Student Mentors Research Articles

Sources of strength: a process evaluation of a university-high school partnership to promote mental health protective factors.

The purpose of this manuscript was to discuss the implementation process of a student-led positive psychological and behavioral program (i.e., Sources of Strength) at a local high school to prevent opioid use and suicide behavior. Over the course of 2 years of programming, university undergraduate students worked alongside and mentored high school students to implement school-wide and focused campaigns that targeted each of the domains of the Sources of Strength wheel (i.e., mental health, family support, positive friends, mentors, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, and medical access). The summed total student reach for 2 years of implementation was 8,682 students. The average participation was 456.95 students per campaign. The average percentage of the school population that engaged in each campaign was 34.7%. While no outcome opioid use or suicide behavior data were collected, the participation in the programming was high. Universities can continue to engage with local high schools to provide support, collaboration, and mentorship to promote positive and supportive school culture. Using university undergraduate students to serve as leaders can provide them with applied learning opportunities, mentorship for high school students, and reduce the expectancy for high school staff to establish the program on their own.

Developing Future Teachers’ Creativity as a Crucial Element of Systemic Work in the Neuropedagogical Environment

The article highlights the crucial role of creativity as a fundamental trait for today’s educators. It is vital for devising innovative solutions, developing new educational technologies and engaging students in meaningful learning experiences. As the world evolves rapidly, teachers must be responsive to these changes. Creativity helps teachers address challenges during the educational process and foster student participation. Today’s students are more independent and seek involvement rather than passively receiving information. Creative teachers are, therefore, better equipped to create environments that promote independent work and innovation. Creativity is a critical success factor, enabling individuals to generate ideas and solve problems. Teachers should focus on enhancing students’ creative skills to help them thrive in the future. Simultaneously, a structured approach within the neuropedagogical environment can help nurture creative skills in future teachers. This process must be holistic, incorporating a range of methods and techniques. Such an approach will equip future teachers to teach effectively and mentor students in today’s world. Thus, the article defines creativity as a vital aspect of pedagogical practice and examines strategies for enhancing creative skills among future teachers within the neuropedagogical environment.

Utilizing mentorship education to promote a culturally responsive research training environment in the biomedical sciences.

There is an urgent and compelling need for systemic change to achieve diversity and inclusion goals in the biomedical sciences. Because faculty hold great influence in shaping research training environments, faculty development is a key aspect in building institutional capacity to create climates in which persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) can succeed. We present a mixed methods case study of one institution's efforts to improve mentorship of PEER doctoral students through mentorship education workshops for faculty. These workshops were one strategy among others intended to improve graduate trainees' experiences, and positively affect institutional climate with respect to racial and ethnic diversity. Surveys of 108 faculty mentors revealed that about 80% overall agreed or strongly agreed with the value of culturally responsive mentoring behaviors but about 63% overall agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident in their ability to enact those behaviors. Through a series of three focus groups, PEER doctoral students reported that they noticed mentors' efforts to address cultural diversity matters and identified some guidance for how to approach such topics. We discuss future directions and implications for using mentorship education to activate systemic change toward inclusive research training environments and promoting the value of mentorship within institutions.

Students value relationship building in a student mentorship program.

To assess the needs and values of students regarding a new mentoring program. An online survey was developed and sent to veterinary students through institutional email at the beginning and end of the year of initiating a faculty-student mentorship program. In September and May, the most commonly desired outcome of the program for students was the building of relationships. In the fall, the most anticipated concerns were that the meetings would not occur or there would be incompatibility between mentors and mentees. In the spring, the most common concerns were that some faculty were disinterested or meetings did not happen. The experiences of veterinary students in the faculty-student mentoring program were often positive but variable. At the outset, students were hoping to build relationships through the program, and in May, some of them reported that this objective had been fulfilled. However, some students expressed frustration with faculty disengagement with the program. A faculty-student mentorship program has the potential to build relationships between students and faculty when faculty are engaged participants in the program. Based on our findings, students are eager to build relationships with faculty within the context of a faculty-student mentorship program, and this goal is achievable. However, much depends on the engagement and participation of the faculty, which was incomplete using our approach of assigning all faculty to participate.

Integrating youth participatory action research and health communication to inform youth and young adult covid-19 vaccine communication research.

COVID-19 vaccination rates remain lower among adolescents compared with adults. Youth participatory action research (YPAR) offers opportunities to inform youth vaccine communication at the local and population level. However, few studies have integrated systematic health communication research with YPAR. In the current study, a diverse team of paid high school interns, undergraduate student mentors and communication researchers in West Philadelphia YPAR programs developed a theory-informed communication survey to measure teen COVID-19 vaccine beliefs, information sources and behavior. The survey was distributed locally and informed youth-created vaccine campaign messages. In addition, YPAR-derived survey measures complimented a qualitative online elicitation survey with US young adults. Responses were coded using inductive content analysis, informing measures for a subsequent population-level study of young adults. This research followed protocols approved by an Institutional Review Board. Applying a YPAR framework elevated youth voices in the study development process. Communication theory and methods aided the development of survey studies to advance both local YPAR program objectives and population-level research. Future implications are discussed.

Healthcare professionals' experiences of required competencies in mentoring of interprofessional students in clinical practice: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

To synthesize evidence on healthcare professionals' experiences of competencies in mentoring undergraduate healthcare, social care and medical students during their interprofessional clinical practice. This review was conducted by the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. Studies were included if they were based on the phenomenon of interest and used qualitative or mixed methods (qualitative share). The included studies were critically appraised using the standardized JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Qualitative research findings were extracted and synthesized using the meta-aggregation approach. Five databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, Medic and ProQuest) were systematically searched from each database's inception on 28 June 2023. A total of 5164 studies were initially screened, and 25 were identified for inclusion in this review. Three synthesized findings were identified: competencies related to (1) preparing for and developing interprofessional clinical practice, (2) supporting the learning process in interprofessional clinical practice and (3) creating an interprofessional mentor identity. Although competent mentors are essential to implementing and developing interprofessional clinical practice, some mentors find interprofessional mentoring challenging. High-quality interprofessional mentoring requires specific competence that differs from profession-specific and individual mentoring. To ensure that interprofessional clinical practice is of high quality and strengthens students' professional and interprofessional growth, special attention should be given to mentors' interprofessional mentoring competence, and a range of opportunities and organizational structures should be provided for competence development. This systematic review provides insights into the specific competencies required for interprofessional mentoring. These findings can support healthcare professionals, educators and policymakers in developing interprofessional clinical practice and mentoring competence. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and ENTREQ reporting guidelines. No patient or public contribution.

Skills Development in Hydrologic Sciences for Cohorts of Graduate Students from Morocco, Egypt, Türkiye, and Indonesia

AbstractIn developing countries in Africa and Asia, meeting challenges of water scarcity and pollution has often been hampered by shortcomings in higher education, including insufficient research productivity and funding, lack of opportunity for university graduates, and a mismatch between university activities and societal needs. To address these issues, we developed novel programs integrating technical instruction and preparation for professional practice in hydrology for cohorts of graduate students from Morocco and Egypt (2012–2013) and from Türkiye and Indonesia (2013–2014). Students participated in an initial online course and a follow‐up workshop featuring geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and hydrologic modeling with internet‐based data sets. Field activities in the USA (first cohort) and in the students’ home countries (second cohort) included stream gauging, measurement of water levels in wells, water sampling, and measurement of hydrochemical parameters. A subsequent online course focused on research ethics, preparing proposals and publications, and presenting findings to technical audiences and the public, culminating in presentations at conferences in the USA. Participants mentored other students at their home institutions and at K‐12 schools in Türkiye and Indonesia. Participant feedback during and after the programs tended to be strongly positive, and participants have continued to engage with project leaders and mentor students in their home countries and the USA. Our modular, hybrid approach offers a template for students in hydrology and related fields to develop relevant skills and engage internationally.

Mentor Management System

Abstract: This paper introduces the "Mentor Management System," an innovative Java-based Database Management System (DBMS) web application designed to enhance mentor-mentee interactions and administrative oversight in academic institutions. Addressing the growing demand for efficient mentorship collaborations, the system aims to streamline connections between mentors and mentees while optimizing the overall mentorship process for students, mentors, and administrative personnel. The Online Student Mentoring System offers a comprehensive platform facilitating seamless interactions among administrators, mentors, and students. Administrators manage and optimize system operations, ensuring efficiency across all levels. Equipped with specialized tools, mentors engage with students to understand their unique needs, providing personalized guidance that fosters both academic progress and personal development. Students benefit from a user-friendly interface, allowing effortless access to mentorship, query resolution, and tailored insights to enrich their educational experience

The ripple effect of school dropout: exploring the nexus between school dropout, deviance, and subsequent arrest amongst children in India

PurposeThis paper aims to measure the prevalence of deviant behaviour among children who have dropped out of school and their subsequent arrests by the criminal justice system. The paper further analyses the relationship between the factors attributed to deviant behaviour and the subsequent arrests by the criminal justice system.Design/methodology/approachUsing a semi-structured interview schedule, data was collected from 330 children who had already dropped out of school, remained on the streets or worked. The interviews took place in the presence of either of the children’s parents, with their consent.FindingsThe research identified 12 significant factors contributing to children dropping out of school. It also found six factors responsible for deviant behaviour. Furthermore, the study revealed that about 70% of the respondents were involved in one or more deviant behaviours. Among them, 51% had been detained by the Police in the past two years. Additionally, the linear regression model results positively predict the nexus among the six factors responsible for deviant behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to male children who had dropped out of school, as female children were excluded. In connection with measuring deviant behaviour, it was challenging to discern whether it occurred before students left school, after or both.Practical implicationsThe study suggests several measures, including policies such as early intervention programmes, providing quality education, mentoring and counselling for students and parents, vocational education opportunities, creating drug-free environments, career guidance, peer mentoring, community engagement, substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation programmes, to prevent school dropout and subsequent deviant behaviour.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique to India. The moderation regression model represents an exceptional finding. This study constitutes another addition to the field of child welfare while also indicating scope for future research.

“Intellectual accidents in a critical perspective: the challenges of stuttering lecturers using digital technology in distance learning”

PurposeThis study investigates lecturers’ challenges in guiding students’ final scientific work online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the impact of lecturers’ digital technology proficiency on the students’ ability to compile their thoughts and produce scientific work independently.Design/methodology/approachThe study involved 45 lecturers and 140 students. Data was collected through online surveys using the Google Forms application and focus group discussions. The data were analysed qualitatively and interpretively based on the surveys and interviews.FindingsThe findings reveal three modes of mentoring: online, mixed, and offline. Many lecturers’ reluctance to use digital technology for mentoring stems from their lack of proficiency, resulting in mixed mentoring methods. This digital inadequacy affects students’ ability to write scientific work independently, as they are not accustomed to self-directed learning. The pandemic has necessitated more independent work from students, with limited physical guidance from lecturers, leading to a decline in the quality of scientific writing.Originality/valueThis paper contains the latest information related to students' scientific writing activities. Student scientific writing activities are disrupted because supervisors do not have the skills to use technology in the remote student mentoring process. Lecturers are not skilled at using technology in carrying out online tutoring assignments.

Remote Summer Research Program to Improve Opportunity and Mentorship for Underrepresented Students With Interest in Orthopaedic Surgery: 3-Year Experiences.

Medical students are challenged with a limited number of research opportunities to help prepare for an exceptionally competitive process for matching in an orthopaedic residency. The aim of this study was to assess the 3-year experience of our 8 to 10-week remote summer research program in support of underrepresented students with an interest in orthopaedic surgery. We received over 500 applications, and a total of 37 students (7.4%) participated in the program over the past 3 years. A total of 14 faculty mentors were matched with 1 or 2 students each. The research program delivered a curriculum including (1) research-related topics led by a content expert; (2) weekly faculty lectures discussing topics including orthopaedic conditions, diversity in orthopaedics, leadership, and work-life balance; and (3) a minimum of 8 weeks of mentorship experience with an assigned faculty and a peer mentor. Students and faculty were surveyed to measure skill progression, research productivity, and program satisfaction. Program participants represented a range of race/ethnic backgrounds and research experience levels. The cohort included a high rate of female (51%) and Black (35%) participants relative to representation of these groups in orthopaedic surgery. Postprogram surveys indicated that all participants improved their research skills, orthopaedic interest, and mentorship/networking skills. Most students (89%) stated that they were adequately matched to their faculty mentor. Most students (79%) indicated that they contributed to either manuscript or conference abstract as coauthors. The study findings suggest improved research skills, interest, and confidence to pursue orthopaedic residency and mentorship/networks in the field. Our long-term vision is to improve the accessibility and quality of mentorship for underrepresented students to foster an equitable pathway into the field of orthopaedic surgery.

Academic-practice partnership: Exploring a model for collaborative nursing education in infection prevention and control

The academic-practice partnership has become increasingly important in nursing education. An academic-practice partnership between a health systems infection prevention and control (IPC) department and its academic affiliate may provide an opportunity to help advance undergraduate nursing student’s IPC knowledge and skills and provide IPC staff the opportunity to develop their clinical teaching skills as they teach and mentor students. We convened an exploratory workshop between our private university-based college of nursing and its affiliated health care system IPC department to brainstorm and identify areas for mutual collaboration and gauge interest in formalizing a partnership.

Training and Mentoring for Students of the TPQ Al-Qur'an Education Park, Bulu Village, Batang Regency in the Haflah Akhirussanah Performance

Currently, the existence of the Al-Qur'an Education Park is important, because apart from being a place for religious learning, it can also accommodate other activities, especially in this case Islamic art. One of the moments of an Islamic performance is usually shown in the haflah Akhirussanah activity. Thus, this service activity is carried out in the form of accompanying and training TPA students to encourage children/students to appear confident and motivate children to achieve better achievements. This service activity uses the service learning method by providing direct guidance to the objects of service (TPA students). From the results of the activities, we got an idea that the haflah Akhirussanah event went according to the activities that had been planned. The students looked enthusiastic and enthusiastic in participating in a series of activities starting from preparatory exercises to holding the event. The students seemed to show seriousness and activeness in preparing various activities to be presented on stage. It is hoped that in the future all parties can provide a platform for these students to show their activeness.

PEMANFAATAN KOMODITI LOKAL DALAM PENDAMPINGAN WIRAUSAHA MELALUI PELATIHAN DEVIL PANCAKE DI SMK NEGERI 2 SINGARAJA

In the era of globalization and intense market competition, entrepreneurship is crucial for improving economic quality. One accessible form of entrepreneurship is through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Entrepreneurship allows communities to enhance their welfare and economic potential, regardless of age, offering vocational high school students the chance to become young entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial mentoring for vocational high school students prepares them to innovate and develop strong entrepreneurial traits. This program, conducted in Buleleng Regency, Bali, known for its educational heritage, focuses on culinary entrepreneurship training, particularly in pastry making. Initiated by the Student Association of the D3 Hospitality Program at the International Tourism and Business Institute, the training includes practical food production using local commodities. One notable training involves making Devil Pancake, a simple yet innovative pastry. Participated by Culinary students from SMKN 2 Singaraja, using demonstration and duplication methods to enhance practical skills. Students observed instructors and then practiced independently, significantly improving their understanding and skills. The program yielded positive results, boosting students' confidence and practical experience. Using local ingredients and simple processes reassured students that starting a business is feasible. This program successfully motivated SMKN 2 Singaraja students to pursue entrepreneurship.

A survey of the training experiences and needs on Wellcome Trust PhD programmes.

Training for PhD researchers was previously identified by the Wellcome Trust funded Emerging Research Cultures project as an area for further investigation to ensure an inclusive culture which enables PhD students to become well-rounded researchers. The Taskforce on Training conducted a survey of 35 Wellcome Trust-funded PhD students and 10 programme administrators to evaluate the provision of training in eight key areas. This survey examined a number of issues, such as availability and knowledge of training, potential gaps in training, and the perceived usefulness of training. PhD students reported that training was generally useful and viewed as important; technical training in particular was highly valued. However, the survey identified that students desired additional training in project management and personal development. A survey of programme administrators highlighted the wide variety in training availability for students across several Wellcome Trust programmes currently run in the UK. In response to these findings, a number of recommendations were made. These included: promotion of peer mentoring for PhD students, and alternative methods for delivery of well-being training. However, this report only explores the views of a limited number of Wellcome Trust funded PhD students and would benefit from further research into the experiences of PhD students, programme administrators, and PhD supervisors.

The scientific rules, roles, and values that life sciences doctoral students want to see upheld by undergraduate researchers

AbstractArticulating the rules, roles, and values that are expected of undergraduate researchers is important as we strive to create a more accessible path into the scientific community. Rules refer to skills required of scientists, roles refer to behaviors consistent with the expectations of a scientist, and values refer to beliefs of the scientific community. Doctoral student mentors have great potential to serve as agents of influence for undergraduate researchers as undergraduates engage in the process of learning to be a scientist through legitimate peripheral participation. As such, we argue that doctoral students are partially responsible for identifying and promoting the rules, roles, and values that undergraduate researchers develop in scientific research. However, few studies have examined what rules, roles, and values are appreciated, or perceived as desirable, by doctoral students and thus expected of undergraduate research mentees. To address this gap, we surveyed 835 life sciences doctoral students who had mentored or would eventually mentor undergraduate researchers. We assessed what qualities and beliefs they appreciate in undergraduate researchers and what advice they would give to undergraduates to maximize their experiences in research. We analyzed their open‐ended responses using inductive coding and identified specific rules (e.g., effectively communicate), roles (e.g., demonstrate a strong work ethic), and values (e.g., be driven by intrinsic passion) that doctoral students wrote about. We used logistic regression to determine whether demographics predicted differences among doctoral student responses. We found that gender, race/ethnicity, and college generation status predicted what rules, roles, and values doctoral students appreciated and advised undergraduates to adopt. This research illuminates what rules, roles, and values undergraduate researchers are expected to uphold and identifies relationships between mentor identities and the advice they pass on to students.

EXPLORING AI-BASED TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ INSPIRATION IN STUDYING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION - ONE OF THE COMPULSORY SUBJECTS AT THE FACULTY OF ENGLISH – HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

These days, chatbots play a crucial role in students' lives and are utilized in various settings. As a result, we are interested in integrating these tools into the teaching process to use their advantages, help and mentor students as they try to avoid problems like plagiarism, and primarily increase students' motivation. The qualitative and quantitative analysis methods have been applied, together with the documents, the result of research works of previous scholars, and results from the questionnaires obtained from 100 students (course 2021-2025) who have studied the subject of Intercultural Communication at the Faculty of English for the academic year 2022-2023. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether using an AI-based chatbot agent as a teaching tool makes students more motivated or not, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these conversational chatbots, show how vital chatbots may be for raising student motivation, and improve teaching techniques in the process of studying the subject of Intercultural Communication.

The impact of mentoring in higher education on student career development: a systematic review and research agenda

ABSTRACT Studies published over the last four decades provide the basis for a systematic review of the impact of mentoring in higher education (HE) on student career development. We review 73 papers published between 1986 and 2023 and develop a framework to examine the relationships between mentoring approaches and career development outcomes. Here, we distinguish between different student populations (female students, under-represented groups). Notwithstanding an overall positive verdict on mentoring's career development potential, with particular emphasis on career choice and transitioning behaviour, the results are not always positive, and many nuances in the data are evident. At a time of increased concern about student transitions into the labour market, practical implications can be derived which may strengthen mentoring's benefits, e.g. the value of peer mentoring for female students, and cultural proximity of mentors for under-represented minority students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Key research recommendations include:(1) developing novel impact indicators related to emotion such as career inspiration and passion; (2) examining under-researched impact indicators related to non-traditional student careers (e.g. entrepreneurial intentions), and employment and socioeconomic impact indicators; and (3) investigating the role of context and mentoring content and delivery modalities, in helping to explain inconsistent findings across the reviewed papers.

Examining the Role of Mentoring on Perceived Employability Among University Students in China

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of mentoring on university students’ perception of employability in China and to investigate the role of mentoring duration, frequency, and mentor-mentee similarity as potential moderating factors. This quantitative study was conducted by administering an online survey among university students in China. All participants ( N = 1023) completed demographic questions and a Likert scale questionnaire consisting of 16 self-perceived employability scale items and 25 college student mentoring scale items. After controlling for the university students’ age, gender, academic field, and university rank, mentoring was significantly positively associated with perceived employability. Our results further reveal that out of the four mentoring functions, psychological emotional support is significantly positively associated with perceived employability. The findings suggest that mentoring duration, frequency, and mentor-mentee similarities shape the impact of psychological emotional support on employability. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on mentoring and perceived employability, and provide valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and mentoring program developers. By emphasizing the importance of key mentorship functions, educational institutions can develop effective mentoring programs and interventions to enhance university students’ career prospects and employability.

Voices Unveiled: Personal Reflections of Faculty of Color in Nursing Academia.

The presence of faculty of color (FOC) provides critical role modeling and mentorship for diverse students and thereby contributes to increasing diversity in the nursing workforce. Personal reflections of FOC within a predominantly White institution involved feelings of isolation, not belonging, and lacking support and mentorship. Addressing negative experiences of FOC supports retention and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion.