Introduction
Mentorship programs aim to connect youth with caring individuals who can offer guidance, support, and encouragement as they grow and develop. In schools, research suggests mentorship can help students build academic skills and social-emotional competencies while reducing risky behaviors. This paper details the process of implementing a pilot mentorship program at a local high school to examine potential impacts on students’ academic motivation, self-esteem, and absenteeism.
Methods
Program Design
The mentorship program was designed around best practices from existing research. Mentors were recruited through an information session explaining program goals of fostering positive relationships to support students’ well-being and academic progress. Volunteer mentors had to pass background checks and attend an orientation training covering their roles/responsibilities, relationship boundaries, youth development, and active listening skills.
Students eligible to participate had fewer than 10 absences the prior semester and teacher recommendations for those who could benefit from additional guidance. Interested students provided assent and their guardians provided consent. Matches were made considering students’ and mentors’ interests and availability. Mentor-student meetings occurred weekly during a study period for 30-60 minutes over the course of 12 weeks with mentors given a curriculum of icebreaker activities, goal-setting exercises, and discussion topics. Program staff supported matches and were available to address any issues.
Participants
The target population was the student body of approximately 600 students across grades 9-12 at a public rural high school. A total of 30 mentor-student pairs participated which fell within the recommended ratio of 1 mentor per 10 students according to best practices. Mentors (n=15) were school staff, community members, and parents aged 25-60 years old. Student participants (n=30) represented grades 9-12, were evenly split between male and female identifying students, and included a range of academic achievement levels.
Data Collection and Measures
Students completed pre- and post-program surveys via paper and pencil assessing academic motivation, self-esteem, perceptions of school climate, and their relationship with their assigned mentor. Motivation was measured using adapted subscales from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire assessing intrinsic goal orientation, extrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of learning beliefs, self-efficacy for learning and performance. Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. School climate perceptions were gathered through Likert-scale items focused on feeling safe, respected by peers/staff, engaged in class, and school being welcoming/inclusive. Open-ended questions also invited students to share their perspectives.
Academic outcomes of GPA, credits earned, and absences were retrieved from school records for the semester before and during the program. Student and mentor focus groups were conducted post-program by an external evaluator to gather in-depth feedback on experiences, perceived benefits or challenges, and suggestions. Program implementation process and challenges were documented through notes from staff meetings.
Data Analysis
Quantitative survey data and academic outcomes were analyzed through descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests to detect changes from pre- to post-program. Focus group discussions were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded for emergent themes to understand participants’ experiences in their own words. Document review of staff meeting notes aided understanding of program context and fidelity of implementation. Results of quantitative and qualitative analyses were triangulated to understand impact of the pilot mentorship program from multiple perspectives.