What Teaching Teaches: Mentoring and the Performance Gains of Mentors

Abstract

A peer mentoring program was added to an introductory chemistry course at a large university. The introductory chemistry course prepares students with little or no previous chemistry background to enter the main-stream general chemistry sequence and is part lecture and part small-group problem-solving. Faculty instructors are responsible for the lecture while peer mentors handle the group problem-solving portion. Peer mentors, recruited from previous introductory chemistry course, are chosen for their knowledge of the material and their helpfulness in group activities. While a number of studies on peer mentoring have reported the benefits to the mentored students, the present study looks at the benefits to the mentors. Grade enhancement in the mainstream general chemistry sequence, withdrawal rates, and number of additional chemistry courses taken by the mentors have been compared to under-prepared students who took the introductory chemistry course but did not serve as mentors and well-prepared students who did not need the introductory chemistry course. Our results show that mentors earned higher grades, withdrew from chemistry courses at a lower rate, and took more courses in chemistry than their counterparts. The enhanced achievement and retention of the mentors in chemistry suggests that programs that encourage under-prepared students to mentor are worthwhile endeavors.

Mentoring Undergraduate Students

“…The reviewed research extends prior knowledge regarding potential benefits of mentoring for both the protégé (student) and mentor (Amaral & Vala, 2009;Campbell, Smith, Dugan, & Komives, 2012), sensemaking of the mentoring relationship and associated experiences (Griffin, 2013;Luna & Prieto, 2009), and mentoring as related to civic outcomes such as social responsibility and socially responsive leadership (Haddock et al, 2013). Qualitative findings also add to knowledge regarding the mentee and mentor matching process, students' and mentors' expectations for mentoring relationships, and what mentoring looks like in the context of particular disciplines and programs.…”

“…For example, research by Amaral and Vala (2009) suggested that peer mentors may directly benefit from mentoring. The researchers found that peer mentors earned higher grades and enrolled in more courses compared to students who had not participated as peer mentors.…”

Investigation of the Effect of Peer-Led Team Learning Model on University Students’ Exam Achievement in General Chemistry

“…According to Amaral and Vala (2009), who perform the PLTL model in the first year general chemistry course at the undergraduate level, examine the effects of the model on mentor students' (peer leaders) successes and their retention. The performances of students who attend and do not attend the mentoring program (training) were compared.…”

“…McCreary, Golde, and Koeske (2006) implement PLTL model in the laboratory of the general chemistry course with experimental and control groups and examine the impact of the model. Both from the content analysis of students' written exam responses and other qualitative data, they conclude that students in PLTL workshops have a higher performance than the other groups.According to Amaral and Vala (2009), who perform the PLTL model in the first year general chemistry course at the undergraduate level, examine the effects of the model on mentor students' (peer leaders) successes and their retention. The performances of students who attend and do not attend the mentoring program (training) were compared.…”

Strengthening STEM performance and persistence : influence of undergraduate teaching assistants on entry-level STEM students.

“…Over time, and with effective assistance of a more experienced member of the community (e.g., a UTA), they will develop an increasing sense of identity as a master practitioner (Lave & Wenger, 1991 These three theories connect a) the skills needed from the UTA to assist their less experienced peers in learning, b) the relationship between UTA and student that can help acculturate the student into the community of practice, and c) the students' need for an effective proxy to predict success in a course of study. (Amaral & Vala, 2009;Gosser & Roth, 1998;House & Wohlt, 1990;Hug, Thiry, & Tedford, 2011;Lewis, 2011 (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998) and problem-solving groups, questioning strategies, metacognitive activities, and formative assessment approaches that inform future instruction. One of the CHEM 201 professors also participated in the learning strategies instruction, presenting some topics and listening in on UTA small group conversations.…”