Undergraduate Mentorship

This week, I spoke with several faculty on the topic of mentoring and undergraduate research, so I was thrilled to find an article that addressed both topics. The 2016 article, entitled Empirical study: Mentorship as a value proposition” was written by Sams et al, who used a triangulation inquiry methodology to assess undergraduate research mentorship pedagogy across multiple disciplines.

The author’s address the impact of third space undergraduate research mentoring relationships on students’ future successes. The mentoring third space is the location where the mentee and mentor become partners and where the integration of knowledge moves the undergraduate into the community of practice. The study connects the learning theories of Zone of Proximal Development and Self-efficacy to scaffold the theoretical framework.

This mixed-methods study investigated mentees’ perceptions of benefits from (a) engagements in undergraduate research mentorships, (b) perceptions of mentor roles, (c) influences of mentorships on careers and/or graduate school choices, (d) value added to undergraduate degrees, and (e) self-efficacy. Data was collected using a triangulation process that included 1) an in-take survey 2) an exit survey that collected reflective thoughts and self-efficacy, and 3) interviews that collected data on realities and viewpoints of the learning experience.

The findings noted that (1) irrespective of discipline, undergraduate research mentorships is perceived by the mentee to increase his or her self-efficacy; and (2) the third space relationship was key to the increase in self-efficacy. Ultimately, the findings support the added value of the pedagogy in its capacity to optimize marketable aptitudes.