The role of a peer mentoring program in the adjustment of first-year university students.
| dc.contributor.advisor | Fourie-Malherbe, Magda | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | McConney, Angelique | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Curriculum Studies. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-02-21T15:59:53Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-04-17T08:04:31Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-02-21T03:00:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-03 | |
| dc.description | Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | 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. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dubbele uitdaging van toegang en sukses het, in ‘n poging om swak sukseskoerse van studente aan te spreek, ondersteuningsinisiatiewe wêreldwyd op die agenda van hoër onderwysinstellings (HOIs) geplaas. In Suid-Afrika (SA) word die behoefte aan effektiewe ondersteuningsintiatiewe tans ge-eskaleer deur die ontwikkelings- en transformasierol wat hoër onderwys in 'n post-apartheid SA moet speel. Portuur-mentorskapprogramme het, as 'n middel om die behoud en aanpassing van eerstejaarstudente te verbeter, 'n sentrale deel van die ondersteuning vir eerstejaarstudente geword. Evalueringstudies oor die uitkomste van portuur-mentorskapprogramme is egter steeds beperk. Die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) bied 'n innoverende portuur-mentorskapprogram aan, genaamd die Be Well Portuur-mentorprogram. Hoewel die program reeds vyf jaar operasioneel is, is daar nie sistematiese wetenskaplike navorsing oor die programuitkomste gedoen nie. Tinto (2012) beklemtoon die belangrikheid van terugvoer oor die effektiwiteit van programme om studentesukses te fasiliteer. Dit is om hierdie rede dat dié studie oor die uitkomste van die Be Well Portuur- mentorprogram by die US gedoen is. Hierdie studie het spesifiek gefokus op een van die beoogde uitkomste van die program, naamlik die aanpassing van deelnemende eerstejaarstudente. Die volgende navorsingsvraag het die studie gelei: Watter verskil, indien enige, het die portuur-mentorskapprogram van die Universiteit Stellenbosch gemaak ten opsigte van die aanpassing van nuwelingeerstejaarstudente? 'n Verklarende opeenvolgende gemengde-metode ontwerp is gebruik. Gedurende die eerste fase is kwantitatiewe data versamel deur ʼn kwasi-eksperimentele ontwerp, met gebruik van die Studente Aanpassing-tot- Kollege Vraelys. Fokusgroepbesprekings is gedurende die tweede fase van die data- insamelingsproses gehou. Resultate van die kwasi-eksperiment het nie 'n statisties beduidende verskil in die aanpassing van die eksperimentele en kontrolegroepe gedurende die na-toets getoon nie. Die studie het egter getoon dat die aanpassing van die eksperimentele groep in die na-toets verbeter het, terwyl die aanpassing van die kontrolegroep afgeneem het. Die fokusgroepbesprekings het waardevolle insigte gelewer ten opsigte van die gebrek aan statistiese beduidendheid wat in die kwasi-eksperiment gevind is. Die fokusgroepbesprekings het die belangrikheid van die intensiteit van die portuur-mentorskap onderstreep, aangesien dit die uitkomste beïnvloed het. Faktore wat die intensiteit van die portuur- mentorskap beïnvloed het is ook geidentifiseer, naamlik: hoe individuele mentors die program met eerstejaarstudente implementeer, mentoreienskappe, die aard van die verhouding met mentees, die aard van die interaksie met mentees, die tyd wat in mentorskap belê word asook die beweegredes vir aanvaarding van die mentorskaprol. Wanneer portuur-mentorskap intens was, het eerstejaarstudente meer voordele gerapporteer, terwyl minder intense portuur-mentorskap minder voordelig was vir deelnemende studente. In die lig van die betekenisvolle rol wat die mentors in die uitkomste van die program gespeel het, stel die studie 'n model vir portuur-mentorskap, wat gebaseer is op die bevindinge, voor om die US te help met die verbetering van die toekomstige implementering van die program. Hierdie voorgestelde model identifiseer, onder andere, die eienskappe van 'n goeie mentor wat waarskynlik intensiewe portuur- mentorskap aan eerstejaarstudente sal bied. Die studie het bygedra tot die bron van inligting oor portuur-mentorprogramme, sowel op praktiese as teoretiese vlak. Die studie bied aanbevelings vir US t.o.v. die toekomstige implementering van die program. Die voorgestelde model vir portuur-mentorskap bied ook riglyne spesifiek vir toekomstige keuringspraktyke, asook keuringskriteria vir portuur-mentors. Die studie bied ook riglyne met betrekking tot portuur-mentorskap vir ander HOIs. Die bevindinge van die studie beklemtoon verder die belangrikheid van implementering en monitering van portuur-mentorskapprogramme wêreldwyd. Op 'n teoretiese vlak het die studie die gaping in die literatuur wat wetenskaplike ondersoek oor portuur-mentorskapprogramme betref, aangespreek. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Doctoral | |
| dc.embargo.terms | 2021-02-21 | |
| dc.format.extent | xviii, 302 pages | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105608 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Peer mentoring (Peer teaching) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Peer counseling of students | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Academic adjustment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Student adjustment | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | College freshmen | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | The role of a peer mentoring program in the adjustment of first-year university students. | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |