Student Mentors Research Articles

O.1.1-6 Active in Mind: a 6-year synthesis of the effects of a physical activity and mental health-focused programme on young people in a school-based setting

Abstract Purpose Mental health issues in young people are rising and have many adverse impacts on their health, development and education. The Active in Mind programme is a free to access, school-based intervention that uses physical activity as a vehicle for improving young people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing, whilst addressing physical inactivity. The programme is led by an Athlete Mentor, alongside student mentors, and targets young people with low-moderate mental health issues, who are not receiving statutory support, as mentees. Project description The Active in Mind programme was first piloted in 2016. Subsequent iterations of the programme have been based on evidence from both previous approaches of each implementation and evaluation, as well as the evolution of the needs of young people and schools. Together, the Active in Mind programme has always sought to address the current needs of schools and young people, with evidence-based core components that can be adapted based on school needs. To date, the programme has reached 21,216 young people. Survey data from young people at baseline and post-programme across this time period has been synthesised. Overall, synthesised outcome data from a subset of young people demonstrates improvements in mentees’ physical activity levels, mental and social wellbeing, whilst improving mentors’ life skills such as leadership, team working and communication skills. Differences in outcomes between mentors and mentees are present, as well as differences in young people from less and more affluent backgrounds. Conclusion The current synthesis of self-reported data demonstrates the effectiveness of a free to access school-based physical activity programme on young people’s physical activity levels, mental and social wellbeing and life skills. A strength of the programme is its evidence-based implementation and evaluation and that it provides a solution for the current challenges schools are facing around young people’s mental and physical wellbeing. The programme’s evaluations have contributed to design and development of future Youth Sport Trust programmes. In addition, evaluations of the programme have also evolved across the time period to ensure the most influential format of evidence is created, in order to influence external policymakers and decision makers at the time.

Leading the Way: First-Generation Students Serving as Peer Mentors

ABSTRACT This article reports on a study that investigated the benefits derived from a formal leadership development program where first-generation undergraduate college students serve as peer mentors for other first-generation college students. Seven students participated in the exploratory study. Data generated from a four-question open-ended response survey were analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Findings provide new understandings about the positive outcomes that may result from developing and implementing first-generation leadership programs.

Peacebuilding in Mali through photovoice

ABSTRACT What began in 2004 as a peace education program anchored in the Ciwara community school in the town of Kati just outside the capitol city of Bamako has become a longer-term peacebuilding project now located in camps for internally displaced persons in Mali. This project has been led by students and faculty from the Institut Universitaire pour Technologie of the Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, in partnership with students and faculty in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities of Michigan State University. Together they have created Cours Collaboratifs Éducation à la Paix whose primary activity thus far has been a peace building project through photovoice. The project in these camps for internally displaced persons is designed to empower Malian university student mentors and their young mentees. Mentors and mentees are assisted by professional Malian photographers, staff from several national and international non-governmental organizations, and Michigan State University students and faculty using a video conferencing software. This essay describes the evolution of the CCÉP photovoice project, some of the ethical and political challenges we have encountered, and its potential for future everyday peacebuilding dialogs.

Nurturing research habits through modeling of faculty research: A method of student mentorship

Nurturing research habits through modeling of faculty research: A method of student mentorship

Mentoring Undergraduate Research and Centering Collaboration

Abstract In this article, faculty members from three United States colleges and universities reflect upon mentoring undergraduate research in cultural anthropology and consider the educational and practice-based outcomes of student mentorship. Following a multi-year experience jointly mentoring students, we discuss our trajectories, lessons, and challenges in learning to support and advise undergraduate researchers. We reflect upon the impact of the “lone ethnographer” mentality as well as the possibilities of collaborative research, seeing the university as a site for ethnographic research and developing experiential programs. Collectively, we highlight the need to expand not only options for students to engage in primary research design, data collection, and analysis but also for anthropology departments and institutions to support instructors who prioritize student research opportunities and to provide training so that more instructors may do so confidently.

Designing a collaborative faculty‐student mentoring model in a large, complex science curriculum development team project

AbstractScientific research endeavors are increasingly collaborative in nature. As researchers work together in groups of increasing size to develop project goals and implement plans, traditional 1‐1 single faculty‐student mentor models are less relevant as students need input and guidance from the multiple faculty members contributing to the collaborative project. Instead, faculty‐student mentorship models would benefit from being re‐envisioned to facilitate faculty mentors advising multiple student team members and students seeking feedback from multiple faculty team members, while also facilitating complimentary student peer mentorship opportunities. In this article, we present a case study of how student mentorship support was initially designed and managed in a large, complex, and multidisciplinary collaborative science curriculum development effort: the Earth Science Experiential and Indigenous Learning (EaSEIL) project.

Trends in digital mentoring for language teachers: Promising practices, caveats, and future directions

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the future of mentoring by focusing on digital mentoring of language and TESOL teachers in higher education with a lens on nurturing the faculty‐student dynamic in primarily online/digital/blended teaching contexts. We also focus on a review of recent extant literature from the last ten years (2012‐2022) on the topic in three key categories. The paper draws upon a framework of connectivism and networked knowledge as well as a constructivist approach to learning. A constructivist model for digital mentoring builds on students’ needs, knowledge, and experience, seeing the instructor and student mentoring dynamic in multi‐faceted ways. Mentoring in a digital era draws on frameworks that suggest that mentors and mentees are part of connected communities, especially digitally connected communities. Digital mentoring has been used across both synchronous and asynchronous learning contexts (e.g., email, videoconference, etc.) and increasingly over social media (e.g., Twitter).

Undergraduate Students as Both Mentors and Mentees

Undergraduate students not only have the rare opportunity to experience mentoring from both the perspective of the mentor as well as the mentee, but also have the rare opportunity to experience the impact of mentoring on their leader and leadership development (LD) from both mentor and mentee perspectives. While mentoring is considered one of the most potent tools for LD, having a mentor or being a mentor does not automatically stimulate effective LD. This article will highlight cornerstones of effective mentoring practice when undergraduates are mentees versus mentors and will also offer new frontiers in undergraduate student mentoring research.

Future Learning Competency Extracurricular Program Operation and Performance Analysis

Purpose: This study has public value as it identifies the current status and problems of extracurricular program. It does so by analyzing the operation and performance of extracurricular program after selecting them based on the results of student needs analysis. Additionally, it verifies whether participation in extracurricular program has an effect on self-efficacy and suggests implications for future program design and activation.
 Method: Data collection was conducted by surveying students in the science department of O University in the Seoul metropolitan area, and analysis methods included frequency and percentage, exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing, correlation, and regression analysis. The research questions are
 1. How is the selection of extracurricular program based on students' needs analysis? 
 2. What are the results of the analysis of the operational performance of extracurricular program?
 3. Is participation in extracurricular program effective in promoting self-efficacy?
 Results: Based on research question 1, the extracurricular program selected were the Creative Convergence Competition, the Foreign Student Mentoring Program, 5L DAY, and the 3D Printing Instructor Certification Course. According to research question 2, the creative convergence competition was able to develop core competencies outside the major and needed communication channels between departments. International student mentoring needed to strengthen the criteria for international students to participate in the program, and the 3D printing instructor certification course needed online lectures for theory and in-person lectures for practice. 5L DAY had the highest level of satisfaction among the comparison programs. According to research question 3, participation in the Future Learning Capability Program was effective in improving self-efficacy.
 Conclusion: The limitations of this study include that the research subjects are limited to the science departments of metropolitan universities, and the effectiveness of the “Future Learning Competency” extracurricular program is verified among the core competency-based extracurricular program of universities, and subsequent research requires subdivision by department and grade, and research on various factors such as learning effectiveness and satisfaction.

Mentoring online MPA students: Assessing mentorship qualities and aligning program goals

ABSTRACTMentoring is important for students in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. This can be even more complicated when the academic program is fully online. Effective mentoring is about building relationships and guiding academically, professionally and emotionally. This can be challenging in the online environment due to a lack of social cues and technology barriers, but is possible through e-mentoring. This contribution is focused on both the quality of mentorship for MPA students and the complexities of providing mentoring in a fully online environment. Additionally, this involves the centering of mentoring in program delivery and how this is integrated into program goals including the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) competencies. A survey was sent to current and former MPA students in a fully online MPA program to assess student perceptions of the ideal mentor and their achievement of the NASPAA competencies. It was found that there is considerable overlap between some mentorship qualities and perceptions of NASPAA competencies.

Upholding Our PROMISE: Underrepresented in Medicine Pediatric Residents' Perspectives on Interventions to Promote Belonging.

Underrepresented in medicine (UIM) residents experience challenges during training that threaten their sense of belonging in medicine; therefore, residency programs should intentionally implement interventions to promote belonging. This study explored UIM pediatric residents' perspectives on current residency program measures designed to achieve this goal. The authors conducted a secondary qualitative analysis as part of a national cross-sectional study, PROmoting Med-ed Insight into Supportive Environments (PROMISE), which explored pediatric residents' experiences and perspectives during training in relation to their self-identities. A 23-item web-based survey was distributed through the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Research Assessment Network from October 2020 to January 2021. Participants provided free-text responses to the question "What are current measures that promote a sense of belonging for the UIM community in your training program?" The authors used conventional content analysis to code and identify themes in responses from UIM participants. Of the 1,748 residents invited to participate, 931 (53%) residents from 29 programs completed the survey, with 167 (18%) identifying as UIM. Of the 167 UIM residents, 74 (44%) residents from 22 programs responded to the free-text question. The authors coded more than 140 unique free-text responses and identified 7 major themes: (1) critical mass of UIM residents; (2) focused recruitment of UIM residents; (3) social support, including opportunities to build community among UIM residents; (4) mentorship; (5) caring and responsive leadership; (6) education on health disparities, diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism; and (7) opportunities to serve, including giving back to the local community and near-peer mentorship of UIM premedical and medical students. This is the first national study to describe UIM pediatric residents' perspectives on interventions that promote a sense of belonging. Programs should consider implementing these interventions to foster inclusion and belonging among UIM trainees.

BEM-ESTAR PSICOLÓGICO DE DOCENTES DAS CIÊNCIAS DA SAÚDE NO CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA DE LITERATURA

Introduction: The pursuit of efficiency and quality in universities has led to an excessive workload for professors, particularly in the field of Health Sciences. They face pressure not only to produce manuscripts but also to engage in various activities such as teaching, committee work, and student mentoring. This scenario can have detrimental effects on their Psychological Well-Being (PWB) and Quality of Life (QoL). Objective: This study aims to identify and explore research focused on the PWB of Brazilian university professors in the field of Health Sciences. Method: An integrative literature review was conducted, searching databases including Brazil's CAPES, Latin American and Caribbean BVS (Virtual Health Library), MEDLINE, LILACS, BDENF-Nursing, and Index-Psychology. A total of 395 studies conducted in Brazil between 2017 and 2022 were identified, and 15 of them met the inclusion criteria for the final sample. Results: Working conditions, excessive workload, low pay, and other factors were identified as detrimental to health and negatively impacting QoL. Additionally, a lack of relevant research on PWB in this context was found. Conclusion: The scarcity of research on PWB in Brazil highlights alarming teaching work conditions and the emergence of physical, psychological, and emotional health problems.

Supply chain solutions for essential medicine availability during COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis study aims to document students’ supply chain solutions developed through the internship hackathon program. The study profiled innovative solutions developed by university students in Kenya to solve health supply chain logistics challenges during and beyond COVID-19. This is done by exploring students’ experience in developing sustainable logistics and supply chain management capacity-building programs in a low-middle-income country (LMIC).Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative approach to explore the experiences and perceptions of students and mentors who participated in a hackathon program. The study followed a cross-sectional descriptive survey design, collecting data from the participants through online questionnaires. The data were analyzed and presented using thematic analysis and narrative techniques.FindingsFindings provide preliminary evidence for narrowing the gap between theory and practice through a hackathon internship blended with a mentorship program. Assessment of this program provides evidence for developing solutions toward ensuring the availability of essential medicine in LMICs during a pandemic such as COVID-19 by students. The profiled solutions demonstrate a broader perspective of innovative solutions of university students, mentors and potential opportunities for a triple helix approach to innovation for health supply chain system strengthening.Research limitations/implicationsThis original study provides evidence for advancing contribution to developing innovative solutions through partnerships between investors, universities and industry practitioners interested in mentoring students in the health-care supply chain during COVID-19 in LMICs. Specifically, contingency factors that affect the implementation of innovative programs during and beyond global pandemics such as COVID-19 by students’ innovators are identified, and implications for policy action are discussed based on the praxis of sensemaking.Practical implicationsThis study examines a novel approach that combines internship, mentorship and hackathon projects for logistics and supply chain students in LMICs. The approach aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to create innovative solutions for essential medicines during and after COVID-19. The study urges more resources for supporting such programs, as they benefit both academia and industry. The study also argues that hackathon internship programs can help the logistics and supply chain industry adapt to the post-pandemic era. The study offers insights for investors, universities and practitioners in the health-care industry.Originality/valueThis study shows how to develop innovative solutions for the health-care supply chain during COVID-19 in an LMIC through partnerships between investors, universities and industry practitioners who mentor students. The study identifies the contingency factors that influence the success of such programs during and beyond global pandemics such as COVID-19 and discusses the policy implications based on the sensemaking praxis of the student innovators.

Registered nurses' cultural orientation competence for culturally and linguistically diverse nurses in the hospital setting: A cross-sectional study.

To explore registered nurses' cultural orientation competence profiles for providing culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nurses with orientation in the hospital setting, and to identify which factors are associated with cultural orientation competence profiles. A descriptive, explorative cross-sectional study. Data were collected from December 2020 to January 2021 using the Preceptors' Orientation Competence Instrument (POCI) and Preceptors' Cultural Orientation Competence Instrument (POCCI). A total of 844 registered nurses from one university hospital district in Finland participated, reflecting a response rate of 10%. A K-means cluster algorithm was employed to identify different cultural orientation competence profiles. The cluster analysis identified three cultural orientation competence profiles (A, B and C). Nurses in Profile A evaluated their cultural orientation competence the highest, with members of profiles B and C demonstrating the second highest and lowest, respectively, cultural orientation competence scores. Several factors were associated with cultural orientation competence profiles, namely, orientation education and student mentoring education, support from managers and colleagues, motivation, willingness to act as a preceptor, time to provide orientation, sufficient clinical and theoretical nursing skills and current work title. Cultural diversity and acceptance of it can be enhanced by building accepting culture towards new incomers and offering continuing education to improve the cultural competence of staff, which can further benefit patient care of CALD patients. Orientation practices can be improved by rewarding staff and building collaborative teamwork culture. Organizations can strengthen nurses' cultural orientation competence; for example, by providing adequate orientation education and allocating more time to the orientation process. The STROBE criteria were used to report the results of the observations critically. No patient or public contribution.

Making mentoring more impactful for URiM students

Mentorship has been proven to be a valuable vehicle to fight the disparity of diverse representation in medicine. Given the numerous findings that a more diverse medical profession leads to better patient outcomes, we believe fostering mentorship of URiM medical students is in the best interest for patients and the field of medicine. In our manuscript, we illustrated tenets of mentorship that result in effective mentoring of URiM students by any physician regardless of race, ethnicity, or background. This piece reflects upon our personal experiences with structured mentorship programs, results of similar programs at other universities, and ties in a broader conversation of the value of institutional support of mentorship programs. Given the urgency to increase diversity and, ultimately, belonging in not only medical education but also our physician workforce, this piece is highly relevant. This piece is intended to inspire and increase more opportunities for more incoming URiM students to be mentored at the start of their medical journey.

Elevating Mentorship Competency for Sustained Impact via the University of Zambia Mentor Training Program.

The University of Zambia (UNZA) Mentor Training Program is conducted annually to strengthen the mentorship capacity of postgraduate programs for the health professions. This intensive five-session course trains faculty members in the mentorship of students. Established by senior UNZA leaders and US-based collaborators, this program was designed to address gaps in mentorship identified at the institutional level. Faculty facilitators developed the course curriculum and used a train-the-trainer model to ensure program sustainability. Participants were faculty members who mentor PhD and Master of Medicine students. To assess the program's impact, mentors and their mentees completed questionnaires on the mentor's mentoring competencies at the end of the course and 1 year later. Competency scores were compared longitudinally to quantify potential changes in mentoring behaviors. Mentors and mentees alike noted mentor growth in all competency domains from postcourse to 1 year later, providing evidence of a trend toward improvement in mentorship and that the program may have sustainable and positive effects on mentoring behaviors over time. Salient areas of growth corresponded to emphasized topics and discussions, including addressing diversity, aligning expectations, assessing capacities, motivating mentees, and fostering independence. These findings suggest that mentors internalized this content and transferred it to behavior change. The behavior changes may reveal a larger change in the institutional environment around the mentoring of students. The UNZA Mentor Training Program appears to have sustained impact after a year and should bode well for future benefits to students, faculty, and the institution.

From theory to practice: breaking down the stages, characteristics, rights and obligations in student mentoring

From theory to practice: breaking down the stages, characteristics, rights and obligations in student mentoring

Survival of the Profession Through Effective Student Mentoring

Survival of the Profession Through Effective Student Mentoring

Mentoring & support practices for final year medical students during a pandemic – ‘The covid doctors’

BackgroundTransition from final-year medical student to newly graduated doctor is challenging with evidence of associated increased patient mortality and medical errors. Previous work suggests tackling preparedness alone does not ‘solve’ this transition. The current focus on mentoring and support provision during this period and is an under-researched area. The COVID-19 pandemic represents a unique disruptive critical incident in which to examine mentoring and support practices, exposing strengths and weaknesses. The perspectives of this cohort and their implications remains an under-researched area.MethodsIndividual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine graduate-entry final-year medical students. An inductive latent phenomenological approach explored individual experiences of mentoring and support practices during final-year and transition to professional practice.ResultsThree major themes emerged: 1) Mentoring & Support; 2) Clinical Exposure; 3) Graduation & Transition. A journey metaphor was used to aid the description of participants’ lived experience of mentoring and support practices during their final year. Final year medical students (FYMs) felt under-supported and found practices inadequate. Reduced clinical exposure yielded unpreparedness and regression, potentially impacting future careers. Positive experiences were variable and unstructured. ‘The COVID Doctors’, subtheme provided rich insights into shared narratives and identities amongst participants.ConclusionsThis study provides qualitative evidence for perceived inadequate mentoring and support provision for final year medical students at transition during a critical incident (the COVID-19 pandemic). Several themes using the metaphor of a journey explore the lived experience of this unique cohort determining their perceptions on the delivery of their medical education and their identity as ‘covid doctors’. There are several implications for this study in a post-pandemic era and for pandemic-preparedness, both rapidly growing areas of research in medical education. Recommendations include updating contingency plans, balancing clinical exposure with patient safety issues, and providing support to ‘bottom-up’ mentoring practices.

Medical Student Mentorship in the COVID-19 Era.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a reduction of in-person, guided mentorship due to social distancing and an emphasis on virtual meetings. The effect of these changes on medical students' experiences and specialty choice has yet to be studied in a large-scale manner. To determine the perspective of third- and fourth-year medical students regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mentorship. The authors distributed a modified Likert scale questionnaire (score: 1-10) to assess responses. Third- and fourth-year medical students at two large US allopathic medical schools. Responses to each survey item were analyzed to characterize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mentorship relationships in medical school. A score of 1-5 was considered "disagree" and a score of 6-10 was considered "agree." A total of 144 responses were collected with a response rate of 16.2%. Overall, 80.6% (n = 116) of respondents agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on their medical school experience. Nearly half (41.0%, n = 59) expressed concern over the lack of mentorship opportunities, and 66.0% (n = 95) reported that the pandemic has made it more difficult to form or maintain connections with their mentors. Importantly, 43.6% (n = 61) of respondents reported that having close mentoring relationships reduced the impact of the pandemic on their medical training. While many respondents (79.9%, n = 114) did not change career plans due to the pandemic, most students are concerned about evaluating prospective residency programs (88.9%, n = 128). Notably, M3s have much lower confidence than M4s in their ability to choose a specialty (5.9 vs. 8.2, p = 6.43e - 08). This investigation illustrates the concerns that medical students have regarding access to mentorship opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that these findings encourage medical schools to evaluate and expand their current mentorship programs. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01838-4.