scholarly journals Mentee Perspectives of a First-Year Peer Mentoring Program for Education Doctoral (EdD) Students

10.28945/4148 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 471-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L Geesa ◽  
Kendra Lowery ◽  
Kat McConnell

Aim/Purpose: In this paper, we examine how first-year education doctoral (EdD) students in a peer mentoring program may be supported in the academic and psychosocial domains to increase timely degree completion, decrease attrition, and improve the EdD program for students and faculty. Background: EdD students often face unique trials based on academic, social, professional, and personal challenges that arise during their degree program. The paper addresses how peer mentoring programs may help students overcome these challenges while completing their EdD program. Methodology: To investigate the effectiveness of a peer mentoring program for students, we focused on a single case study of an EdD peer mentoring program with 11 first-year EdD students who participated in the program. Using mixed methods, we collected and analyzed data from pre- and post-surveys, individual interviews, and a focus group. Contribution: Few studies about peer mentoring programs for EdD students exist. This study is unique because it focuses on first-year EdD students’ perspectives and, unlike other studies on peer mentoring programs, peer mentors are defined as graduates of the EdD program or current EdD students who are further along in the program. Whilst many studies of peer mentoring recommend peer mentoring for new students, our findings suggest that in the case of EdD students, extended or later peer mentoring may be more beneficial. Findings: From the quantitative and qualitative data results, five themes related to mentee perspectives of the benefits of EdD peer mentoring program emerged: 1) receiving academic advice and program support; 2) focusing on the future; 3) receiving emotional support and work-life balance advice; 4) having an experienced and relatable mentor; and 5) needing more mentoring to derive benefits. While mentees reported positive feelings about the mentoring program, many expressed that they did not yet have a need for mentoring. Considering that most mentoring studies focus on early program mentees, these results present the possibility of a need for extended or later-program mentoring. Based on the data, we identified a need for additional research which focuses on determining the correct timing for EdD students to begin peer mentoring program since students take coursework during their first year and have not begun work in the dissertation phase of the program. Recommendations for Practitioners: Sustainability of peer mentoring programs can present challenges based on the time and needs of mentees, mentors, and faculty. Doctoral faculty should evaluate the benefits of an EdD peer mentoring program for mentees on a regular basis to ensure that the program effectively supports and guides mentees to degree completion. Recommendation for Researchers: Literature and research on the evaluation, impact, and value of peer mentoring programs for EdD students and first-year doctoral students are limited. Researchers could study further the perspectives of mentees in an EdD peer mentoring program throughout their degree program from taking coursework to writing a dissertation. The benefits of early-program mentoring in comparison to later-program mentoring could be investigated further. Impact on Society: Providing mentoring opportunities to EdD students may help them overcome academic, social, and emotional challenges, and in turn, allow more education leaders to successfully complete their EdD and use their education to improve their school communities. Future Research: Future studies should examine other options of mentoring programs for first-year EdD students and EdD students who completed their EdD coursework and are working on their dissertation. Longitudinal studies are also needed to track mentees’ progression throughout the program.

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-287
Author(s):  
Lindsay S. Athamanah ◽  
Marisa H. Fisher ◽  
Connie Sung ◽  
Jinny E. Han

Peer mentoring programs provide an opportunity for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to learn, socialize, and work together in supportive and inclusive environments. In this study, we used a phenomenological research design to explore the impact of a college campus-based peer mentoring program on the experiences and perceptions of participating college peer mentors ( n = 13) toward high school students with IDD who were enrolled in a school-to-work transition program housed on campus. Using thematic analysis across four different data sources, we identified three main themes that peer mentors discussed based on their experiences in the program: (a) mentors’ personal development: constructing meaning of self, (b) mentee growth: perceived work and social impact, and (c) campus community benefits: normalizing disability. Peer mentors reported their own attitudes toward individuals with IDD were changed based on participating in the peer mentoring program and they observed improvements in their mentees’ personal and work-related social relationships. We discuss how these outcomes have impacted the peer mentors’ attitudes, career choices, and lives in general. We also provide implications for future research and practice regarding development and implementation of peer mentoring programs in the community.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-199
Author(s):  
Bryan Hall ◽  
Joseph Serafin ◽  
Danielle Lundgren

This article examines an academically oriented peer-mentoring program at St. John’s University. The program targeted at-risk first-year students who were having difficulty making the transition to college and matched them with trained student mentors within their major discipline. In addition to meeting with one another bi-weekly, all of the students came together for a series of organized events over the course of the academic year. The goals of the program were that mentees would (1) feel an increased sense of belonging at the university, (2) raise their GPAs, and (3) show improved retention to the second year. After examining how successful the program was relative to these goals, the authors recommend some best practices for peer-mentoring programs. These recommendations are based on both features of the program in the study that contributed to its success and areas where the program could have been improved based on the results.  


Author(s):  
Kendra Lowery ◽  
Rachel Geesa ◽  
Kat McConnell

Objectives: In preparation for creating a peer-mentoring program for education doctorate (EdD) students, we conducted a literature review to learn about the characteristics of peer-mentoring programs for graduate students and EdD students specifically. Method: Our search criteria included articles about peer mentoring for graduate students only; published in peer-reviewed journals since the year 2000; and about programs that involved more experienced students, students farther along in the program, or recent graduates. These criteria resulted in 15 articles. Results: We applied what we learned about program design and characteristics in the creation of a voluntary peer-mentoring program for first year students, including purposeful selection and assignment of mentors and mentees along with stated expectations for the type and frequency of mentor/mentee conversations. Conclusions: More research is needed that addresses a consistent definition of peer mentoring, methodological concerns about research, challenges of these programs, and how certain aspects of peer-mentoring programs relate to program completion rates. Implications for Theory and/or Practice: Continued investigation into the benefits and challenges of mentoring programs will inform our service to students. Investigation into multiple programs and peer mentoring in the later stages of the doctoral journey will strengthen the extant literature about peer mentoring for doctoral students.


Author(s):  
Rajka Presbury ◽  
Madalyn A. Scerri

Mentoring programs play a valuable role in higher education. Formal mentoring processes and relationships increase the overall perceived quality of an educational program and the professional success of new hotel management graduates. To evaluate an established mentoring program in higher education, a single case study of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia (BMIHMS @TUA) was developed and that is presented and discussed in this chapter. The evaluation of the mentoring program found that mentoring relationships enable mentees to build knowledge and skills, develop networking opportunities, build confidence, and gain self-reflection abilities. The chapter offers insights and recommendations for higher education institutions to consider when setting up mentoring programs. The knowledge gained through this research will assist higher education institutions to better prepare students for a transition to work through mentoring whilst enhancing the quality of educational courses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-290
Author(s):  
Kelly Hobson ◽  
Z.W. Taylor

PurposeNo research to date has explored mentoring programs on Canadian postsecondary institution websites or the kinds of mentoring programs, if any, that are present online. This study examined 96 unique Canadian postsecondary institutional websites and the online presence of 420 unique postsecondary mentoring programs.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers employed content analysis and emergent coding strategies to evaluate mentoring program information published on Canadian postsecondary websites.FindingsThe findings suggest that most mentoring programs with an online presence were peer (student-to-student or faculty-to-faculty) programs, followed by community member-to-student programs. Further, few programs (16) were student-to-faculty oriented, indicating that students could struggle to seek faculty mentorship if they desired it. However, of the 420 programs with an online presence, dozens of programs lacked enough information for the researchers to determine the stakeholders or purpose of the programs.Originality/valueAs the first study of its kind to evaluate mentoring program communication on Canadian postsecondary websites, this work informs mentoring program administrators on how to better communicate what their programs offer. Certain Canadian postsecondary institutions had an online presence for many more programs than did other institutions; for example, the University of Waterloo shared information on their website about 21 unique mentoring programs on its campus, whereas MacEwan University shared information about just two unique programs. This chasm represents a great deal of future research into the practice of how professionals communicate mentoring programs on postsecondary websites.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Ruane ◽  
Vera Lee

This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis and Social Network Analysis to examine an online peer mentoring site created to unite first-year and third-year preservice teachers enrolled in an undergraduate teacher education program. The peer mentoring site was developed to provide both first-year preservice teachers and more experienced peers the opportunity to discuss, share, and learn both from and with one another. The study demonstrated that the online peer mentoring site supported valuable interactions and professional communications among first-year and third-year students. In particular, the preservice teachers engaged with one another to share their experiences and learning as they prepared to be teachers. This study has implications for the field of undergraduate education in its demonstration that an online peer mentoring site can allow for the cultivation of learning, ideas and knowledge exchange, and support of students learning in informal environments. This research also has implications for future research to determine how different populations of students use an online peer mentoring site to interact with their peers and the outcomes that emerge. Such data could inform future development of peer mentoring sites and similar learning spaces.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 409
Author(s):  
Hidenori Kuwabara ◽  
Kevin M. McManus ◽  
Mayumi Watanabe

Peer-mentoring programs have become increasingly popular in recent years due to the many benefits they offer participating students. However, studies on peer mentoring in Japanese education often focus on the benefits afforded to mentees and not the mentors. The development of agency among student participants of a mentoring program in an English-language department at a Japanese university conducted between 2012 and 2018 is investigated in this study. The authors examined how the experience of mentoring a struggling underclassman encouraged learner agency for student mentors. The authors conducted qualitative analysis using the KJ Method of student interviews with four mentors and quantitative analysis of post-mentoring session report data of 316 reports using a co-occurrence network diagram using KH Coder. The results identify eight agency-related categories for mentors, indicating that the mentors’ agency also developed through the experience, particularly with regard to their study behavior and use of available language-learning resources. 学習者が学習者をサポートするピア・メンタリングは,学習者にとって有益であることが認められてきており,実践例も多くみられるようになってきた。本研究はピア・メンタリングの実践において,メンターの自主性の発達を明らかにしようとした。特に下級生を導くのに,メンターを務めた学生がそれまでの自分の経験をどのように活かして自主性を発揮したのかに焦点をあて,メンターへのインタビューと下級生とのセッションの記録を,KJ法とKH Coderの共起ネットワークを用いて分析した。結果として,自主性に強く関連する刺激が8項目あることが認められ,自身の言語学習の知識や経験をメンター活動に活かすことで,メンター自身の自主性に影響があることが分かった。


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah O'Shea ◽  
Sue Bennett ◽  
Janine Delahunty

This presentation focussed on an innovative approach to developing peer mentoring programs. Drawing upon a ‘student as partners’ framework, the presentation explored how this has been used to underpin an approach to peer mentoring from the ground up. University peer mentoring programs are largely designed and developed by staff, who not only recruit and train student mentors but also select frequency and type of involvement for all parties. This pilot project proposes a different approach by collaborating with students in the design, development and enactment of a peer-mentoring program within one School of Education. From this pilot, we will develop guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of student-led peer mentoring programs (Students as Partners in Mentoring: SaPiM) across the University of Wollongong (UOW). 


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Dan S. Petrescu ◽  
Armin Yazdani ◽  
Cassidy R. VanderSchee ◽  
Christopher A. Bailey ◽  
Faygie Covens ◽  
...  

Large undergraduate courses make it difficult for students to achieve learning outcomes, in part due to the lack of resources available to course instructors to support student learning in these intimidating and often impersonal settings. One way to support instructor teaching and student learning is the implementation of undergraduate peer mentoring programs, which capitalize on the Students-as-Partners framework. Undergraduate mentors’ relatability to their peers and their mastery of the course content make them excellent resources. This paper describes the development and implementation of a university-wide undergraduate peer mentoring program at McGill University in Canada and its impact on student learning as perceived by three populations: instructors, peer mentors, and students. Data on perceived learning was gathered through qualitative surveys. This case study presents one implementation model that may guide and inform the implementation of similar programs at other higher education institutions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-128
Author(s):  
Tim Ströbel ◽  
B. David Ridpath ◽  
Herbert Woratschek ◽  
Norm O’Reilly ◽  
Markus Buser ◽  
...  

Scholars forecast that globalization will require sport managers to have competencies in international business. Sport, due to its global nature, has become an international business, leading to sport management programs at postsecondary institutions growing in number and the marketing of such programs becoming a key success factor. In an increasingly competitive educational environment, both effective curriculum offerings and innovative marketing, including branding, are important for a successful sport management program. This article shares a case study of innovative marketing—the co-branding through a double degree program between two long-standing sport management programs, one in North America (Ohio University, United States) and one in Europe (University of Bayreuth, Germany). This program is designed to enhance international education, as well as global internship and job-placement opportunities. The details of the double degree program within the background of co-branding are presented as a pedagogical framework for international education. Data from a survey of industry professionals are analyzed to demonstrate the need for such an international double degree program. Results provide a template for replication by other institutions and identify potential future research.


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