Mentoring Support Research Articles

Supporting intersectional mentoring of women in medicine.

Supporting intersectional mentoring of women in medicine.

Development of the Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Survey.

Here we present the development of the Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Survey (MURS) as a measure of a range of mentoring experienced by undergraduate science researchers. We drafted items based on qualitative research and refined the items through cognitive interviews and expert sorting. We used one national dataset to evaluate the internal structure of the measure and a second national dataset to examine how responses on the MURS related to theoretically relevant constructs and student characteristics. Our factor analytic results indicate seven lower order forms of mentoring experiences: abusive supervision, accessibility, technical support, psychosocial support, interpersonal mismatch, sexual harassment, and unfair treatment. These forms of mentoring mapped onto two higher-order factors: supportive and destructive mentoring experiences. Although most undergraduates reported experiencing supportive mentoring, some reported experiencing absence of supportive as well as destructive experiences. Undergraduates who experienced less supportive and more destructive mentoring also experienced lower scientific integration and a dampening of their beliefs about the value of research. The MURS should be useful for investigating the effects of mentoring experienced by undergraduate researchers and for testing interventions aimed at fostering supportive experiences and reducing or preventing destructive experiences and their impacts.

What Makes a Good Match? Predictors of Quality Mentorship Among Doctoral Students.

Quality mentoring promotes graduate student success. Despite an abundance of practical advice, empirical evidence regarding how to match mentees and mentors to form quality mentoring relationships is lacking. Here, we examine the influence of variables theorized to predict mentorship support and quality in a national sample of 565 science doctoral students from 70 universities in 38 states. Our structural equation modeling results indicate that mentor rank, mentee capital, and the relationship matching mechanism (direct admissions, rotations) were not associated with higher-quality relationships. We found no support for the widely held belief that students whose mentors shared their gender, race, or ethnicity experienced greater mentorship quality. Rather, mentees who shared attitudes, beliefs, and values with their mentor, or whose mentors displayed greater cultural awareness experienced more supportive, higher quality mentoring. Furthermore, these patterns were largely consistent across both mentee and mentor demographic groups. These results highlight the potential benefits of pairing mentees and mentors who share personal and intrinsic qualities rather than demographic or surface-level attributes. Our findings also indicate that graduate students from marginalized backgrounds can be effectively mentored by faculty who are demographically dissimilar if their mentors engage in culturally aware mentorship.

College Students’ Experiences as Career Support Mentors in Youth Culture and Arts Clubs: Focused on the Case of Adolescent Mentees

College Students’ Experiences as Career Support Mentors in Youth Culture and Arts Clubs: Focused on the Case of Adolescent Mentees

The Influence of Racial Socialization, Mentor Support, and Emotion Regulation on the Psychological Well-Being of African American Boys.

Although it is well-documented that school-based racial discrimination can have adverse effects on African American adolescents, the understanding of how socio-emotional factors can act as safeguards is still limited. This study explores whether emotion regulation, mentor support, and parent racial socialization help African American boys cope with school-based racial discrimination. Factors such as emotion regulation are internal assets, while mentor support and parent racial socialization are external resources. Four hundred and eighty-seven African American boys aged 12 to 18 (M = 14.33; SD = 1.62) participated. School-based racial discrimination correlated negatively with psychological well-being. Only emotion regulation and parental racial socialization were related to positive psychological well-being. However, mentor support buffered against the negative impacts of school-based racial discrimination on psychological well-being. These results underscore the significance of assets and resources in bolstering African American boys' resilience against school-based racial discrimination, with implications for interventions and future research.

Factors That Influence Resilience among First-Year Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

During their transition from basic to higher education, first-year undergraduate nursing students need to balance theoretical and clinical requirements, as well as their social life. A significant number of them struggle with this, due to a lack of coping mechanisms due to poor resilience. This study aimed to determine factors that influence resilience among first-year undergraduate nursing students at a South African university. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was followed, with stratified convenient sampling. Data were collected during August 2023 using an adapted self-administered online questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the adapted version was ensured in the context of this study. Principal component analysis and varimax rotation were used to analyse data. A total of 123 participants (47.2% from campus A and 52.8% from campus B) completed the questionnaire. The majority (88%) were females. This study showed that resilience can be dependent on various factors, such as lecturer support, parental support, academic achievement, peer and mentor support, optimism about the future, and self-determination. It is recommended that higher education institutions should consider incorporating the factors presented in this study as part of the broader orientation of first-year undergraduate nursing students when they first arrive at university.

The potential of virtual internships for management education: capturing student journey through experiential learning

PurposeThe study aimed to capture student experience during virtual internships by identifying the facilitators and barriers during their experiential learning journey. The students were pursuing their Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program at a business school in India. The authors shed light on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the current education system, specifically experiential learning through virtual internships.Design/methodology/approachAbout 38 Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted from July to September 2022 with the students of a business school located in Pune, India. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed to generate new themes for ascertaining the facilitators and barriers to virtual internships. Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis was undertaken to analyze the lived experiences of the respondents.FindingsStudents viewed virtual internships positively in terms of mentor support, active learning, flexibility, and an easy onboarding process. Poor work-life balance, lack of peer learning and infrastructure issues were some of the barriers/challenges faced by the students.Practical implicationsThe study discusses various managerial and administrative implications. The findings help educationists design effective pedagogy by drawing insights from constructivist learning theory, where students' active role during virtual internships must be given primary attention. Corrective measures in the pedagogy can be taken while designing a virtual internship, considering the barriers found in this study.Originality/valueThe themes identified in the study are a novel contribution to the growing body of knowledge on virtual experiential learning. The study empirically captures student experience regarding a relatively new phenomenon of virtual internships, which is the uniqueness of this paper.

Understanding ethnic minority students’ motivations to pursue higher music education over time

This longitudinal case study aimed to explore changes in ethnic minority students’ motivations to pursue higher music education during the transition from high school to university. The participants were recruited from the Yi, Mongolian and Tibetan ethnic groups in a remote mountainous region of southwest China. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study indicated that the ethnic minority students were driven both by intrinsic motivations, including a love of and interest and persistence in music, positive musical experiences and musical ability, and by extrinsic motivations, including the desire to earn a university degree by way of studying music, meet the expectations of their local music teachers and family members and repay their hometowns by serving as local music teachers. However, most of the participating ethnic minority students exhibited a shift in their motivations to study music after 2 years of university education. This shift was attributable to various elements, including peer competition, employment pressure, mentor support and the university environment. Based on these findings, we suggest ways to support ethnic minority students transitioning smoothly from high school to university and continuing their music studies.

Parents’ attitudes toward and experiences with seeking informal mentors for their children

Supportive relationships with non-parental adult role models (akainformal mentors) are important contributors to positive development for children. Absent from research on informal mentoring relationships are studies examining parents’ role in the formation and maintenance of these relationships. In this study, we examined parents’ attitudes about and experiences with their children’s involvement in informal mentoring relationships in two phases. Participating in phase 1 were 161 parents of children enrolled in a formal mentoring program in Canada (ages 27–69, M = 40.25 years; 93.2 % female; 6.8 % male). Participating in phase 2 was a convenience sample of 425 parents in a midwestern state in the United States (ages 23–70, M = 44.95 years; 65.9 % female; 34.1 % male). Parents completed a one-time 20-minute online survey. Parents generally held positive attitudes towards informal mentors but also reported limited involvement in − and several barriers to − fostering children’s informal mentoring relationships. Barriers ranged from not wanting to be a burden on others to believing children would rather spend time with friends. Most parents reported their child had had at least one informal mentor at some point. In both phases, frequency of their child having a mentor was related to their parents having positive attitudes toward informal mentoring and to having directly asked a nonparental adult to be an informal mentor. In phase 2, parents who reported a greater sense of community and supportive social network and higher self-efficacy for facilitating mentoring relationships were more likely to have children with informal mentoring relationships. The findings have implications for including parents in efforts to increase children’s access to supportive mentoring relationships.

Measuring impact: a prospective evaluation of a mentoring scheme for aspiring clinical psychologists from black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds

ABSTRACT Mentoring schemes for aspiring BAME clinical psychologists, are being introduced in universities across the UK. The aim of this study was to conduct a mixed-methods prospective evaluation of the 2021/2022 mentoring scheme. Mentees (n = 8) and mentors (n = 20) completed an online questionnaire at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of the 2021/2022 mentoring scheme. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively and using a mixed ANOVA. Content analysis was conducted on qualitative contributions. Mentees reported having the confidence and knowledge necessary to apply for the clinical psychology doctorate and assessments of mentoring skills were high. Participants provided their goals and expectations for the scheme, as well as constructive feedback. The findings suggest an overall modest, positive impact of the mentoring scheme. Wider implications include ensuring mentoring pairs establish regular contact and providing additional support for mentors to mitigate self-doubt.

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.

Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education: Insights from Black faculty and administrators in agricultural colleges at United States land grant institutions

The experiences of Black faculty as leaders and administrators in the field of agriculture have not been widely studied nor reported. The goal of this research focused on Black faculty leaders' experiences in agriculture to gain firsthand insights regarding the enhancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. The central research question guiding the study was: What are the experiences of Black faculty leaders at Colleges of Agriculture at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)? Counter-storytelling was used to explore the personal narratives of eight participants. These experiences fall within the tenets of Critical Race Theory. Three primary themes emerged: Navigating Leadership: Microaggressions in the Midst; Inequities: Is Everyone Really Equal; and Isolation: The Lone Ranger. Findings of this study hold valuable implications for practitioners, policymakers, and academic institutions seeking to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion within agricultural higher education. Recommendations for policy and practice include providing support for leadership mentoring and professional development, conducting robust research on the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender for faculty of color, and establishing collaborative initiatives between academic institutions, industry partners, and community organizations to address historical disparities and stimulate interest in agriculture among Black communities.

‘I do plan to do that in the future, just not the near future’: rural professional experience programs and pre-service teacher graduate destination preferences

AbstractThis study examines pre-service teachers (PSTs) from two Australian universities regarding their involvement in rural professional experience (PE) placements and their potential impact on future career choices. The objective was to gain insight into the diverse teaching and learning experiences PSTs had during their rural PE, and what impact these had on their interest in working in country schools. This paper focuses on findings from urban and rural-based PSTs who undertook rural, regional and remote PE. PSTs reported that these experiences helped them develop rewarding pedagogical approaches and contributed to significant personal and professional growth. They reflected that their growth as a teacher arose from encountering diverse student cohorts, the school cultures they experienced, and the relationships they formed within the school community. However, despite these positive aspects, the PSTs’ intentions to pursue employment in rural areas remained diverse and personal. This suggests that while rural PE was highly valued, it was not sufficient to override individual circumstances and preferences when considering rural employment. It also seemed that the experiences may have inadvertently attracted PSTs open to change and adventure who utilised the support of rural mentors and communities, only to ultimately teach in metropolitan schools.

ALGORITHM FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF MENTORSHIP SUPPORT FOR WAR VETERANS IN A TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY

In the article there have been studied issues and needs that war veterans and defenders of Ukraine have after demobilization from the service and return to civil life as well as flaws of the acting system of social protection for combatants and persons with disability caused by war. There have been presented the results of implementation of the social project «Mentors for veterans», which has been carried out by the non-governmental organization «Youth institute» in Uzyn municipal territorial community (Kyiv region) in 2023–2024. Under this project, there has been developed and tested the implementation mechanism for mentorship (assistance) institution for veterans at the level of the territorial community, that, at the same time, requires the implementation of three interdependent components, such as: informing local authorities and citizens of the community about the existing problem in transition of veterans to civil life and possible solutions; selection and training of mentors / assistants for veterans; implementation of the mentorship support for veterans on the level of the territorial community. In the article one can find a sequence order for development of a reference book, which includes reliable data about facilities and institutions that work with veterans, defenders of Ukraine and members of their families in the territorial community. This reference book will be useful for specialists in the social sphere during development of the system for information and mentorship support of military servants, who have been dismissed due to health conditions and / or family circumstances and undergo transition to civil life. In the article the sequence of involvement and training of mentors for veterans, contents of the training program for mentors have been explained. The algorithm of mentorship support for veterans, defenders of Ukraine and their family members in the territorial community that has been developed within the framework of the project covers the organization of the interaction between a mentor / an assistant and a veteran in the following order: establishment of contacts with experts in the social sphere, who work with veterans; the first meeting with the veteran (acquaintance, collection of information on needs / issues of veterans; keeping in touch / mentorship support of veterans); support in case of problematic situations; finalization of interaction with the veteran. The algorithm of mentorship support for veterans has been implemented in Uzyn municipal territorial community (Kyiv region) and that has allowed identifying the main conditions for efficient implementation of the mentorship (assistance) institution for veterans in the territorial community. Methodical and organizational forms developed and tested within the project frame will be useful for specialists in the social sphere during development of methodical recommendations and implementation of the assistance institution in the period of transition from military service to civil life and provision of the appropriate social services.

Putting the cart behind the horse: conceptualising the “emotionality” of mentoring in initial teacher education

Purpose This conceptual paper explores the complex, and neglected, area of mentor development in initial teacher education (ITE) in Australia. It focuses on the emotionality of mentoring, drawing on concepts of emotional labour and emotional intelligence to develop a framework of effective mentoring that helps explain the essence of a mentor’s role in supporting preservice teachers.Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper draws together mentor-support practice wisdom and research literature from several relevant areas. It draws on constructive developmental theories and complex stage theory to reaffirm the intricate nature of mentor learning and development. This paper critiques the current utilitarian emphasis on mentoring as a way to improve student outcomes without first having clarity on how to improve mentoring itself.Findings We introduce the mentoring as emotional labour framework as a way to better understand the nature of mentoring within ITE and as a tool for developing more effective mentor supports. We present “exemplar cases”, which are amalgamations of field observations to illustrate aspects of the framework – however, we do not claim they provide evidence of the utility or accuracy of the framework.Originality/value Previous research and policy have tended to gloss over the skills required for effective mentoring, whereas this paper places the emotional labour of mentoring front and centre, explicitly conceptualising and describing the personal and interpersonal skills required in a way that aims to support and empower mentors to recognise existing strengths and areas of potential growth.

Compassion-Focused Mentoring: An Antidote to Adverse Faculty-Student Mentoring Outcomes?

Fueled by decreased state support, economic pressures, and a growing emphasis on academic capitalism, higher education in the United States faces significant challenges. These shifts have fostered fast-paced, competitive environments, impacting the quality and equity of faculty-student mentoring in graduate programs, particularly for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and first-generation students. This article proposes a novel framework, the compassion-focused mentoring conceptual model (CFM-CM), to address the complex challenges faced by under-represented students seeking meaningful faculty mentorship. The CFM-CM expands on Johnson's model for mentor competence by integrating principles from Gilbert’s compassion-focused therapy (CFT) approach. It emphasizes the cultivation of a compassionate Self-identity in mentors, grounded in compassion motivation and mindfulness, as a foundation for fostering ethical, equitable, and supportive mentoring relationships. By exploring the limitations of current mentoring practices and analyzing negative mentoring experiences through the lens of CFT, this article suggests that the CFM-CM can pave the way for improved faculty-student relationships, fostering well-being, inclusivity, and success for BIPOC and first-generation students in graduate education.

Role of educators in the creative development of students

Relevance. Research into the role of the educator in fostering a favourable educational environment where students can develop their creative potential is a relevant and important task. Purpose. The study aims to explore methodologies that can provide educators with effective encouragement and support for creative thinking in the context of educational practice. Methodology. The study employed questionnaire, observation, and survey methods. Results. The study confirmed that creativity is key in modern society as it facilitates innovation and adaptation to rapidly changing conditions. In education, teachers significantly influence the development of students' creativity by creating a stimulating learning environment and applying various techniques and strategies. The study also revealed that the instructor's style and level of competence positively influence students� perception of creativity. An important component is the instructor�s approach to teaching and creating a stimulating learning environment that promotes creativity. A positive correlation was found between these two factors and perceptions of teacher creativity. The assessment of teacher creativity was found to be dependent on the context of teaching, with students in mathematics having a higher tendency to view their teachers as creative compared to other courses. Conclusions. Creativity development programmes that include various techniques and approaches aimed at developing self-awareness, self-expression, leadership, and cooperation are important educational tools. These programmes contribute to the personal and collective growth of participants and help them to successfully adapt to the modern world. However, the hypotheses of a significant effect of mentor support on perceptions of tutor creativity were not confirmed, indicating a limited effect of this factor on students� perceptions of tutor creativity. Keywords: creativity; methodological approaches; modernisation; education system

Navigating the troubled waters of higher education – a phenomenological study on the needs and challenges of first‐year clinical associate students in South Africa

Background. Clinical associates (ClinAs) are educated in decentralised learning platforms where they gain skills and a concrete understanding of the fundamental challenges of healthcare in remote and poverty-stricken districts of South Africa. Due to the decentralised nature of the programme, these students seldom have access to ‘on-campus’ academic and psychosocial support. A peer mentorship programme has proved useful in this regard in other settings. Objective. To explore the unique academic and psychosocial challenges and needs of first-year clinical associate (ClinA) students and describe the views of the research participants on the perceived enablers and constraints of a ClinA peer mentorship programme. Methods. A phenomenological research design was used. The population included ClinA students and academic members of staff. Five appreciative inquiry interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted. Results. Four themes were identified: (i) flailing like a fish out of water (challenges experienced by ClinA students); (ii) floating devices (benefits of peer support programmes); (iii) the life saver (perceived enablers of peer support programmes); and (iv) rip currents (perceived constraints of peer support programmes). Conclusion. Unique challenges identified were: (i) the teaching and learning strategy implemented by the facilitator of the programme; (ii) the decentralised learning platforms; and (iii) the absence of institutional support at clinical learning centres. All participants agreed that peer mentor support is beneficial and essential for ClinA students, but that the peer mentor programme needs to be bespoke to address the limited access to academic and psychosocial on-campus support and the profile of the students, who are of rural origin and first-generation students.

Creating communicative learning spaces in initial teacher education (ITE) with observation-grounded co-mentoring practices

ABSTRACT ITE has been criticised for being disconnected, with different languages being spoken in the two learning arenas of campus and schools. Bringing people together, such as through formal university-school partnerships, is not enough to open up communicative learning spaces – sites of collaborative learning that are democratic, safe and supportive. Practicum is recognised as a capstone experience in teacher education in which the mentor’s role is crucial. However, there are significant variations in the types and quality of mentoring and only some supportive frameworks. This paper investigates what arrangements are needed to enable mentoring practices as communicative learning spaces. An intervention was designed that structured conversations between student teachers, school-based mentor teachers and university-based teacher educators around an observation-grounded mentoring framework (OMF). Data was gathered from completed worksheets, reflection logs, and interviews and analysed through the lens of practice architectures. We explore issues of knowledge and power in the facilitation of learning when university-based teacher educators visit the school, and classroom observations frame the mentoring conversations. Findings show that the OMF offered a shared language for tripartite mentoring conversations as communicative learning spaces. The paper contributes to knowledge about supportive mentoring practices in ITE.

When perceived similarity overrides demographic similarity: examining influences on STEM students’ developmental mentor networks

BackgroundWhile dyadic faculty–mentored relationship research currently saturates the mentoring literature, recent developments suggest the need for a broader consideration of a student's mentor network. Research taking a network approach may provide deeper insights into the formation and benefits of mentorship for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Utilizing Developmental Mentor Network Theory and ego-centric social network analysis, this pre-registered study evaluates how the characteristics of mentees and mentors relate to both the content of support and structure of mentor networks in a large sample of White and Hispanic/Latino(a) STEM undergraduates across 12 universities.ResultsResults were nuanced but showed that perceived psychological similarity with their mentor(s) predicted both dyadic and network average levels of mentor support (i.e., psychosocial, career, role modeling) and relational satisfaction. Furthermore, results point to homophily and engagement in undergraduate research effects on mentor network structures.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of using a network approach to deepen our understanding of the factors (e.g., psychological similarity) that may influence the formation and maintenance of robust and diverse supportive mentoring networks.