Publication

The purposes of this study were to describe the roles mentors enacted as part of an afterschool STEM program and how those roles varied across three sites and to explain those differences. Design: We used a comparative case study design. We collected data primarily from interviews with program mentors and observations of the sessions. Findings: We found the mentors played four roles, depending on the school site: teachers, friends, support, and role models. Mentors interpreted cues from the environment in light of their own identities, which ultimately led them to construct a plausible understanding of their roles as mentors. Originality: We contribute to mentoring research by using sensemaking theory to highlight how and why mentoring roles differ across school sites. Research Implications: We identify four mentoring roles that are somewhat consistent with prior research. We demonstrate that the roles mentors enact can vary systematically across sites, and these variations can be explained by sensemaking. We contribute to research on mentoring roles by elaborating each role we identify and offering a framework to explain variability in mentor role enactment. Practical Implications: We recommend that mentoring program directors discuss the roles that mentors may enact with mentors as part of their training and that they engage mentors in identity work. We also recommend that program managers create unstructured time for mentors to socialize outside STEM activities with their mentees.

Cite: Rangel, V.S., Henderson, J.A., Doan, V., Greer, R. & Manuel, M. , "Mentoring roles in an afterschool STEM mentoring program: an investigation of why mentors enact different roles," International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 11 (4), 364-380. [https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-11-2021-0103], 2022