+

Mentors in an Undergraduate Psychology CourseA comparison of Student Experience and Engagement

* Portions of this presentation were presented at the Center for Scholastic Inquiry Conference in San Francisco, CA in April 2014.

+

University of Windsor

Jill Singleton-Jackson, PhD Associate professor of psychology at

the University of Windsor Goal: To enhance the learning

experiences of my students while maintaining academic rigor

Marc Frey Graduate student in psychology Presentation creator

Martene Clayton-Sementilli Undergraduate psychology student Mentor

Tyler Pickel Undergraduate psychology student Mentee

Ontario, Canada

+History and Context of Mentoring in Higher Education

Mentor was Odysseus’ son Telemachus’ counselor and teacher.

We now have a fairly wide interpretation of mentor as a guide through stages, activities, and social developments.

Three theoretical perspectives: Social – peer influence on persistence and

belongingness Cognitive – tutoring and skill development Motivation – autonomy

+Mentors in the Classroom

Curricular peer mentoring Peer mentoring is a widely used term that can refer to a variety of learning

activities and programs. Curricular peer mentoring is more specific as it is a course-based form of peer mentoring that is intended as academic support for students. Curricular peer mentoring has become more widely used in higher education in the last decade (Smith, 2013, ).

Why we studied this Child Psychology – Fall 2012 Reflection assignment spurred us to dig deeper

What and how students learn Pedagogy to empower student learning

Who can benefit from this information? Educators or anyone who is working with a population that needs to gain

experience in order to succeed

What will you leave with today? The tools you need to start thinking about how you might use mentors in

your one courses

+Methodology

We measured engagement, achievement, and experience of students in an undergraduate child psychology course with mentors in the classroom.

We compared this group to two sections of the same course that did not have mentors in the classroom. Fall 2012 – Mentors Fall 2011 – No mentors Winter 2013 – No mentors

+Measures

Demographics

National Survey of Student Engagement (revised) (NSSE)

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) This instrument examines several aspects of motivation related

to learning, such as goal orientation and self-efficacy.

Student Attitudes toward Group Environments (SAGE) The purpose of this measure is to assess student attitudes toward

small group learning.

Mentored Students Experience Questionnaire (MSEQ) Questions developed by our team based on qualitative data

collected from mentored students’ reflection papers.

+

Group Comparisons

Engagement and Academic Performance

Results

+Group Engagement

Does mentorship positively influence student engagement in terms of group work?

Mentored students reported higher levels of group engagement as compared to non-mentored students. t=3.88(120), p<.001; Cohen’s d= .71;

η2=.11

Baseline group: M=5.83 SD=1.93

Intervention group: M=7.73 SD=2.45

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

NSSE Group En-gagement

Baseline Group Intervention Group

+Social Engagement

Does mentorship positively influence student engagement in terms of social interactions?

Mentored students reported higher levels of social engagement as compared to non-mentored students. t=3.31(120), p<.001, Cohen’s d= .60; η

2=.08

Baseline group: M=7.55 SD=2.56

Intervention group: M=9.02 SD=2.206.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

NSSE Social En-gagement

Baseline Group Intervention Group

+Academic Performance

Did the mentorship program positively impact student academic performance?

There was a significant interaction between the course type and evaluation type. F=52.85(2), p<.001;η 2=.18

There were no differences between the mentored and non-mentored classes in midterm achievement.

There was a significant difference between the mentored class and non-mentored classes on the final exam. F=42.33[1], p<.001;η 2=.08

Midterm Final56

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

Academic Performance

201120132012 (Mentor)

Mean G

rade

+

Mentorship Feedback

Student Feedback on Mentorship Components

Results

+

Qualitative Data and Follow-up

After the course, positive qualitative themes resulted in further quantitative inquiry.

Participants were asked questions based on these themes and descriptive characteristics were computed as a follow-up.

+Breakout Interactions

Undecided6%

Disagree18%

Agree76%

Breakout sessions allowed me to learn from my peers.

Undecided4%

Disagree14%

Agree82%

Breakout sessions helped me better consider the

views of others.

+Breakout Interactions

Undecided14%

Disagree12%

Agree74%

Breakout sessions allowed me to share ideas.

Undecided18%

Disagree8%

Agree75%

Breakout sessions created a positive work environ-

ment.

+Conclusion

Mentorship and performance Positively impacted student performance

Mentorship Engagement Increased social and group engagement

Breakout Sessions Perspective taking Autonomy, competence development, and social support

+

Mentorship in Action

Experiences, examples and YOU!

In Practice

+Student perspective on being in a course with mentors Benefits of breakout sessions

Small interactive learning environment Welcoming Non-threatening Increases a sense of community in a large class

Facilitates group discussion and peer interaction Active and interactive learning Increases individual accountability for course content

Makes a large class seem small Reduces intimidation factors

Lecture intimidating place to speak out Professors can seem intimidating Students feel known

+Mentors

Adaptation New role New environment The ever-changing group climate

Reaching for new limits Thinking outside of the box Working outside of personal comfort zones Problem solving Working past personal doubts/insecurities

Learning to embody Leadership

+Breakout Sessions Mentors

Attend each lecture Prepare a structured session focusing on current material Conduct Breakout sessions Facilitate group assignments

The Group 10-12 Mentees per Mentor Break away from the class and work in the small group Exchange contact information Act as a resource and support to one another

The Environment Collaborative Low pressure Intended to facilitate learning Safe space to ask questions and make mistakes

+How Can This Model Work For You? Outline for how to develop a breakout session

(aka your take-away)

Turn and Teach

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!!!!

+References

Dutton, C. (2003). Mentoring the contexualization of learning-mentor, protégé, and organizational gain in higher education. Education and Training, 45(1) 22-29.

Gannon, J.M., & Maher, A. (2012). Developing tomorrow’s talent: The case of an undergraduate mentoring programme. Education and Training, 54(6) 440-455.

Lahman, M.P. (1999, November). To what extent does a peer mentoring program aid in student retention? Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.

Shea, Gordon F. (Ed.). (1997). Mentoring. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications.

Smith, T. (Ed.). (2013). Undergraduate curricular peer mentoring programs: Perspectives on innovation by faculty, staff, and students. Plymouth, UK: Lexington Books.

Siamack. S.,Davis, W.J., & Root, P.S. (2014).Developmental relationship programs: An empirical study of the impact of peer-mentoring programs. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 7(1), 31-38.

Tremblay , P.F., & Rodger, S,. (2003). The effects of a peer mentoring program on academic success among first year university students. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 33 (3), 1-17.

Woodd , M. (1997). Mentoring in further and higher education: Learning from the literature. Education and Training, 39(8-9) 333-343.

Wright, K.S. (1992). From the odyssey to the university: What is this thing called mentoring? Association for Communication Administration Bulletin, 79, 42-53.

+ Questions