Differences in Outcomes by Gender for Peer Mentors Participating in a STEM Persistence Program for First-Year Students

Abstract

While the majority of STEM persistence has focused on outcomes for first-year students there has been little investigation into the outcomes for peer mentors. The purpose of this study was to examine an archival dataset containing perceptions of peer mentors who facilitated weekly group sessions for first-year students, and to determine if there were differences in outcomes for mentors by gender. A sample of 309 upper-level students who served as peer mentors was used. A principal analysis component (PCA) was conducted and four factors were identified: Academic Scholarship, Academic Fit, Academic Professionalism, and Academic Relationships. Following this, a MANOVA by gender was performed across the four factors. Significant gender differences were found for two factors: Academic Professionalism and Academic Relationships, with females noting that as a result of participating in the mentoring program they believed they gained in these areas more than their male counterparts.