STEM Near Peer Mentoring for Secondary School Students: a Case Study of University Mentors’ Experiences with Online Mentoring

The steady decline in secondary students’ achievement and interest in science and mathematics is an area of concern for governments, industry, and the education sector. Increasing student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a top priority if countries are to meet demands for STEM based expertise in the current and future workforce. Amongst strategies to address such concerns, peer mentoring programs have gained increased popularity. Although previous research shows that mentoring can be a successful strategy, the processes that underpin positive outcomes for participants remain largely underexplored. This paper responds to calls for research on mentoring processes linked to effectiveness in STEM peer mentoring programs. We explore the development of mentoring relationships in an online near peer mentoring program between university students and regional secondary school students. We analysed qualitative and quantitative data on mentors’ perceptions of relationship quality and mentee engagement, and their use of mentoring strategies, over a 9-week period. Implications for online mentoring are discussed, including a model to facilitate university-to-school mentoring to increase students’ engagement in STEM disciplines.