So Different, yet Almost the Same

1
So Different, yet Almost the Same

• NACADA National Conference
• Indianapolis, U.S.A.
• October, 2006

2
Presenters

• Barbara Niewitecka, Ph.D
• Educational Development Centre
• duck_at_ uwindsor.ca
• Geri Salinitri, Ph.D.
• Faculty Of Education
• sgeri_at_uwindsor.ca

3
Meet the students

• First year students talk about their first
  semester at the University

4
What did they say

• Group I
• Group II

5
What have we heard

• Efficacy
• Locus of control

6
Student efficacy

• Bandura, 2006
• Efficacy links cognitive development to academic
  achievement
• Students beliefs in their efficacy to control
  their learning helps them to succeed academically

7
Self-efficacy beliefs

• Kulik and Kulik, 1992
• Studies showed that low achieving students
  exhibit higher university expectations thus
  raising self-esteem scores
• Higher achieving students experience fear of
  competition and failure which leads to reduced
  self-esteem scores

8
Two mentoring programs

• T.I.M.E.
• Mentoring program for average low achieving
  students
• Mentoring of Outstanding Scholars

9
T.I.M.E. Teachers Interfaculty Mentorship Efforts

• Mentors are teacher candidates
• They receive a semester credit for a course which
  includes theory and practical mentoring
  experience
• Mentoring program is individualized one mentor
  has two mentees from common academic areas
• Mentors actively seek contact with mentees
• Structured mentors hold regular meetings with
  mentees
• Documentation in a form of a journal
• Regular discussions with other mentors and a
  co-ordinator

10
T.I.M.E.

• References
• sgeri_at_uwindsor.ca
• www.uwindsor.ca/mentoring

11
Mentoring of Outstanding Scholars

• Contact with first year students before classes
  start.
• 188 Outstanding Scholars in Fall 2006
• Scholars are invited to participate in a first
  meeting during welcoming events
• 90 attend the first meeting

12
First meeting

• Outline of expectations
• Explanation of a mentoring process
• Academic standards
• Academic projects in senior years

13
Regular meetings

• A Co-ordinator meets monthly with groups of
  scholars from the same academic area
• A Co-ordinator is a contact person for students
  and parents

14
Issues discussed with mentees

• Academic requirements
• Get to know your professors and instructors
• Time management
• Learning styles

15
Issues discussed with mentees

• Personal issues
• Academic failure
• Change of an academic major
• Referrals
• Career plans

16
Success

• In both programs, mentored students outperform
  their non-mentored peers
• Academic standing
• Student engagement in the university

17
Mentoring validated

• Katz, 1999
• High expectations for academic achievement along
  with a caring and supportive presence are
  essential components of an effective mentoring
  relationship

18
Discussion how mentoring may work at your
institution
19
References

• Bandura (2006). Adolescent development from an
  agentic perspective. In Parajes, F. Urdan, T.
  (Eds.). Self-Efficacy beliefs of adolescents.
  Connecticut Information Age Publishing
• Kulik, C. Kulik, J. (1992). Meta-Analytic
  findings of grouping progress. Gifted Children
  Quarterly, 36 (2), 73-77.
• Katz (1999). Teaching in tensions Latino
  immigrant youth, their teachers, and the
  structures of schooling. Teachers College
  Record, 100, 809-840.
• Salinitri, G. (2006). The effects of a formal
  mentoring program on the retention rates of low
  achieving first year students. Canadian Journal
  of Education, 28(4) 853-873.

20
Thank you for your participationBarbara and Geri