Peer Mentoring Research Articles

Supporting future roles of millennials in rural agriculture retail: The role of technology in continuing education solutions

AbstractRural agriculture retailers, or those engaged in the production of food, fiber, and fuel, are pressed to find just‐in‐time solutions for continual learning with their adult employees, specifically millennials, the generation who will assume future leadership roles. Adult educators in rural settings, or lower populated areas, are encountering rapid technological change and need to transform how they impact learners in and out of the classroom through experiential learning. Technological solutions considered an integral component of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiatives, may provide continual learning avenues for millennial employees. This article offers effective ways to engage millennials in agriculture through facilitating peer mentoring, supporting soft skill development, and building the infinite potential of learning and growth in STEM content.

Difficulties in the work-from-home setting, coping mechanisms and work performance among elementary teachers in Subic district

This study involved 228 teachers assigned to public elementary schools in the Division of Zambales, Subic District, Philippines, during the SY 2020 - 2021 and focused on the profile, experiences in the work-from-home setting as encountered by teachers, their coping mechanisms, as well as their work performance. The methodology of the study employed a descriptive correlation design. Statistical treatment includes frequency, percentage, mean, Analysis of Variance, and Pearson r. Findings revealed that teachers have highly experienced difficulties in the work-from-home setting, have very highly drawn coping mechanisms to overcome difficulties, and have a very satisfactory teaching performance. It is recommended that school administrators update teachers’ profiles, motivate teachers to undergo professional development through enrolling in graduate schools, help teachers with difficulties encountered in the work-from-home setting in the new normal through peer mentoring, motivate teachers to practice coping mechanisms and re-evaluate the work performance of teachers. Finally, teachers should learn to cope up with the challenges and difficulties in the work-from-home settings to have an outstanding work performance.

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.

Relational Complexity of the Near-Age Peer Support Provider Role in Youth and Young Adult Community Mental Health Settings.

Increasingly, US community mental health settings are integrating professional near-age youth peer support providers to improve youth service engagement and outcomes. Youth peer specialists (YPS) use their lived and living experiences with a mental health diagnosis to validate, empathize, and provide individualized support, while also improving their program's overall responsiveness to young people's needs. Although promising, these roles tend to lack clarity-responsibilities vary immensely, and turnover is high. Examining near-age youth peer on-the-job experiences is needed to design effective on-the-job supports. Using community-based participatory action research methods, young adults with lived experience worked in partnership with a PhD-level qualitative researcher to design, recruit, conduct, and analyze in-depth-interviews with current and former near-age youth peer providers. Ten young adult peer mentors in Massachusetts completed interviews that revealed near-age youth peer role relational complexity. Five relational aspects were identified requiring relational practice skills and self-awareness, including relationships with (1) self, (2) clients, (3) supervisors, (4) non-peer colleagues, and (5) other near-age peer providers. Near-age peers experience relationship-related struggles with non-peer identified colleagues who do not understand nor value the near-age peer role. Findings expand on current near-age peer practice and associated on-the-job challenges. Training, supervision, and professional development activities that target these five relational areas may improve YPS on-the-job wellbeing, decrease YPS turnover, and improve youth client outcomes.

Group peer mentoring to improve faculty connections and enhance mentoring networks.

Difficulty finding mentors and forging connections in academic departments can be challenging and became even more so when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities for informal networking. Even as restrictions on in-person meetings eased, many faculty preferred meetings to remain virtual. Because some of the most powerful predictors of faculty vitality are positive professional relationships and feelings of inclusion and belonging to an institution, attending to faculty needs in this area is important to mitigate undesired lingering consequences. We created structured peer mentoring groups for our department's physicians and psychologists that meet virtually. Groups span career stages, academic appointments and clinical interests. The purpose was to establish a deeper culture of mentoring, increase feelings of connection to a supportive community within the department, facilitate career planning and enhance the development of skills necessary in academic medicine such as teaching skills, scholarly productivity and personal wellness. A survey conducted after the first year of the programme was completed by 70% of eligible faculty (31/45). Ninety-six percent felt the programme had created an inclusive and appreciative culture, 86% met faculty members they had never met before and 79% sought mentoring advice from a colleague they would not usually have interacted with in that manner. All participants appreciated hearing their colleagues' perspectives on topics they do not typically discuss. Departmentally based group peer mentoring that spans career stages and interests can facilitate faculty connections and enhance a supportive culture of mentorship.

Educating the nurses of tomorrow: exploring first-year nursing students’ reflections on a one-week senior peer-mentor supervised inspiration practice in nursing homes

BackgroundWorldwide, the healthcare system stresses a severe deficit of nurses because of elevated levels of work-induced stress, burnout and turnover rates, as well as the ageing of the nursing workforce. The diminishing number of nursing students opting for a career in nursing older people has exacerbated this shortage. A determining factor in the choice of a career within the field of residential care for nursing students is educational institutions offering students learning opportunities with positive learning experiences. Therefore, educational institutions must develop programmes that employ student active learning methods during clinical periods. Although much focus has been given to the development of new educational programs, insufficient consideration has been given to the value of peer mentoring and students’ interactions during the clinical placement at nursing homes. The aim of the present study is to explore first-year nursing students’ perceptions and experiences with peer mentoring as an educational model during their inspiration practice week at nursing home.MethodsThe study employed a qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design. Data collection took place in October 2022 using focus group interviews. A total of 53 students in their first year of the bachelor’s programme at the Oslo Metropolitan University participated in eight focus group interviews. The data were analysed following the principles of inductive content analysis.ResultsThe analysis resulted in one main category, ‘Being inspired—keep learning and moving forward’, representing first-year nursing students’ common perceptions of being mentored by third-year students. The main category is supported by two categories: ‘Closeness to the mentor’ and ‘Confidence in mentors’ professional knowledge and teaching and supervision methods’, which are interpreted as the drivers that enabled first-year students to learn more about nurses’ roles and responsibilities in the nursing home.ConclusionMentorship enhances the learning transfer from third-year nursing students over to first-year nursing students by providing them with real-world exposure and guidance from their more experienced peers. This hands-on approach allows them to bridge the gap between theory and practice more effectively, boosting first-year nursing students’ confidence and competence in nursing and caring for older people living in nursing homes.

Collaboration With Researchers With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: An Illustration of Inclusive Research Attributes Across Two Projects

Abstract Researchers have implemented inclusive research for over 30 years. This article describes how two research projects collaborated with researchers with disabilities and aligns the description with four attributes of inclusive research developed by a consensus of international experts with and without disabilities. The first project, the Person Experiences Interview Survey (PEIS) Workgroup, reviewed and revised items for a self-report survey of mental health service experiences. The second project describes the peer-led implementation of the Self-Determined Career Design Model (SDCDM) intervention. Four factors facilitated or were barriers to the projects’ alignment with inclusive research attributes. First, relationships enhanced capacity to engage in meaningful ways. Second, balance between consistency and adaptability promoted engagement. Third, long-term capacity was enabled by ongoing engagement and peer mentorship. Fourth, time and funds impacted inclusive implementation. Engaging researchers with disabilities meaningfully enhanced the research process and products.

Student Peer Mentorship in Prelicensure Nursing Programs: A Scoping Review

Student Peer Mentorship in Prelicensure Nursing Programs: A Scoping Review

The Impact on Peer Mentorship After Implementation of a Competency-Based Residency Curriculum in Canadian Radiation Oncology Training Programs

Peer mentorship provides professional and personal support between physicians with similar experiences and levels of training. While peer mentorship has shown to benefit academic success and professional growth, little data has examined contextual factors, such as curricular change, that may affect the quality of these relationships. This study aims to explore the impact of a new, nationwide radiation oncology (RO) residency curriculum, known as competence by design (CBD), on peer mentorship experiences between Canadian RO residents. A qualitative study, with a social constructivist approach, was conducted with 2 groups of Canadian RO residents. The first were those in the academic year before CBD implementation (non-CBD cohort), and the second were those in the inaugural year of CBD (CBD cohort). Semistructured 1-on-1 interviews were conducted to explore experiences of peer mentorship as it related to curriculum change. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed with deductive and inductive methods until data saturation. Between April and December 2021, 14 participants (6 non-CBD and 8 CBD residents) from 8 out of 10 eligible English-speaking RO training programs across Canada participated. Three major themes were identified: (1) the CBD cohort identified fewer opportunities for peer mentorship, with specific concerns regarding new evaluation processes and uncertainty about the later stages of training; (2) there was minimal impact on specialty-specific learning; and (3) peer mentorship thrived when occurring as spontaneous in-person interactions. Inaugural residents of a CBD curriculum perceived fewer opportunities for peer mentorship. There were specific concerns about new evaluative processes, though this did not affect specialty-specific learning. Peer mentorship was most impactful as informal and in-person interactions. Our findings suggest that unintended consequences of curriculum change may be mitigated by improving communication about new training objectives and increasing opportunities for informal interactions between residents.

Protective Resources, Legal Status, and the Integration of U.S. Immigrants Entering as Unaccompanied Children

Prior studies of U.S. immigrant integration and well-being assume that immigrants arrive as adults rather than as children. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted in 2021 and 2022 with 77 immigrant adults who were living in Washington DC and Michigan, and entered the United States as unaccompanied children, we examine whether and how their integration and well-being depends on both legal status and access to protective resources such as teachers, peer mentors, and local youth organizations. Findings reveal that legality alone is not a sufficient explanation of integration and well-being. Access to protective resources enables integration, although those with temporary and undocumented status face more challenges and access fewer resources, affecting successful integration.

Stress-Associated Factors among Nursing Students In Higher Education in East Malaysia

Psychological distress among students leads to less productivity, reduced quality of life, and learning difficulties and may negatively affect patient care. Objective: The main aim of this study is to identify stress factors among UMS students.Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive, universal sampling of 152 student nurses was included in this study. Respondents were given a self-answered structured questionnaire conclusive of socio-demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and factors associated with stress. A descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data. Results & Findings: Out of 152 students, the majority have moderate stress (83.6 %), about 12.5 % have low-stress levels, and only 3.9 % of respondents have high stress levels. The results show that students experienced or reported significantly higher academic factors (24.9 %), followed by interpersonal factors (24.6 %) Conclusion: According to study findings, stress is most prevalent among nursing students and is attributed to academic and interpersonal causes. It is advised to use proactive learning strategies, peer and staff mentoring and modeling, professional networks and social support, psychological support, and faculty role and behavior.

Peer mentoring: an encouragement to face the challenges of remote teaching of nursing students

Objective: To describe the challenges faced in the transition to emergency remote teaching and the impacts of peer mentoring experienced by nursing students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, was carried out with students in the Undergraduate Nursing Mentoring Program at the University of Brasilia. Data was collected using an electronic form from March to May 2022 and thematic content analysis was used to process the data. Results: Two categories emerged: 1. The adversities of remote teaching and 2. Contributions of mentoring in the context of remote teaching. Conclusion: In the face of anguish and exhaustion due to the excess of virtual activities, the challenge of transforming the household into an environment conducive to studying, and the limitations in access to technologies, mentoring was shown to be a powerful strategy for coping with remote teaching by providing embracement, a sense of belonging to the university, motivation with the course, and bonds of affection among students in a period characterized by a new teaching-learning reality.

Improving Quality of Life in Underserved Communities: A Case from Humanity Initiative's Student-Led Clinics.

Using the case study of a 12-year-old girl diagnosed with complex congenital heart disease at a student-led clinic (SLC) organized by Humanity Initiative (HI) in Karachi, the paper highlights the effectiveness of SLCs in providing accessible and comprehensive healthcare services. The article contributes to existing literature by demonstrating the practical benefits of SLCs in a real-world setting, particularly in resource-limited environments. It underscores the potential of SLCs not only to improve community health but also to enhance medical education by providing students with hands-on experience and fostering a sense of social responsibility. Collaborative efforts between medical students, professionals, and the community are essential to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of healthcare interventions. For the success of such initiatives, there is a need for sustainable funding, effective follow-up protocols, and reliable communication channels with patients, offering solutions like peer mentoring and technology integration to overcome these barriers.

Evidence-Based Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions for the Management of Behavioral Issues in Individuals With Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

To present an evidence-based review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating interventions for the management of behavioral issues post moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (MSTBI), as part of an extensive database that has been conceptualized as a living systematic review. Systematic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO, up to and including December 2022, for articles published in the English language, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The quality of RCT was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, and level of evidence was assigned using a modified Sackett scale. Forty-six RCTs examining interventions and outcome measures related to behavioral issues post-MSTBI were included. These studies collectively enrolled 3,267 participants. The majority of RCTs were conducted in the United States (n=27; 58.7%) and 28 (60.9%) were conducted after 2010. Of these, 27 RCTs examined non-pharmacological interventions and 19 examined pharmacological interventions. Effective pharmacological treatments included amantadine and dexmedetomidine. Effective non-pharmacological interventions included sensory stimulation in the acute phase, anger self-management programs, peer mentoring, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. Psychotherapy showed conflicting evidence. This evidence-based review provides a comprehensive overview of the research landscape of RCTs addressing behavior post-MSTBI. The findings from these RCTs may be valuable for health care professionals, researchers, and policymakers involved in the field of TBI and behavior.

Strategies for Accessible Breast Screening for People With Intellectual Disability.

People with intellectual disability are less likely to participate in breast screening than people without intellectual disability. They experience a range of barriers to accessing breast screening, however, there is no consensus on strategies to overcome these barriers. Our objective was to reach consensus on the strategies required for accessible breast screening for people with intellectual disability. Fourteen experts participated in a modified on-line Delphi that used Levesque's model of health care access as the theoretical framework. At the end of each round descriptive and thematic analyses were completed. Data was then triangulated to determine if consensus was reached. After 3 rounds, 9 strategies were modified, 24 strategies were added and consensus was reached for 52 strategies across the 5 dimensions of access. Key areas of action related to (i) decision making and consent, (ii) accessible information, (iii) engagement of peer mentors, (iv) service navigators, and (v) equipping key stakeholders. The resulting strategies are the first to articulate how to make breast screening accessible and can be used to inform health policy and quality improvement practices.

Mentoring for Admission and Retention of Black Socio-Ethnic Minorities in Medicine: A Scoping Review.

Despite numerous mentoring strategies to promote academic success and eligibility in medicine, Black students remain disproportionately underrepresented in medicine. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to identify the mentoring practices available to Black pre-medical students, medical students and medical residents, specifically the mentoring strategies used, their application, and their evaluation. Between May 2023 and October 2023, the authors conducted a literature review. Studies that described a mentoring strategy applied among Black learners were eligible for inclusion, and all years of publication were included. Two reviewers screened each article using the Covidence tool, and conflicts were resolved by a third author. All reviewers extracted the data to summarize the various mentoring practices. After screening 6292 articles, 42 articles met the criteria for full review. Of these, 14 studies were included in the study. Mentoring practices for Black students included peer mentoring, dyad mentoring, and group mentoring. Mentoring was typically offered through discussion groups, educational internships, and didactic activities. Evaluation of mentoring programs took into account (1) pass rates on medical exams (eg, MCAT, Casper), (2) receipt of an invitation to a medical school admissions interview, (3) successful match to a competitive residency program, and (4) a mentee's report of the overall experience and effectiveness of the program. This review is the first, to our knowledge, to focus on mentoring strategies implemented among Black learners in medicine. The results will inform mentoring strategies adapted for Black learners and will therefore address the underrepresentation of Black students in medicine.

Community-based peer mentorship improves academic performance: Evidence from Makhanda, South Africa

ABSTRACT Despite high rates of education expenditure, South Africa's education system remains sharply unequal and underperforms overall compared to other countries. One approach to addressing education inequality and underperformance is community-based peer mentorship. This paper presents evidence from the Nine Tenths mentorship programme in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) as a way to improve academic performance among matric students in under-resourced secondary schools. Using school matric pass rates from 2012 to 2021 and student admission metrics for participants in 2020–2022, a strong association is found between the activities of Nine Tenths and improved academic performance. No-fee schools where Nine Tenths is active record pass rates that are 28 percentage points higher on average than schools without Nine Tenths. Matric students who participate in Nine Tenths increase their Admissions Points Score (APS) by 4.23 points on average, and every student between 2020 and 2022 earned a bachelor pass. While the evidence suggests that Nine Tenths is effective, the programme operates on a relatively small scale and is not broad-based in its implementation. The programme shows is a promising example of community-based interventions to address schooling inequality independently and more efficiently than the current education policy in South Africa.

A PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OF REDUCING STUDENTS’ DROPOUT INTENTION AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN CHANGSHA OF HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA

This study aimed to develop a program for students at private universities in the Hunan province of China. The program was developed to reduce students’ dropout intentions. A mixed-methods approach was used for the study. Three hundred eighty-one students participated in the study. A statistical analysis was carried out to obtain the mean and standard deviation. Multiple regression analysis was utilized to find significant variables. The qualitative method was used to develop a program. The overall dropout intention at private universities in Hunan province was 3.71, which still had room to reduce students’ dropout intention. The program was developed based on students’ institutional integration and effective dropout activities. The program contained five significant items from the data analysis results: academic challenge (ß=.261, P=.000); academic support (ß=.195, P=.000); peer mentoring and tutoring (ß=.197, P=.000); diversity experiences (ß=.132, P=.019); and social support (ß=.109, P=.032). This program was applied to 66 students at Hunan International Economics University. The t-test results showed: t (69) = -18.32, p =.000 <.05 significance level, which supported a significant difference between before and after attending the program.

Experiences of International Graduate Students at Makerere University

The enrollment of international graduate students is declining at Makerere University. Yet, Makerere aspires to be a research-led institution with an internationalization agenda. There is a need to increase the number of international graduate students as this would help Makerere University to realize its vision. This study, therefore, explored international graduate students' experiences at Makerere University, and the following objective guided it: to explore the experiences of international graduate students at Makerere University. The study was based on the interpretive worldview, subscribing to the transcendental phenomenology of Edmund Husserl, which states that those who have experienced a phenomenon can give it meaning. Eight international graduate students at Makerere University were interviewed, and they were selected from different academic disciplines, which were categorized according to Becher and Biglan's classification. Data were thematically analyzed, whereby two themes, namely non-academic experiences and academic experiences, emerged. It was therefore concluded that international graduate students at Makerere University had both positive and negative non-academic and academic experiences. This study recommends that Makerere University Management should strengthen measures that lead to positive experiences for international graduate students, such as the provision of financial resources, strengthening the operations of the International Office, organizing events for graduate students to facilitate their interactions with the domestic students, and putting in place peer mentors for new international graduate students to foster a sense of community. This study also recommends that the International Office work very closely with the Deans of Schools in the different colleges of Makerere University. This will improve their academic experiences and, ultimately, their numbers at Makerere University. Finally, the university management should strengthen and streamline the activities of the International Office at Makerere University

Creative nonfiction approach to explore peer mentorship for individuals with spinal cord injury.

Research has examined peer mentorship to understand how it may help people with spinal cord injury (SCI) adapt and thrive. We still lack an in-depth understanding of the perspectives of SCI peer mentors and mentees on their dyadic relationship. This study was to explore the dyadic interactions and relationships between SCI peer mentors and mentees in a peer mentorship program delivered at a rehabilitation center. Between 2016 and 2017, we recruited two dyads of peer mentor and mentee with SCI (N = 4). Each participant completed three one-on-one interviews (N = 12). Data were analyzed using a creative nonfiction approach. Three unique dialogical stories were developed. Story 1 (A slow and steady start) described how mentors took a mentee-centered approach in building the relationship. Story 2 (Mentorship and friendship: negotiating the "grey zone") highlighted how mentees and mentors experienced challenges in navigating the boundaries between mentorship and friendship. Story 3 (The "endless" job for mentor) showcased how the relationship could enter a phase in which it could affect mentors' well-being. The stories highlighted important attributes to the relationships between SCI mentors and mentees. Considerations were suggested for community-based SCI organizations to integrate peer mentorship into rehabilitation settings, including optimizing mentorship introductions and matching, defining mentors' role explicitly, and building support systems for mentors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).