Peer Mentoring: Benefits to First-Time College Students and Their Peer Mentors

Abstract

The experiences of first-year, first-time college students are impacted by a variety of challenges that pose a threat to student success and retention. One intervention universities are implementing to address these challenges are peer mentorship programs. While the benefits to first-time students of peer mentorship programs are well-researched, there is a lack of research on the benefits for mentors themselves. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived and demonstrable benefits for peer mentors working within a first-year seminar. This mixed-methods study assessed both first-time student achievement outcomes (i.e., N = 7,154) as well as the professional and personal development benefits of peer mentors (n = 52). Results showed first-time students who participated in the peer mentor program had significantly higher student achievement and peer mentors themselves had increased academic self-efficacy, improved communication, leadership, and interpersonal presence, and strengthened social and professional networks.

Implementation of Learning Leadership, School Principal Supervisor, and Teacher Performance on Students’ Learning Outcomes

“…Many factors influence the success of leadership, as quoted from Usman (2007) and Dixon et al (2023) state that many factors influence the success of a leader, one of which is organizational culture. Although transactional and authoritarian leadership can affect teacher performance, transformational and authentic leadership does not, according to Purwanto et al (2020) in Tangerang.…”