Academic Mentoring Research Articles

Understanding the Transfer of Writing Skills through the Writing Center: An Autoethnographic Account

This paper explores the role of the writing center in facilitating writing in interdisciplinary contexts and the transfer of writing skills across academic disciplines. Drawing on my autoethnographic account of a university writing center consultant (writing tutor) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and the psychological theories of learning transfer, I examine how the writing center functions as an academic space of a “contact zone” where writing skills are negotiated and transferred. A central question I address in this paper is: How does the writing center contribute to transferring writing skills across disciplines? This question revolves around the nature of interaction between consultants and student writers at the center involving the navigation through differences in disciplinary writing conventions, language, cultural backgrounds, academic mentoring, personal reading and writing experiences, and varying levels of exposure to academic writing practices. These encounters can result in transformative learning experiences for both tutors and student writers. I argue that the interdisciplinary nature of writing center consultations fosters the transfer of writing skills by creating opportunities for dialogue and negotiation between the consultants and the students of diverse disciplinary communities. Keywords: University Writing Center, writing conventions, contact zone, transfer of writing skills

Using collaborative action research to promote critical thinking pedagogies in ELT in Indonesia

ABSTRACT In several studies, collaborative action research has been shown to be a productive approach to enabling teachers to incorporate critical thinking into their pedagogy; however it has not been investigated in the Indonesian context. To address this gap, we facilitated a collaborative action research project with a small group of English language teachers in Indonesia. We organised three online focus group discussions (FGDs), shared resources, and mentored the teachers via phone and WhatsApp. The case study confirms that collaborative action research involving practising teachers and academic mentors in Indonesia has the potential to bring about transformation: to different degrees, the teachers took on new identities and expanded their repertoire of teaching strategies for critical thinking.

Reframing and Advancing Academic Mentorship to Support New and Early Career Faculty Members

Reframing and Advancing Academic Mentorship to Support New and Early Career Faculty Members

Mentors and sponsors: Making a difference for racially and culturally minoritised academics in Australian universities

AbstractMentorship and sponsorships play a significant role in faculty experiences, career trajectories, well‐being and academic success in higher education. In this study, 23 racially and culturally minoritised (RACM) academics were interviewed about their experiences working in Australian universities, and all spoke about the key importance of their mentoring experiences. Mentorship was understood as both enabling and constricting, with unspoken rules of conduct and an embedded hierarchical relationship that could perpetuate the exclusion of both marginalised scholars and scholarship. In this paper, the theory of practice architectures, part of a wider ‘practice turn’ within education and the social sciences, was used to conceptualise the qualitative analysis of how mentoring arrangements are experienced by RACM academics in Australian universities. Here, we view academic mentoring as a social architectural practice whose power is articulated in discursive, material‐economic and social‐political arrangements and enacted through language (sayings), actions (doings) and relationships (relatings). This study offers insight not only into the structural and experiential landscape of mentoring for RACM academics but also provides an opportunity to envision pathways for its transformation.

The Role of Family and Friends to Broaden and Diversify Participation in Educational Research

This study examined critical factors in a mentoring system within a federally-funded Pathways to the Education Sciences Research Training Program to prepare undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) for graduate studies in educational research. Our conceptual framework integrates an inclusive model of family engagement consistent with the literature recommendations for diverse families of college students. We considered the following question: what is the role of family and friends within an orchestrated network of mentors who provide support to undergraduate fellows from minoritized groups in their pathways toward graduate studies in educational sciences? We analyzed quantitative and qualitative responses from an end-of-program survey administered to one cohort of this program. Within their mentoring network, fellows reported that family and friends provided important support in socio-emotional, cognitive, and identity development, but not as strong as that provided by distributed faculty and academic mentors. This study furthers our understanding of the role of family and friends within an orchestrated network of mentors within our Pathways Training Program. However, we still need to extend our knowledge of how research training programs at HSIs can be more intentional in emphasizing the important contributions family and friends provide to promote the success of diverse students in their pathways toward graduate studies.

Immunology in Practice: a modular framework to support Master of Science students conference attendance and engagement.

Sharing a passion for the advancement of the discipline, the scientific community provides an authentic environment for new members to acquire the knowledge and develop the professional identity needed for their future careers. Supporting opportunities for higher education students to participate in this community can complement their classroom-based education and be extremely beneficial to their learning. Situated in the authentic environment of the scientific community, conferences are organized events where professionals meet to advance their discipline, and which have been shown to provide unique learning opportunities for university students. Here we present a modular framework created to support Imperial College London's Master of Science in Immunology students' attendance at the British Society for Immunology Annual Congress. The module's evaluation indicates an overall students' satisfaction with the content, organization, teaching, assessment, feedback and community aspects of the framework and draws attention to areas of potential improvements. Furthermore, the data emphasize the importance of preconference preparation, of academic mentoring and discusses the role of peer support. Finally, the data highlight the benefits for students of discovering the true breadth and depth of their discipline, of interacting with members of the community and how these contribute to the development of their professional identity.

Analysis of Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Academic Mentoring Programs on Student Academic Success Mediated by Academic Culture Variables (Study at the Faculty of Economics, Mayjen Sungkono University, Mojokerto)

Analysis of Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Academic Mentoring Programs on Student Academic Success Mediated by Academic Culture Variables (Study at the Faculty of Economics, Mayjen Sungkono University, Mojokerto)

Institutional factors that affect faculty mentoring in academic nursing programs

BackgroundMentoring in academic nursing facilitates the acclimation of nurse faculty into academia, supports career development, and improves faculty satisfaction and retention. While studies have examined the characteristics of effective mentors, few have examined institutional influences on academic mentoring for faculty. PurposeTo identify institutional factors that support or hinder faculty-to-faculty academic mentoring from the perspectives of experienced nurse faculty mentors. MethodA qualitative descriptive approach was used to identify institutional factors that impact academic mentoring. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced nurse faculty (n = 24) about their mentoring experiences. Remarks related to institutional factors were analyzed using conventional content analysis. ResultsFive institutional factors that supported mentoring were identified: (1) support of unit leaders, (2) established processes and policies, (3) mentoring development opportunities, (4) faculty-to-faculty support, and (5) faculty rewards. Six institutional factors that hindered mentoring were identified: (1) lack of support of unit leaders, (2) limited mentoring development opportunities, (3) heavy workloads that restrict mentoring, (4) limited pool of mentors, (5) inadequate faculty rewards for mentoring, and (6) limited oversight of faculty mentoring. ConclusionThe identification of institutional factors that support or hinder mentoring can inform academic leaders and program administrators in their efforts to strengthen mentoring.

Improving academic mentorship practices.

Improving academic mentorship practices.

Fostering Adaptive Learners: Exploring Academic Mentoring Strategies from Students’ and Mentors’ Perspectives During Learning Disruption

Fostering Adaptive Learners: Exploring Academic Mentoring Strategies from Students’ and Mentors’ Perspectives During Learning Disruption

Отношения между научным руководителем и студентом во время написания магистерской диссертации: мнения студентов

One of the issues that Master’s students frequently experience when writing their theses is how they view and communicate with their supervisors. This study aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of supervisor-supervisee relationships in Master’s thesis writing. The study’s objective is to explore Master’s students’ supervision practices, their interactions with supervisors, and their implications for humanistic education and holistic student development. Participants at a private university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia took the online survey using Google Forms, which contained questions about their thesis writing and other connected concerns. The accounts gathered from the 35 students who responded to the questions were processed as data and interpreted using Krippendorf’s qualitative content analysis and Polkinghorne’s narrative inquiry. The framework employed was intersectionality. The study reveals that the participants perceived supervisors as (1) affable and professional academic mentors, (2) intellectual partners, and (3) personal confidantes. The participants’ accounts may provide insight into the ideal supervisor-supervisee relationship. The supervisees’ perspectives suggest that supervisors’ triple roles assist students in managing relationships and promoting whole-person growth. Several implications for strengthening humanistic education and self-development are highlighted in the study, including supervisory responsibilities, cura personalis, emotional support, and holistic development. This study contributes to the existing literature by focusing on the often-overlooked perspectives of thesis students in Indonesia, particularly at the Master’s level.

We care: A User-Focused Sentiment Analysis Framework for Social Media Interactions

This paper addresses the sentiment analysis of WhatsApp chats, focusing on the challenges and opportunities presented by conversational data. The introduction outlines the prevalence of sentiment analysis in social media platforms and the significance of accurate sentiment categorization. The literature review highlights previous work in sentiment analysis, emphasizing methods for categorizing sentiment polarity and feature selection. The proposed system introduces a comprehensive approach to sentiment analysis tailored to WhatsApp chats, considering the unique characteristics of conversational data. Key features include user-centric inclusion, nuanced extraction of sentiment, context-aware analysis, and effective handling of conversational nuances. The method section details the proposed system's emphasis on real-time sentiment tracking, user-specific sentiment scores, and integration with WhatsApp's API for broader applications. The results section summarizes the positive outcomes of the proposed method, including user-centric inclusion, nuanced extraction, context-aware illustration, and effective content handling. The future scope section discusses potential enhancements such as real-time sentiment alerts, multilingual support, detailed sentiment analysis, improved user feedback systems, personalized sentiment metrics, and collaboration capabilities. The conclusion highlights the significance of the "WeCare" sentiment analysis project in improving our understanding of digital conversations, particularly within the context of WhatsApp chats. The project's commitment to user-centric design, adaptability, and ethical considerations positions it as a dynamic tool for enhancing digital interactions and well-being. Finally, acknowledgments recognize the contributions of the development team and academic mentor.

Trends in enrollment, retention, and graduation of United States veterinary technicians/nurses schools.

There is a significant shortage of veterinary technicians. To help address this issue, there has been a call to increase the capacity of United States VT/N educational programs. Yet, the current challenges within the field may be negatively impacting the number of people deciding to pursue VT/N certification. To assess this possibility, this study was designed to explore the enrollment, retention, and graduation trends within United States VT/N educational programs. Explore the trends between 2018 and 2022 in enrollment, retention, and graduation of veterinary technicians/nurses (VT/N) at educational programs located in the United States. Educators and administrators working in United States VT/N educational programs. An electronic survey distributed via an anonymous link within emails sent from the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators. A total of 82 responses from educators and administrators working in United States VT/N educational programs were received. Forty-three percent of participants indicated a decrease in student enrollment in the last 5 years. The factors seen to have the largest significant impact were "More potential students not convinced being credentialed will lead to a difference in job duties when compared to non-credentialed work," "More potential students who do not think being credentialed will lead to a substantial increase in pay when compared to non-credentialed work" and "More potential students not willing/able to invest the time needed to become credentialed." A total of 60% reported an increase in retention efforts within the last 5 years. The services most commonly reported as increasing included mental health support and academic mentoring. This study suggests that an increased number of potential VT/N students are deciding that being credentialed is not worth the time or money. While additional resources directed toward recruitment and retention are needed within VT/N educational programs, without systematic changes within the field, it is likely that there will be a continued decline in the number of interested applicants.

The Effectiveness of a Tailored Faculty Development Program for Undergraduate Mentoring and Its Impact on Mentor's Perceptions: A Mixed Methods Study.

"Anubandh" the existing mentorship program at our institute used to start with enthusiasm but lacked sustainability throughout the year. This study aimed to assess the need for designing and conducting a faculty development program (FDP) and evaluating its impact on effective mentoring. FDP was designed by assessing the perception of 50 teachers regarding undergraduate (UG) mentoring at a tertiary care teaching institutein central India, the NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center and Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Nagpur, India.It was developed and conducted by focusing on the global overview, mentoring policies of the instituteand rationale while implementing mentorship. The effectiveness of FDP was tested by a change in pretest-posttest scores for assessing their knowledge and reflections on undergraduate mentoring. In the pre-FDP perceptions by mentors, the majority agreed that mentorship should be an integral part of the UG curriculum. Teachers felt that mentorship is an additional workload that needs to be given weightage in self-appraisal forms. A total of 81.2% of mentors emphasized on need for academic, social, and personal mentoring. After the FDP, there was a statistically significant improvement in the knowledge and attitude of mentors in all the assessed domains (χ2=2.648; df=6; p<0.05) like the need for UG mentoring in medical college and the role of faculties as a mentor. FDP sessions were appreciated by mentors for being motivating, interactive, and highly engaging with speakers having good oratory skills and using inspiring techniques with an overall rating of 9.2/10. There was an overall positive attitude about mentoring but many expressed the need for training in mentorship. The FDPwas highly effective in improving the knowledge and attitude of mentors for effective mentoring.

Students’ Perspectives on Academic Mentorship Program for Undergraduate Medical Education

Background: Academic mentors are needed to help students start and develop some parts of professional competence that may be hidden in medical education programs and constantly evolving over time. Academic mentorship model research has been developed in the context of medical education in European and North American countries, which have different cultural contexts from Eastern countries. Therefore, students’ perspective for the model of valued academic mentorship in this context needs to be explored further to become a recommendation for faculties in providing academic mentorship to students. The study aimed to explore how undergraduate medical students perceive the valuable academic mentoring model.Methods: This study used qualitative approach. Seventeen medical students of Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (UKDW) from year 2018-2021 were divided into 2 focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the findings. Results: The FGD raised the themes of students' perspectives on valuable academic mentorship if there is a good mentors-students relationship, providing support, hope and role models, flexibility, and effectiveness of academic mentorship, as well as students' hopes for academic mentorship in the future.Conclusion: Academic mentorship is a guidance that provides hope and support according to student needs. The models of valuable academic mentorship according to students is if there is flexibility in mentoring time and effective communication. Future mentoring models should describe future career opportunities and professionalism as a doctor.

Relationship of Teachers' Academic Guidance Competence and Students' Satisfaction at Secondary School Level

This study focused on the association between teachers' academic guidance competence and students' satisfaction at the secondary school level in district Mardan, KP, Pakistan. Teachers and students at government secondary schools provided data, and a quantitative survey, more precisely a survey-type research design was used. Based on the stratum-wise distribution of schools, stratified random sampling was used applying Krejesic and Morgan's table to calculate the sample size. In district Mardan, both urban and rural teachers and students from government secondary schools made up the study's population. A self-created questionnaire with a five-option Likert scale was used to collect the data. Supervisor feedback was utilized to guarantee face validity, and a pilot study was carried out to confirm reliability. Students' academic satisfaction, teachers' guidance competence, and the relationship between the two variables were examined by independent sample t-tests using SPSS V-22. In light of the importance of teacher-student interactions in secondary education, the study finds that excellent academic mentoring correlates to better levels of student satisfaction.

A reflective account of undertaking the United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) association application for 'Recognised Practitioner Advisor'

The decision I took to undertake the United Kingdom Advising and Tutoring (UKAT) Recognised Practitioner Advisor (RPA) provided the opportunity for reflection on how I approach academic mentoring. The process had three outcomes: it showed the variation in academic mentoring between policy, procedure, and both mentors’ and mentees’ understanding of mentoring, and it enabled me to both develop my own continuing professional development, and more importantly, to support taught Master’s students in their academic learning and development. I would encourage anybody in higher education to also consider undertaking the UKAT RPA.

Navigating challenges in social science research: the impact of halo effect and inadequate academic socialization on Chinese young researchers

ABSTRACT While there exists an extensive body of literature on Early Career Researchers (ECRs), there has been a notable lack of focus on the hurdles encountered by ECRs in social sciences at local universities when it comes to academic publishing. This study addresses this gap by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese university academics to explore the hindering factors affecting ECRs’ scholarly publishing in CSSCI-indexed journals. The research is grounded in the conceptual frameworks of the halo effect and academic socialization. The findings reveal a myriad of hindering factors operating at different levels, including macro-level factors such as the dilemma of growing demand and shrinking supply in CSSCI-listed journals, the halo effect’s impact on journal gatekeeping, and the insufficiency of constructive review feedback. Meso-level factors encompass the lack of academic mentorship and support, and the burden of teaching and administrative responsibilities. Micro-level factors involve inadequate speculative research skills, unfamiliarity with journal norms, diminishing confidence in research endeavors, and a shift in academic identity. To address these problems, academia, institutions, policymakers as well as academics need to take collective efforts to foster an environment that supports the growth and success of young social science researchers at local Chinese universities.

Supervisor’s Rank and Student’s Performance in Post Graduate Research in Universities in Cross River State

The study investigates influence of supervisors’ rank on students’ performance in post graduate theses and dissertations in postgraduate research in universities in Cross River State. The study adopted the ex-post factor research design. The population of the study consists of all the 3912 Post graduate degree students who completed their theses defence between 2019 to 2021 academic year among Universities in Cross River State, with specific reference to the University of Calabar, University of Cross River State and the Calabar center of the National Open University of Nigeria. Using the simple random sampling technique to select 406 respondents, data was analysed using the one-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that the supervisors’ rank has no significant influence on students’ performance in post graduate thesis and dissertation. Students’ performance in their final year research work is the same (equal) for those supervised by Lecturer 1, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor. This may be true because of the open access possibility for supervisees to maximize online resources or consult academic mentors who might not be highly ranked academically. The study conclude that deans of Post Graduate School or postgraduate school administrators should ensure that different departments and faculties where postgraduate programmes are domiciled assigns supervisor with a higher level of expertise with regards to specialization and interest, rather than rank to supervise their post graduate student since the rank of supervisors’ does not influence students’ performance in post graduate research theses and dissertation.

Peer mentorship and academic supports build sense of community and improve outcomes for transfer students.

The experience of transferring to a 4-year college, especially in STEM programs, can be particularly challenging for students. While much of the onus for preparing students for transfer has been placed on community colleges, the 4-year institutions to which students transfer have critical roles to play. With this in mind, we established the Pre-transfer Interventions, Mentoring, and Experience in Research (PRIMER) program to support students transferring into the biology department at our university. The design of this program is based around the key elements of Schlossberg's Transition Theory, focusing on the support and strategies elements of the theory. Through a weekly academic skill course, peer mentoring, and informal academic and social supports, our goals were for students to increase their involvement in the campus community and to increase their use of academic support resources. We used qualitative and quantitative assessments to compare sense of community and use of campus resources between students who participated in our program and others. We found that students in our program strongly increased their sense of community during the semester compared to other students and used campus resources at a higher rate. Our insights from the PRIMER program can help others in developing programs to support transfer students in biology departments.