An Exploration of Mentoring Native Hawaiian Undergraduates: The Power of Collaborative and Community-Grounded Research Activities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Mentoring Approaches to Enhance Undergraduate Education

Abstract

Based on sociocultural theories, this multiple case study explored ways in which mentoring influenced the learning and development of six Native Hawaiian undergraduates who worked with faculty mentors on research projects. Interviews with mentors and mentees, observations of mentoring activities, and document analysis indicated that providing mentees with hands-on activities to work on individual research projects in a collaborative learning environment fostered mentees’ research mastery and independent critical thinking. Community-grounded research activities that focused on Hawaiʻi and the needs in Hawaiian communities provided opportunities to give back to communities and fostered the mentees’ senses of purpose. Being able to serve communities, while simultaneously bringing forth Hawaiian culture encouraged mentees’ aspirations to pursue graduate education and academic careers.

Author

• Klavdija Zorec, Dublin City University