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