Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Student success, access to higher education and accountability are concerns of universities and
communities worldwide. Universities are now implementing interventions such as mentor
programmes, Supplemental Instruction and resident advisors in order to keep abreast of a
changing higher education environment, and to provide broader access and support for a wider
range of students. The Stellenbosch University Student Mentor Programme (SMP) was designed
and implemented in 2003 as an intervention to address some of the problems encountered by
first-year students at the institution. The monitoring and realising of the outcomes of the
programme necessitated a comprehensive evaluation.
The discussion of various theoretical paradigms forms a backdrop against which the multiple
meanings of the concept of mentoring and its many practices can be understood. It is
emphasised that there is no meta-narrative or grand structure that fulfils all the purposes and
objectives of mentoring. The most obvious theories in the mentoring process are played out in
the functionalist and the radical humanist paradigms, with the constructivists as an important
catalyst in the realising of certain processes, procedures and actions. No single study has yet
offered a full analysis of mentor programmes in the various paradigms, and the analysis that I
present is likewise not a “final answer”, only a pliable structure to enhance the understanding of
the underlying social theories as they utilise mentoring.
An evaluation study on the SMP was conducted during 2005. Questionnaires and interviews were
used to establish the effectiveness of programme delivery and the resulting levels of satisfaction.
The evaluation was conducted with both programme monitoring and programme outcomes in
mind. The programme is highly structured and managed according to the key categories of a
logic model, which also provides the relevant delivery and evaluative steps. The programme has
two target groups, namely the mentors (senior students) and the mentees (mainly first-year
students), organised into small groups, each with a peer mentor.
The monitoring and evaluation of the SMP highlights the benefits of group interaction among
students, and shows the positive academic as well as psychosocial outcomes for students who
attend the mentor sessions regularly. The short-term outcomes give an indication not only of the
positive academic effects of the programme, but also of student experience and performance. As
seen in the current study, the group in a mentoring situation fulfils an important developmental,
synergistic role. Although the main aim of the design, implementation and evaluation of the SMP
was to address the high dropout and failure rates of first-year students, many other advantages
became apparent, and the outcomes of the programme indicate a positive effect on more than
one terrain, such as unexpected growth and development for the mentors. The success of the
programme can be seen as an important value-adding strategy to the university’s teaching and
learning environment, as well as a cost-effective intervention to retain students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wêreldwyd het studente-sukses, toegang tot hoër onderrig en aanspreeklikheid van universiteite
in gemeenskappe belangrik geword. Ten einde te voldoen aan die eise van ’n veranderende
opvoedingsomgewing, het universiteite begin om intervensies soos mentorprogramme,
addisionele onderrig en raadgewing te implementeer om oor ’n breë front ondersteuning aan
studente te bied. Die Universiteit van Stellenbosch se Studente-mentorprogram (SMP) is in 2003
ontwerp en geïmplementeer om van die probleme wat eerstejaars ervaar aan te spreek. Die
monitering van die program met die gepaardgaande uitkomste het ’n omvattende evaluering
daarvan genoodsaak.
Die bespreking van verskeie teoretiese paradigmas vorm die agtergrond waarteen die
meervoudige betekenis van die konsep mentorskap en die vele toepassings daarvan verstaan
kan word. Dit word benadruk dat daar nie ’n metanarratief of grootse struktuur bestaan wat al die
doelstellinge en kontekste van mentorskap omvat nie. Die mees ooglopende teorieë waarin
mentorskap pas, is die funksionalistiese en die radikale humanistiese paradigmas, met die
konstruktivisme as belangrike katalis wat die prosesse, prosedures en aksies betref. Die huidige
bepreking daarvan is ook nie ’n poging om ’n finale antwoord oor die “plek” van mentorskap in
sosiale teorie te verskaf nie, maar is bloot die daarstel van ’n plooibare struktuur waarin hierdie
aksies kan plaasvind.
Die evaluering van die Studente-mentorprogram het gedurende 2005 plaasgevind. Vraelyste en
onderhoude is gebruik om die effektiwiteit van die program te bepaal ten opsigte van beide
operasionalisering en uitkomste. Die program is hoogs gestruktureerd, en word bestuur aan die
hand van die stappe uiteengesit in ’n logiese model. Die logiese model dien ook as die
evalueringsraamwerk. Daar is twee teikengroepe in die program, naamlik die mentors (senior
studente) en die mentees (hoofsaaklik eerstejaars), georganiseer in klein groepe elk met ’n
portuurmentor.
Die monitering en evaluering van die SMP toon duidelik die voordele van groep-interaksie tussen
studente, met beduidende positiewe akademiese en psigososiale resultate vir diegene wat die
groepsessies gereeld bywoon. Die korttermyn-uitkomste dui nie slegs op die positiewe
akademiese effek van die program nie, maar ook op positiewe studente-ervaring en –prestasie.
Dit blyk duidelik dat die groep in die mentorsituasie ’n belangrike ontwikkelende en sinergistiese
rol vervul. Hoewel die hoofdoel van die ontwerp, implementering en evaluering van die program
die aanspreek van die hoë druip- en uitvalsyfers onder eerstejaars was, het dit baie ander
positiewe uitkomste op vele vlakke gehad, byvoorbeeld die ontwikkeling van die mentors self.
Die sukses van die program kan gesien word as ’n strategie van waarde-toevoeging tot die
universiteit se leer-en onderrigomgewing, sowel as ’n koste-effektiewe intervensie om studente in
hoër onderrig te behou.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19639 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Loots, Anna G. J. (Anna Gertruida Johanna) |
| Contributors | Mouton J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 253 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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