Research methodology and youth mentoring

Abstract

Mentoring programs for youth have grown tremendously in popularity in recent years and in many important

Qualitative exploration of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care

“…Research to investigate the above-proposed hypotheses should be undertaken using rigorous methodology appropriate to the questions being addressed (DuBois et al, 2006). Initial, exploratory research should be conducted with the aim of informing the development of programmatic and service innovations and assessing both their feasibility and acceptance by youth and other stakeholders.…”

“…Subsequent investigations then could be designed to yield reliable information as to the impact of innovations, both proximally on mentoring relationship quality and duration, and more distally on outcomes of interest for youth in foster care. Ideally, such studies would utilize experimental or rigorous quasi-experimental designs that allow for comparison of outcomes across those youth experiencing targeted practices or services relative to those experiencing care as usual (DuBois et al, 2006). Programmatic research along these lines is likely to prove challenging, especially when considering the limited resources of the child welfare system as well as the instability that characterizes the lives of many youth in foster care.…”

“…The basic exploration of such moderators and mediators of mentoring relationships and positive outcomes for individual populations of youth has been recently identified as an important but understudied area of research (DuBois, Doolittle, Yates, Silverthorn, & Tebes, 2006). The findings of these investigations suggest that a number of differing types of adults serve as important non-parental sources of support for youth in foster care, including those adults who become formally involved with youth through the foster system (Collins et al, 2010; Munson et al, 2010) and that such relationships can offer a wide range of supports consistent with those that have been previously described including the provision of guidance and advice, emotional support, tangible/instrumental support, and serving as a substitute parental figure (Greeson et al, 2010; Munson et al, 2010).…”

Purposes and Approaches of Selected Mentors in School‐based Mentoring: A Collective Case Study

“…Yet, the majority of SBM programs have been deemed unsuccessful due to lack of mentor commitment, insufficient mentor training, and minimal emotional support for mentors (cf. DuBois, Doolittle, Yates, Silverthorn, & Tebes, ; Karcher, ; Karcher & Herrera, ; Kilburg, ; Rhodes & DuBois, ; Spencer, ).…”

“Congratulations, You Have Been Randomized Into the Control Group!(?)”: Issues to Consider When Recruiting Schools for Matched‐Pair Randomized Control Trials of Prevention Programs

“…The matched‐pair element challenges researchers to find pairs of schools that are sufficiently similar and both willing to accept their random assignments. An important concern in any randomized trial is determining when to conduct the randomization during the recruitment process 22 . In the context of an MP‐RCT, this decision may have significant implications for rates of school participation and, in turn, affect issues of internal and external validity and statistical power for reasons described above.…”