Department of Curriculum Studies

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Browsing Department of Curriculum Studies by Subject "Academic adjustment"

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    The role of a peer mentoring program in the adjustment of first-year university students.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-03) McConney, Angelique; Fourie-Malherbe, Magda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The dual challenge of access and success has put support initiatives high on the agenda of higher education institutions (HEIs) globally, as they are attempting to address poor success rates of students. In South Africa (SA), the need for effective support initiatives is escalated by the current developmental and transformation role that higher education (HE) is required to play in a post- apartheid SA. Peer mentoring programs have become a central part of the support offered to first- year students, as a means of improving retention and adjustment of first-year students. Evaluative studies on the outcomes of peer mentoring programs are, however, still limited. Stellenbosch University (SU) has introduced an innovative peer mentoring program called the Be Well Peer Mentoring Program. While the program has been operational for five years, no systematic scientific research has been done on the program outcomes. Tinto (2012) underscores the importance of gaining feedback on the effectiveness of programs in facilitating student success. It is for that reason that this study on the outcomes of the Be Well Peer Mentoring Program at SU was done. The study specifically focussed on one of the intended outcomes of the program, namely the adjustment of participating first-year students. The following research question guided the study: What difference, if any, has the peer mentoring program at Stellenbosch University made in terms of the adjustment of first time entering first-year students? An explanatory sequential mixed-method design was used. During the first phase, quantitative data was collected in a quasi-experiment. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was used as measurement instrument. Focus group discussions were conducted during the second phase of the data collection process. Results of the quasi-experiment did not show a statistically significant difference in the adjustment of the experimental and control groups during the post-test. The study did, however, observe that the adjustment of the experimental group increased in the post-test, while the adjustment of the control group declined. The focus group discussions yielded valuable insights on the lack of statistical significance found in the quasi-experiment. The focus group discussions underlined the importance of the intensity of peer mentoring received as this had an influence on program outcomes. The following factors contributed to the intensity of peer mentoring: how individual mentors implemented the program with first-year students, mentor attributes, the nature of the relationship formed with mentees, the nature of interaction with mentees, time invested in mentoring, and reasons for mentoring. When peer mentoring was intense, first-year students reported more benefits, while less intense peer mentoring was less beneficial to participating students. In light of the significant role that the mentors played in the outcomes of the program, the study proposes a model for peer mentoring, that is based on the findings, to assist SU with future implementation of the program. This proposed model identifies, amongst other things, the attributes of a good mentor that is likely to offer intense peer mentoring to first-year mentees. The study contributed to the body of knowledge on peer mentoring programs both at a practical and a theoretical level. For SU, the study offered recommendations to improve future implementation of the program. The proposed model for peer mentoring specifically offers guidelines for future selection practices. This proposed model for peer mentoring also suggests guidelines on selection criteria for peer mentors. The study also offers some guidance to other HEIs on the process of peer mentoring itself. The findings of the study further underscore the importance of monitoring the implementation of peer mentoring programs. At a theoretical level, the study addresses the gap in the literature on scientific inquiry into peer mentoring programs.