PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2018
San Diego, California
Impacts of Peer Mentorship in a Calculus Workshop on the Mentors’ Identities and Academic Experiences in Undergraduate STEM
Page: 1534
Research has shown the positive impact of peer mentorship on the educational experiences of mentored students from underrepresented backgrounds. National survey data of peer leaders indicate that peer mentors also benefit from the mentoring experience. This report unpacks this survey finding related to peer mentors’ increase in a sense of belonging in college and academic persistence as a result of participating in the mentorship. Our data draws from interviews with six historically marginalized students of color after their participation as mentors for a group of first-year calculus students during a summer bridge calculus workshop. The mentors’ main responsibility was facilitating critical conversations about racial and gender in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Preliminary analyses found that mentoring contributed to their confidence in succeeding in a STEM field and their ability to make sense of gendered and racialized educational experiences in STEM.