Changes in Mentor Efficacy and Perceptions Following Participation in a Youth Mentoring Program

Abstract

Gresham, ORAlthough mentoring programs are increasing in popularity as a preventative intervention strategy for youth, little is known about the experience from the mentor's perspective. In this study, we describe a longitudinal assessment of 41 mentors, including 13 men and 28 women (M age = 21.93 years, SD = 3.21) working with at-risk youth in a school-based mentoring program. Before starting the program, mentor perceptions, motives, and efficacy were assessed and again after three and six months of mentoring to measure change across time. At the end of the program, mentors evaluated the relationship and rated perceived benefits. Mentors experienced significant changes in perceptions and efficacy across time and changes predicted relationship satisfaction and perceived benefits. Recommendations to support mentors and develop sustainable and satisfying mentoring relationships are provided.

Older male mentors: Outcomes and perspectives of an intergenerational mentoring program for young adult males with intellectual disability

“…Through a series of interviews with mentors involved in a formal mentoring program, mentors reported developing a personal relationship with their mentee . Mentors also reported feeling gratification watching the mentee develop new skills . Acting as a mentor can involve functions such as leadership and role‐modelling, which have been seen to improve emotional well‐being for the mentor .…”

The Lived Experience of Professional Mentorship and Its Implications for School-Based Mentoring Programs

“…A mentor’s self-efficacy has been strongly associated with positive outcomes. Strapp et al (2014), in their longitudinal study of 41 mentors, found that mentors with higher self-efficacy tended to meet more frequently and regularly with their mentees and demonstrated higher degrees of persistence. Beyond their initial possession of significant levels of self-efficacy (Parra, DuBois, Neville, Pugh-Lilly, & Povinelli, 2002), mentor self-efficacy has been demonstrated to have improved according to their perceptions of having received quality training and ongoing, high-quality support (Lakind et al, 2014; Strapp et al, 2014).…”

“…Much of the extant research into SBM indicates that the most significant factor in determining the success or failure of mentoring to promote positive developmental outcomes has been the quality of the mentor. DuBois et al (2002, 2011) suggested that a mentor’s quality corresponds to their expression of a range of attributes which have been strongly correlated to significant outcomes across several studies (Allen & Eby, 2011; Grossman, Chan, Schwartz, & Rhodes, 2012; Kanchewa, Rhodes, Schwartz, & Olsho, 2014; Lakind, Eddy, & Zell, 2014; Strapp et al, 2014). These attributes are as follows: (a) capacity to commit to mentoring relationships, (b) personal characteristics, (c) self-efficacy, and (d) professional status.…”

A series of realist evaluations of multi-component programmes with disengaged young people: What works, for whom, and in what contexts?

“…Such mentor attributes and interpersonal skills have been considered key ingredients of highquality relationships and enables mentees to develop perceptions of emotional safety (Kanchewa et al, 2017). When mentors have prior experience in helping backgrounds, they may enter mentoring relationships with higher levels of selfefficacy, a variable that has been associated with successful mentor-mentee relationships (Dutton, Bullen, & Deane, 2018;Karcher, Nakkula, & Harris, 2005;Keller, 2005;Raposa, Rhodes, & Herrera, 2016;Strapp et al, 2014). For instance, mentors with high self-efficacy have been shown to provide more consistent support and to persevere during challenges with their mentees (Karcher et al, 2005;Parra, DuBois, Neville, Pugh-Lilly, & Povinelli, 2002;Strapp et al, 2014).…”

“…When mentors have prior experience in helping backgrounds, they may enter mentoring relationships with higher levels of selfefficacy, a variable that has been associated with successful mentor-mentee relationships (Dutton, Bullen, & Deane, 2018;Karcher, Nakkula, & Harris, 2005;Keller, 2005;Raposa, Rhodes, & Herrera, 2016;Strapp et al, 2014). For instance, mentors with high self-efficacy have been shown to provide more consistent support and to persevere during challenges with their mentees (Karcher et al, 2005;Parra, DuBois, Neville, Pugh-Lilly, & Povinelli, 2002;Strapp et al, 2014). Comparatively, mentors with low self-efficacy have been shown to give up more easily during challenges with mentees, due to feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated (Hamilton & Hamilton, 1992;Karcher et al, 2005;Strapp et al, 2014).…”