Peer-mentoring of students in rural and low ses schools

Discussion and implications

Although there is a marked difference in the participation rates between metropolitan and rural students in higher education (44.0% and 34.2% respectively), we find that this difference is explained largely by the lower socioeconomic status of rural compared with metropolitan students, their lower aspirations for post-school study, and some related demographic characteristics, especially being of Australian rather than immigrant backgrounds.

Low-SES students have lower aspirations for post-school study and careers and lower levels of achievement at school than high-SES students. Even when other factors are considered, low socioeconomic status remains a significant predictor of not undertaking post-school study or training, especially university study.

The finding that the low aspirations of both rural and low-SES students represent a barrier to post-secondary participation led to the consideration of a mentoring program whose aim was to inform students about university attendance, with the hope of changing the expectations of students from these two groups.

The mentoring study had three primary aims. First, we sought to investigate the effectiveness of a mentoring program in raising student intentions to attend university after the completion of high school. Second, the project aimed to assess the impact, if any, of university mentoring programs on intentions to attend a TAFE institute after high school. Finally, we investigated what mechanisms might be responsible for any change in aspirations following the mentoring program.

Do university mentoring programs have an effect on student intentions to pursue university education following high school completion? The answer is ‘yes’. Our results show higher intentions to attend university for those students who received mentoring by comparison with those who had not. Further, the analyses show that those students who received mentoring over only one or two data collection points did not experience intention gains as large as those students who received sustained mentoring. These findings suggest that sustained mentoring is much more effective in raising and maintaining student intentions than small bursts of the same mentoring program.

Do university mentoring programs adversely affect aspirations for vocational education? We find they do not: our results show no differences in intentions to pursue vocational education and training between the mentored and non-mentored groups. If anything, the intention to undertake VET is higher in the high-mentoring group at time 4 than at time 1. This is good news for university and vocational education mentoring programs, as it indicates that aspirations for these two forms of further education may develop independently.

What aspects of the mentoring project are responsible for the increase in university aspirations? Mediation analyses indicate that the mentoring project may have raised students’ identification with university in-groups and reduced the cognitive distance from the university campus. Alter and Balcetis's (2011) findings indicate that more desirable locations are remembered as closer, which may explain why the mentored group tended to think that the university was physically closer to them. The mentoring project did not appear to impact upon the students' perceptions of the cost of attendance or their understanding of the university itself, ruling out the idea that contact with a university demystifies what happens at a university. Indeed, in the present study, the effects of mentoring on aspirations occur completely through cognitive distance reduction and in-group identification. This indicates that, if students are provided with contact with university students and staff, they may form friendships, which in turn may result in their intentions to attend higher education being raised.

From a policy standpoint, the present results indicate that mentoring projects are an effective method for selectively raising student aspirations to participate in higher education. It is likely that similar mentoring projects in vocational education may result in an increase in aspirations for VET. That the university mentoring did not negatively affect VET intentions suggests that mentoring projects in both sectors should be able to work together to ensure a better standard of education for all young Australians, whether they wish to pursue vocational or academic career paths.

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Appendix A

10Questionnaire measures

In Group/Out Group Measures

How much do you like University? (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not A moderate A
at all amount lot

How much do you like TAFE? (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not A moderate A
at all amount lot

How much do you trust the people at University? (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not A moderate Almost
at all amount completely

How much do you trust the people at TAFE? (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Not A moderate Almost
at all amount completely

University Students are just like me: (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

TAFE students are Just like me (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I like the same things as University Students (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I like the same things as TAFE Students (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

People at University are Friendly (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

People at TAFE are Friendly (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

Cognitive Distance

How close is Flinders University to where you live? (Place a mark on the line) (Originally produced at 72mm length)

| |

Closer Further

How close is TAFE to where you live you? (Place a mark on the line) (Originally produced at 72mm length)

| |

Closer Further

Cost Perceptions of University

The cost of going to University is (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A little A lot

Financially, I can afford to attend University (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A little A lot

It would be hard for me to afford to attend university (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A little A lot



Knowledge of University

University is scary (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

TAFE is scary (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I understand what happens at university (Circle a number) (RC)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I understand what happens at TAFE (Circle a number) (RC)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I don’t know much about university (Circle a number) (RC)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

I need more information before I make a decision about attending university (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Unsure Strongly
Agree Disagree

Moderation

How much contact have you had with University Mentors? (Circle a number)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

None Moderate A Lot

How much contact have you had with Vocational Educational Programs? (Circle a number)

Outcome Measures

What do you think the chance is that you will attend University? (Circle a number)

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

What do you think the chance is that you will attend TAFE? (Circle a number)

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

NVETR Program funding

This work has been produced by NCVER under the National Vocational Education and Training Research (NVETR) Program, which is coordinated and managed by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments. Funding is provided through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

The NVETR Program is based on national research priorities approved by ministers with responsibility for vocational education and training.

The author/project team was funded to undertake this research via a grant under the NVETR Program. The research grants are awarded to organisations through a competitive process, in which NCVER does not participate. To ensure the quality and relevance of the research, projects are selected using an independent and transparent process and research reports are double blind peer reviewed.

The NVETR research program aims to improve policy and practice in the VET sector. The research effort itself is a collaborative one, which requires strong relationships with the research community in Australia’s universities and beyond. NCVER may also involve various stakeholders, including state and territory governments, industry and practitioners to inform the commissioned research, using a variety of mechanisms such as project roundtables and forums.

For further information about the program go to the NCVER website .

1^ M = mean; SD = standard deviation.

2^ (M = 65%, SD = 28.44%).

3^ (M = 49%, SD = 28%) F(1, 42) = 4.36, p = .043, d = 0.57.

4^ (F <1, p = .589).

5^ t(159) = 2.70, p = .008 (M = 61, SD = 26, vs M = 50, SD = 27).

6^ t(100) = 1.86, p = .066 (M = 62, SD = 26 vs M = 53, SD = 26).

7^ t(100) = 1.68, p = .096, (M = 57, SD =29 vs M = 47, SD = 28).

8^ (M = 4.5, SD = 0.52).

9^ (M = 4.1, SD = 0.53), F(1, 36) = 6.70, p = .014, d = 0.77.

10^ F(3, 123) = 12.12, p = .001.

11^ Time 1: M = 5.67, SD = 1.3); time 4 (M = 5.08, SD =1.4), F (3, 129) = 2.86, p = 0.40, d = 0.28.

12^ M = 44 mm, SD = 10 mm.

13^ (M = 50 mm, SD = 10 mm) F(1, 45) = 3.05, p = 0.59, d = 0.56.

14^ R = .353, p = .036, R² = .125.

15^ (t < 1, p = .859, R² change = .000).