Session Information
99 ERC SES 08 L, Educational Leadership
Paper Session
Contribution
Mentoring is implemented in several educational contexts as a tool for equitable intervention. The presentation focuses on university students who as mentors, participate in a mentor program situated in Hungary, that provides mentoring as an equitable service for mostly rural primary school pupils in Hungary in which pupils of low socioeconomic status (SES) and the largest Hungarian minority, the Roma minority is also overrepresented (Andl et al., 2020) leading people in the area to have intersectional difficulties (Varga, 2017). Mentoring began in the Autumn 2019 with the inclusion of Hungarian universities. All university students are free to join the mentor-training course and after its completion, they can become mentors of pupils aged c. 12-15 (Godó, 2021, Horváth, 2022). Pupils in the program are mostly at-risk youth as they face obstacles due to their SES, and racial prejudices, thus they are in an intersectional position (Varga, 2017). Mentoring aims at the manifestation of career guidance that pupils of low SES generally lack (Bereményi, 2020). Mentoring can be understood as prevention as it is to prevent early-school leaving (Bocsi, Varga & Fehérvári, 2023; Fehérvári & Varga, 2023). The presentation focuses on mentors, who also benefit from joining mentoring programs (Beltman, Herker & Fischer, 2019). Based on the literature, mentors’ success and development are based on various factors, for instance professional background (Berei, 2020), personality (Lakind, Eddy & Zell, 2014), experience in mentoring (Beltman, Herker & Fischer, 2019; Jones & Blankenship, 2020) and psycho-sociological background (Nagy, 2014). In this presentation the latest is given special attention: as primary school pupils’ primary socialization differs from the institutional secondary school socialization sphere; they are thought to undergo bicultural socialization (LaFromboise, Coleman & Gerton, 1993; Nguyen & Benet-Martínez, 2013; Stogianni et al, 2021). Mentors, who are of similar socialization patterns as mentees are expected to be found in the program – even though they are underrepresented at universities (Varga et al., 2021). Thus, inquiring about participating mentors’ SES is essential as it allows us to reveal the benefits of their bicultural selves in the process of mentoring pupils of similar backgrounds. Considering SES as an independent variable, the research aimed to answer the following three research questions. What are mentors’ motivations to join and their expectations about themselves? What do mentors highlight as successes and obstacles in their work? How do mentors evaluate their emotional, social, and professional development? The introduced data collection involved mentors at a Hungarian university (P=180; S=50). The applied questionnaire inquired about mentors’ perceptions and assumptions about mentoring and their success as mentors. Items included in the research have followed the patterns of the process-based model of inclusivity (Varga & Trendl, 2022), respondents have reflected (retrospectively) on their joining to the program (input), their participation (process) and expected outcomes (output). Based on SES data two subsamples have been created: 1) students of similar SES as the pupils (SLowSES=15) and 2) students of higher SES than the other group (SHigherSES=35). Data from the research shows tendencies that are to describe the sample and its subcategories. Socio-economic status influenced mentors’ demands towards their work and the evaluation of their results as mentors. Respondents in both sample groups have set out high expectations towards themselves as mentors that they could not achieve as planned in their mentoring outcomes. Participants of low SES have been more determined than their peers and set even higher mentoring goals. Data show that mentors perceived their participation in the program as beneficial, yet summarized hardships. Results of the research send lessons to learn in mentor training, as they reveal the main advantages and challenges of participation in the program.
Method
The research is based on the analysis of macro-statistical data about mentors at the analysed university. Databases have been provided by the program leader at the university. The analysis included the description of students being involved in the preparatory, mentor-training course and those who joined the mentor program later (the analysis also included analysing tendencies in their drop-out of the program). Mentors’ (and mentor trainees’) mentoring duration (if any), university program/majors and demographic data have been included in the description. The presented research is based on an online questionnaire that consisted of open and closed questions. The introduced data collection involved (alumni) students at a Hungarian university. The research aimed to involve and reach out to all participants in the program who have worked as mentors from Autumn 2019 to Spring 2022. Many late mentors have finished their studies and could be reached only via informal channels, thus snowball-method sampling has been carried out (P=180; S=50). Respondents participated in the research without any compensation and agreed to be involved in the data collection. Participation was anonymous and data collection and storing of respondents’ data followed the ethical guidelines and research norms. Data collection took place in September 2022. The applied research tool, a mixed-method questionnaire consisted of 27 closed-, and open-ended items. Data has been analysed via descriptive statistics; qualitative, open-ended items have been coded via content analysis. Based on the respondents’ socioeconomic status (SES) two groups were created: 1) students of similar SES as the pupils (S*LOWSES=15) and 2) students of higher SES (S*HigherSES*=35). Respondents were also categorised based on their university majors and their connection to mentors’ work (S*STRONG CONNECTION*=27; S*WEAK CONNECTION*=12; S*NO CONNECTION*=11). These subsamples have functioned as the basis of analysis as independent variables. As data on students’ distribution in higher education shows, students of Roma minority and/or low SES are underrepresented in Hungarian higher education, the total estimated number of the two student groups and their overlap are thought not to exceed 1.5% (Varga et al, 2021, p. 74), thus the sample overrepresents students of lower SES.
Expected Outcomes
The process-based model applied allows the description of the sample on three levels that are in harmony with the research aims. Social and economic status influenced mentors’ demands towards their work and the evaluation of their results as mentors. The research has revealed data about the mentors at the analysed university: their motivations to join social responsibility have been highlighted. Bicultural mentors (SLowSES) have set out higher goals than their peers when joining the program, but they could complete these with higher success than monocultural mentors. This tendency can be explained by that bicultural students wish to return and help their communities. The successes and advantages of being a mentor and its hardships have been also evaluated. Evaluation of the mentoring process was also linked to the chosen independent variable. Bicultural mentors have evaluated their emotional, social, and professional development (outcome of being a mentor) as more beneficial than their monocultural peers. Results of the research send lessons to learn in mentor training, as they reveal the main advantages and challenges of participation in the program. The introduced research has limitations. Firstly, repetition of the research at other Hungarian universities could be beneficial for the getting more detailed data. Secondly, some of the findings could not be explained based on the research tool, thus involving qualitative (interview-format) methods could strengthen triangulation of data.
References
Andl H., Arató, F., Orsós, A., & Varga, A. (2021). Így fejlődünk MI - A Tanítsunk Magyarországért! program hatása az egyetemi hallgatókra. Anyanyelv-pedagógia, 14(1), 47-63. DOI: 10.21030/anyp.2021.1.4 Beltman, S., Helker, K. & Fischer, S. (2019). ’I really enjoy it’: Emotional Engagement of University Peer Mentors. International Journal of Emotional Education, 11(2), 50-70. Berei, E. B. (2020). The Social Responsibility among Higher Education Students. Education Sciences, 10(3), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10030066 Bereményi, Á. (2020). Career guidance inequalities in the context of labour shortage. The case of Roma young people in Hungary. Working Paper Series, 2020(5). Central European University Bocsi, V., Varga, A., & Fehérvári, A. (2023). Chances of Early School Leaving—With Special Regard to the Impact of Roma Identity. EDUCATION SCIENCES, 13(5). http://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050483 Fehérvári, A., & Varga, A. (2023). Mentoring as prevention of early school leaving: a qualitative systematic literature review. FRONTIERS IN EDUCATION, 8. http://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1156725 Godó, K. (2021). Big Brother Mentoring in the Let’s Teach for Hungary Program. CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, 3(3), 114–141. http://doi.org/10.37441/cejer/2021/3/3/10158 Horváth, G. (2022) "Mentoring Students of Disadvantaged Background in Hungary — “Let’s Teach for Hungary!” as an Equitable Intervention in the Public School System," Journal of Global Awareness, 3(1), Article 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24073/jga/3/01/06 Jones, I., & Blankenship, D. (2020). Mentoring as seen through the lens of doctoral students. Research in Higher Education Journal, 38. (Letöltve, 2022. 06. 28.) https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/193107.pdf LaFromboise, T., Coleman, H. L. K., & Gerton, J. (1993). ‘Psychological impact of biculturalism: evidence and theory’ Psychology Bulletin, 114(3), 395-412. Nagy T. (2014). A mentor szerepe a tehetséggondozásban. In. Gefferth É. (szerk.) (2014). Mentorálás a tehetséggondozásban, (pp. 41-51). Magyar Tehetségsegítő Szervezetek Szövetsége. Nguyen, A. M. D., & Benet-Martínez, V. (2013). ‘Biculturalism and adjustment: Ametaanalysis’ Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(1), 122-159. Stogianni, M., Bender, M., Sleegers, W. W. A., Benet-Martinez, V., & Nguyen, A. (2021). Sample Characteristics and Country Level Indicators Influencing the Relationship Between Biculturalism and Adjustment: An Updated Meta-Analysis. Varga, A. (2017). Inkluzivitás napjainkban: hátrányos helyzetű, roma/cigány fiatalok életútja. Educatio, 26 (3), 418–430. DOI: 10.1556/2063.26.2017.3.8 Varga, A., Vitéz, K., Orsós, I., Fodor, B., & Horváth, G. (2021). Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education. TRAINING AND PRACTICE, 19 (1-2). 70-81. https://doi.org/10.17165/TP.2021.1-2.7 Varga, A., & Trendl, F. (2022). Roma Youth and Roma Student Societies in the Hungarian Higher Education in the Light of Process-based Model of Inclusion. Autonomy and Responsibility Journal of Educational Sciences, 7(1), 19–36. https://doi.org/10.15170/AR.2022.7.1.2.
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