tutors with diverse academic backgrounds and varying experiences in leading and managing groups. By strengthening the link between theory and practice, the aim is not only to improve group dynamics at the level of relationships between tutors and students but also between the coordination group and the group of tutors in training.

The case study of the University of Milan-Bicocca demonstrates that a participatory and reflective approach to training promotes not only academic success for students but also the creation of more inclusive and collaborative learning communities.

Keywords: Group dimension, peer tutoring, university.