Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Susana Verdinelli

Abstract

Mentoring improves high school students’ academic outcomes by enhancing their engagement and educational attainment and reducing school dropout rates. The mentoring relationship is one of the identified factors in successful mentoring programs’ outcome. Previous research mainly focused on investigating the relationship from the mentee’s perspective. There is limited research regarding the relationship of professional mentors who work in programs that have been designed to engage mentees at the high school level. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore the mentor–mentee relationship with high-school-aged mentees from the mentors’ perspective. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory was used to provide a holistic understanding of the lived experience within the mentor–mentee relationship. Twelve participants who have mentored high school level mentees in the state of Maryland participated in semistructured interviews via Skype or Zoom. Data were analyzed using IPA principles. Results of this study showed that participants used various approaches to gain the mentee’s trust and establish rapport. They adjusted their strategies to meet their mentees’ needs. Participants described short- and long-term rewards in their mentoring tasks. This study may bring about positive social change by creating awareness of what makes a productive mentoring relationship, which in turn may positively effect student achievement and future success.

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