Abstract
The underrepresentation of American Indian (AI) students pursuing higher education opportunities continues to persist. This study sought to measure the perceived changes in participants’ self-efficacy and confidence in navigating the college environment as a result of their participation in a mentoring program and addressed the research question “How does mentoring contribute to changes in tribal college students reported self-efficacy?” Nineteen participants who had participated in a semester-long mentoring program were given a retrospective pre- then post-program survey to measure changes in participants’ perceived confidence in navigational and informational skills related to college success. Participants reported a significantly higher level of awareness in the post-program survey than they did in the pre-program survey across all of the mentoring program goals with the exception of one goal. In addition, there were no reported differences in AI and non-AI participants’ and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)/non-STEM responses on the five scaled variables for the mentoring survey. Providing support early on in a student’s educational career allows for the establishment of student connections with peers, support personnel, and resources that they can turn to for help in academics or setting goals. Additionally, early support provides encouragement and a sense of belief in themselves, which is critical to student success.
Highlights
IntroductionThe underrepresentation of American Indian (AI) students in institutions of higher education in the U.S is a deep-rooted concern
The strategies and implications that were identified as a result of this study will be used to inform postsecondary institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)’s, counselors, and high schools regarding the importance of providing important navigational, social, and academic skills to American Indian (AI) students to support their pursuit of postsecondary education
An analysis was conducted on the mean difference for pre- and post-program responses for each mentoring program goal
Summary
The underrepresentation of American Indian (AI) students in institutions of higher education in the U.S is a deep-rooted concern. Inequities in college attendance between AIs and their White counterparts continues to persist in spite of significant attempts to enroll, retain, and assist AI students in degree completion [1]. The strategies and implications that were identified as a result of this study will be used to inform postsecondary institutions, TCU’s, counselors, and high schools regarding the importance of providing important navigational, social, and academic skills to AI students to support their pursuit of postsecondary education. The researcher sought to identify positive strategies and interventions to aid in AI student persistence, retention, and degree attainment
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