Pathways of influence in school-based mentoring: The mediating role of parent and teacher relationships

Abstract

This study explores the pathways through which school-based mentoring relationships are associated with improvements in elementary and high school students’ socio-emotional, academic, and behavioral outcomes. Participants in the study (N=526) were part of a national evaluation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring programs, all of whom had been randomly assigned to receive mentoring at their schools over the course of one academic year. Students were assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. The results of structural equation modeling showed that mentoring relationship quality, as measured by the Youth-Centered Relationship scale and the Youth’s Emotional Engagement scale, was significantly associated with positive changes in youths’ relationships with parents and teachers, as measured by subscales of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, the Teacher Relationship Quality scale, and the Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness. Higher quality relationships with parents and teachers, in turn, were significantly associated with better youth outcomes, including self-esteem, academic attitudes, prosocial behaviors, and misconduct. The effect sizes of the associations ranged from 0.12 to 0.52. Mediation analysis found that mentoring relationship quality was indirectly associated with some of the outcomes through its association with improved parent and teacher relationships. Implications of the findings for theory and research are discussed.

Child and Family Predictors of Child-Teacher Relationship Trajectories during the Transition from Preschool to School

“…These findings add further evidence corroborating previous research [5], [7], [13], [24]. Whilst factors indicative of socioeconomic disadvantage were more common for children in the moderate/declining trajectory, these factors tended to only significantly influence trajectory outcomes when considered alone -once other factors such as parenting and child skills were adjusted for, their effects frequently disappeared.…”

“…Children with more prosocial behavior skills have also been found to experience better quality relationships with teachers, including more closeness and less conflict [7], [13]. Of all factors previously examined, there is the most substantial evidence implicating early mental health problems as influential on children"s quality of relationships with teachers.…”

Programas de mentoria e promoção do desenvolvimento positivo de adolescentes

“…Através do suporte consistente ao longo do tempo, os mentores podem desafiar visões negativas que os jovens possam ter de si próprios e dos outros e demonstrar que o estabelecimento de relações positivas com adultos é possível. Neste sentido, a relação com o mentor pode constituir uma experiência emocional adaptativa e saudável que se pode generalizar a outras relações sociais, melhorando as competências interpessoais no dia-adia (Chan et al, 2013;Rhodes, 2002Rhodes, , 2005. A investigação tem fornecido evidência em suporte destes processos, verificando-se melhorias nas perceções dos adolescentes acerca das relações com os seus pares e adultos significativos (e.g., com os pais) ao nível da intimidade, comunicação e confiança experienciadas (Chan et al, 2013;DuBois et al, 2002).…”

“…Em ambos os contextos, verifica-se um aumento da prevalência dos programas; contudo, a aplicação nas escolas tem conhecido um crescimento mais significativo do que nas comunidades, constituindo cerca de 70% dos programas de mentoria nos Estados Unidos da América (Chan et al, 2013;Herrera et al, 2011).…”

“…Têm sido observadas melhorias ao nível do desempenho académico (Herrera et al, 2011;King et al, 2002), autoeficácia percebida (Herrera et al, 2011), atitudes em relação à escola (King et al, 2002), melhorias na autoestima e nas relações com os pares e adultos significativos, como pais e professores (Chan et al, 2013;King et al, 2002). Tendo em conta a evidência crescente da eficácia da aplicação dos programas em contexto escolar ao nível da promoção de competências académicas e pessoais, observa-se nos últimos anos a integração de formatos alternativos, com destaque do conceito de mentoria por pares.…”