Perceived Autonomy and Relatedness as Moderating the Impact of Teacher-Student Mentoring Relationships on Student Academic Adjustment

Abstract

This study examined the impact of a 10-hour teacher-student mentoring relationship on the academic adjustment of at-risk college students. A quasi-experimental design involving a comparison group (NM: students with No Mentor), a High Relatedness/Autonomy group (HR/HA: students who perceived high levels of relatedness and autonomy during the mentoring process) and a Low Relatedness/Autonomy group (LR/LA: students who perceived low levels of relatedness and autonomy during the mentoring process) was used for that purpose. Academic adjustment and performance were assessed before (Time 1) and five months after involvement in mentoring (Time 3) for all students. Perceived relatedness and autonomy were assessed after the last mentoring meeting (Time 2) for students involved in mentoring relationships only. Results indicated better social adjustment and institutional attachment in college for the HR students than for the LR and NM students, even after controlling for initial adjustment, performance and social network dispositions. In addition, the LR and LA students presented lower academic and emotional adjustment in college and lower academic performance than NM, HR, and HA students. The potential positive and negative impacts of mentoring relationships are discussed in light of autonomy and relatedness processes. Editors' Strategic Implications: Especially valuable is the articulation of why mentoring might be expected to affect social and academic adjustment outcomes via its effects on the development of autonomy and relatedness. Application of attachment theory and measurement to the study of mentoring is a strategy that shows promise.