Experiences of Mentors Training Underrepresented Undergraduates in the Research Laboratory

Prunuske, Amy; Wilson, Janelle L.; Walls, Melissa L.; Clarke, Benjamin L.

doi:10.1187/cbe.13-02-0043

Cited by 68 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Indeed, implementation of a recent adaptation of Entering Mentoring developed for the mentors of early career clinical and translational researchers significantly increased mentors’ self-reported mentor competency ratings and also significantly increased their mentees’ rating of mentor effectiveness (Pfund et al, 2013; Pfund et al, 2014). Importantly, Entering Mentoring includes diversity and inclusion considerations which is especially important given that White research mentors working with underrepresented racial/minority undergraduates may view their mentoring relationships as unaffected by cultural diversity (Prunuske, Wilson, Walls & Clark, 2013). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships

Byars‐Winston¹,

Branchaw

Pfund

et al. 2015

International Journal of Science Education

119

113

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Few studies have empirically investigated the specific factors in mentoring relationships between undergraduate researchers (mentees) and their mentors in the biological and life sciences that account for mentees’ positive academic and career outcomes. Using archival evaluation data from more than 400 mentees gathered over a multi-year period (2005–11) from several undergraduate biology research programs at a large, Midwestern research university, we validated existing evaluation measures of the mentored research experience and the mentor-mentee relationship. We used a subset of data from mentees (77% underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities) to test a hypothesized social cognitive career theory model of associations between mentees’ academic outcomes and perceptions of their research mentoring relationships. Results from path analysis indicate that perceived mentor effectiveness indirectly predicted post-baccalaureate outcomes via research self-efficacy beliefs. Findings are discussed with implications for developing new and refining existing tools to measure this impact, programmatic interventions to increase the success of culturally diverse research mentees and future directions for research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships

Byars‐Winston¹,

Branchaw

Pfund

et al. 2015

International Journal of Science Education

119

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Additionally, mentors need to provide professional socialization and emotional support so that students can integrate their ideas about their scientific identity with the setbacks and confusions they encounter in their interactions with the members of the lab. One study shows that mentors can challenge students to become aware of the tension between their own cultural norms and those of the scientific community (35). Other investigations found that students who feel supported by faculty are more likely to go to graduate school (22), that frequency of meetings with faculty mentors correlates with student confidence to perform science practices or pursue a research career (36), and that students who lack interactions with mentors and fail to get direction for research projects are likely to change career plans away from science (37).…”

Section: Mentoring Participantsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities

Linn

Palmer

Baranger

et al. 2015

Science

604

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Most undergraduates give high ratings to research experiences. Studies report that these experiences improve participation and persistence, often by strengthening students' views of themselves as scientists. Yet, the evidence for these claims is weak. More than half the 60 studies reviewed rely on self-report surveys or interviews. Rather than introducing new images of science, research experiences may reinforce flawed images especially of research practices and conceptual understanding. The most convincing studies show benefits for mentoring and for communicating the nature of science, but the ideas that students learn are often isolated or fragmented rather than integrated and coherent. Rigorous research is needed to identify ways to design research experiences so that they promote integrated understanding. These studies need powerful and generalizable assessments that can document student progress, help distinguish effective and ineffective aspects of the experiences, and illustrate how students interpret the research experiences they encounter. To create research experiences that meet the needs of interested students and make effective use of scarce resources, we encourage systematic, iterative studies with multiple indicators of success.

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“…Byars-Winston et al [25] found that URM students were more likely than their predominantly White mentors to endorse that cultural diversity matters should be addressed in the research mentoring relationship [37]. Prunuske et al [40] found that mentors of URM mentees tended to espouse colorblind attitudes and the notion that cultural diversity is irrelevant to the research mentoring relationship [40]. Does it matter to the effectiveness of the mentoring relationship if the mentor and mentee are aligned in their views on addressing cultural diversity issues?…”

Section: The Need To Study Mentoring Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Attributes and Metrics of Effective Research Mentoring Relationships

et al. 2016

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Despite evidence of mentoring’s importance in training researchers, studies to date have not yet determined which mentoring relationships have the most impact and what specific factors in those mentoring relationships contribute to key outcomes, such as the commitment to and persistence in research career paths for emerging researchers from diverse populations. Efforts to broaden participation and persistence in biomedical research careers require an understanding of why and how mentoring relationships work and their impact, not only to research training but also to promoting career advancement. This paper proposes core attributes of effective mentoring relationships, as supported by the literature and suggested by theoretical models of academic persistence. In addition, both existing and developing metrics for measuring the effectiveness of these attributes within mentoring relationships across diverse groups are presented, as well as preliminary data on these metrics from the authors’ work.

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Experiences of Mentors Training Underrepresented Undergraduates in the Research Laboratory

Cited by 68 publications

References 23 publications

Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships

Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships

Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities

Defining Attributes and Metrics of Effective Research Mentoring Relationships

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