First-year students and their mentors' experiences of social intergation in a peer mentor programme
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Date
2018
Authors
Malan, Zanete
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: This research study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of social integration in a
peer mentor programme. A significant amount of existing evidence suggests that students need
to be provided with the required support to persist at higher education institutions. One of these
support structures is peer mentoring. Peer mentoring relationships at higher education
institutions have a significant effect on first-year students’ academic performance, sense of
belonging, and commitment towards their studies. Feuerstein states that in his theory of
mediated learning experience, intentional interactions between mentors and mentees can assist
to shape the mentees’ cognitive growth, control of behaviour, goal achieving behaviour, and
optimistic attitude towards challenges and problems. In a peer mentor programme at the
University of the Free State, senior undergraduate students are assigned to small groups of firstyear
students in their campus residences and present a structured peer mentor programme to
them during a year. A qualitative study was conducted to explore the experiences of these
students. A purposive sampling method was employed to select students who were mentors
and mentees in the peer mentor programme to participate in the research study. Focus group
discussions that were semi-structured in nature were held with these participants, and the
recordings of the discussions were transcribed for analysis. The transcriptions of the data were
analysed by making use of thematic analysis. From this analysis, four main themes were
identified from the data, namely (1) focus of the mentor-mentee relationship, (2) type of mentor
roles, (3) factors influencing the mentor-mentee relationship, and (4) value of the mentormentee
relationship. These themes were discussed in depth for both the mentors and the
mentees. These findings indicate how the intervention of a peer mentor programme can
increase the amount of belonging students experience towards their campus community.
Recommendations for amendments to the peer mentor programme and suggestions for future
studies are also discussed.
Description
Keywords
Mediated learning experience, Peer mentoring, Social integration, Dissertation (M.A. (Psychology))--Universirty of the Free State, 2018