The Value of a Semi-Formal Peer Mentorship Program for First-Year Students' Studies, Socialization and Adaptation

Autor/in	Tsang, Art
Titel	The Value of a Semi-Formal Peer Mentorship Program for First-Year Students' Studies, Socialization and Adaptation
Quelle	In: Active Learning in Higher Education, 24 (2023) 2, S.125-138 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Tsang, Art)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1469-7874
DOI	10.1177/1469787420945212
Schlagwörter	College Freshmen; Socialization; Student Adjustment; Peer Relationship; Mentors; Program Effectiveness; Academic Achievement; Student Attitudes; Interpersonal Relationship; Low Achievement; Educational Resources; Disadvantaged Schools; Student Satisfaction; Student Motivation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Studienanfänger; Socialisation; Sozialisation; Student; Students; Adjustment; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Adaptation; Peer-Beziehungen; Schulleistung; Schülerverhalten; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Unterdurchschnittliche Leistung; Bildungsmittel; Schulische Motivation
Abstract	Mentoring is a widespread practice in different sectors in society. It is particularly prevalent in higher education. Many have acknowledged the various transitional challenges encountered by first-year tertiary-level students. Greater support is therefore needed for this particular student group. This mixed-methods year-long case study examined the value of a semi-formal peer mentorship program for 10 first-year students who were low-achievers. It focused on the assistance provided by peer mentors for their studies, socialization, and adaptation to college/university life. The three mentors' views of the program were also explored. Data were collected via questionnaires administered three times to the mentees and end-of-program group interviews for both the mentees and mentors. The overall findings show that the students perceived the assistance from the mentors to be useful for academic studies, socialization, and adaptation to college/university life. However, their perceptions varied across the entire year. The metaphors used by the mentees to describe their mentors--shepherds, torches and candlewax--depicted different facets of the mentee-mentor relationships and the value of the program. The study highlights the value of such semi-formal peer mentoring for low-achieving first-year students especially for institutions which lack resources. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01