Does the Effect of a Formal Mentoring Intervention on Youth Academic Functioning Vary Cross-Culturally?

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Youth mentoring programs are a popular intervention for at-risk youth (Bruce & Bridgeland, 2014). Mentoring can have small, but significant effects on youth academic outcomes (DuBois et al., 2011). In particular, school-based mentoring programs are increasingly common, and can lead to mentored youth showing better attitudes toward school and a greater likelihood of pursuing higher education (Herrera & DuBois, 2013). However, most existing research on mentoring interventions has been conducted with programs in western, English-speaking countries (Preston et al., 2019). Little research has examined the effect of mentoring programs on youth outcomes cross-culturally, despite substantial cross-cultural variation in school systems and attitudes toward school engagement (Stiles et al., 2015). The present study addresses these gaps in the literature by examining the influence of youth-mentor relationships on youth academic outcomes in two large samples of randomized pairs utilizing college student mentors to support youth academic success at sites across the United States (U.S.) and Mexico. Data were drawn from participants in two formal mentoring programs that pair youth from underserved elementary schools with nearby college students. Participants were 342 youth-mentor pairs (56.3% female, Mgradelevel = 3.94) enrolled in College Mentors for Kids (U.S.) and 956 youth-mentor pairs (49.3% female, Mgradelevel = 5.25) enrolled in Peraj México (Mexico). Youth in the U.S. sample identified as White (36.3%), Black (29.8%), Hispanic (11.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%), Multiracial (15.2%), and Other (1.2%), while all youth in the Mexico sample identified as non-Indigenous. The youth-mentor pairs met one-on-one and in groups once a week for nine months. At baseline and program close, youth completed the three-item school connection measure (Eccles et al., 1997), two-items related to college expectations, and reported their grades. To assess perceived quality of the youth-mentor relationship, youth completed a 24-item version of the Youth Strength of Relationship Scale (YSOR; Rhodes et al., 2017) at program close. Linear regression analyses showed that, across both sites, stronger youth-mentor relationship quality predicted stronger youth school connectedness after one year, when co-varying for youth baseline school connectedness, grade level, and sex (U.S., F(4, 115) = 9.62, R2 = .25, p < .01; Mexico, F(4, 596) = 10.50, R2 = .07, p < .01). In the Mexico sample, stronger youth-mentor relationship quality also predicted better grades (b = .28, SE = .07, p < .01), greater youth disappointment in not graduating from college (b = .08, SE = .11, p < .01), and more positive youth attitudes about planning to attend college (OR = 5.26, p < .01), when co-varying for baseline outcome scores, as well as grade level and sex. Mentoring relationship quality did not predict these additional school outcomes in the U.S. sample (all p’s > .05). Results suggest that one key predictor of youth academic outcomes may be youth-mentor relationship quality in mentoring programs that facilitate both one-on-one and group activities, but this mentoring intervention may influence academic outcomes differently across cultures. Future studies should investigate these issues using a cross-cultural comparison to ensure youth academic success across a diverse range of mentoring programs.

Authors

• Savannah B Simpson, University of South Carolina
  Presenting Author

• Vincent Donofrio, Fordham University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Raposa
  Non-Presenting Author