The structure of effective academic mentoring in late adolescence

This chapter reports findings from the evaluation of an academic mentoring program for late adolescents that highlight the role of exposition to structured activities and mentors' use of some behavioral strategies. Specifically, different types of interactions in mentoring (such as discussing personal projects, resolving academic problems, and participating in social activities) and different mentors' behaviors (such as emotional involvement, directivity, and reciprocity) were examined in relation to the quality of the mentoring relationship and mentees' adjustment at the end of the program. The findings generally support the initial assumption. Mentoring that focused more on activities produced significant and positive effects on mentee adjustment, whereas mentoring that focused almost exclusively on problem solving or mostly involved open discussion did not produce significant effects. Findings also indicate that mentors who expressed some directivity coupled with high emotional involvement and reciprocity were more likely to connect with their mentees and improve their academic adjustment.