peer mentoring as a strategy for social cohesion in universities in pakistan
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Peer Mentoring as a Strategy for
Social Cohesion in Universities in Pakistan
Nosheen Rachel NaseemMiddlesex University, London
20/03/2012 1
Context - Pakistan
Rationale• Developing country
• Current situation – strategic importance politically and geographically
• Students - agents of change; will be opinion leaders of the country in near future
• HE institutions in Pakistan lack funds for co-curricular activities
• Little or no structured peer mentoring in universities for student support. Lacks evidence of potential value compared to schemes in developed countries
Region Universities Public Private
AJ Kashmir 3 1 2
Balochistan 7 5 2
Islamabad 14 3
Northern Areas 1 1
NWFP 22 13 9
Punjab 36 (24 in Lahore) 20 (10) 16 (14)
Sind 38 13 25
Total 124 67 57
Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan in 2007 (Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, 2008)
Number of Public and Private sector universities & DAIs in Pakistan (Higher Education Commission, Pakistan 2010)
1. Mentoring by a senior student is beneficial to new/junior students
2. Structured training and support is necessary for student mentors to ensure that they offer appropriate help to their peers
3. Peer mentoring improves key skills of mentors and mentees and has an impact on their learning
4. Mentoring challenges established hierarchical learning patterns and introduces a different culture of learning in the university.
Hypotheses
Implementation of the mentoring process• Establishing permission and support from
University
• Preparation of resource materials (mentoring handbook, training manuals and logbooks etc)
• Selection of the participants (mentoring coordinators, mentors and mentees)
• Training the participants
• Monitoring and overall evaluation of the mentoring process
• Conclusions and emerging themes
Practitioner/Action Research Structured peer mentoring, as a problem solution tool is based on a series of revised plans following observation and reflection.
Plan – Peer mentoring
to support student learning
in Pakistan
Act - Introduction of Peer Mentoring project for one academic year
Observe – Monitoring and Interim review
Reflect – Evaluation of
mentoring at the end of the
academic year
Participants in the mentoring project
Achieving High Grades
Making Career choices
Subject Knowledge
Conceptual Understanding
Study Skills
Exam Anxiety
Finance
Research Findings….1. Problems faced by university students
1a) Academic issues for students
Political Situation
Feelings of loneliness and exclusionBullying
Family Problems
Gender relationships
Drug Use
1b) Social/Psychological/other issues
Research Findings...2.The concept of senior students mentoring juniors in a structured form
is NEW to the existing learning culture in universities in Pakistan.
3.The new/junior students feel more comfortable in discussing personal and academic issues with the senior peers than with the academic faculty.
4.Mentors developed key skills such as goal-setting, decision making, problem-solving and effective communication through training and practice.
5. Mentors and mentees developed strong sense of peer support and mutual learning.
6. Alumni report greater awareness and participation in community learning in employment and social life.
Emerging themes. . . .
• Social and community responsibility
• Participating universities extending project
• Changes taking place in learning culture in University
• Mentoring gives students in Pakistan (as in Europe) a stronger sense of ownership of their learning
• Graduates reflect improved understanding of the contribution of mentoring in developing lifelong learning skills.
• Extending mentoring improves students’ engagement with learning communities
Training workshops, group interviews & certificate award ceremony ...
References• Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2011) Research Methods in
Education, New York: Routledge.
• Higher Education Commission, Pakistan., available online at: http://www.hec.gov.pk/ (accessed on 12/01/2010)
• Iqbal, H., (2011) Education in Pakistan Lahore: Oxford University Press
• Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (1988) The Action Research Planner. Victoria, Australia: Deakin.
• Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan., available online at: http://www.statpak.gov.pk (accessed on 17/02/2010).
Contact details:Nosheen Rachel NaseemMiddlesex UniversityThe BurroughsNW4 4BT London, UK
Email: n.rachel-naseem@mdx.ac.uk
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