Improving Academic Performance and Retention of First-Year Biology Students through a Scalable Peer Mentorship...

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Undergraduate Pedagogy

Background:

• First-year undergraduate students often face challenges transitioning to higher education.
• Effective mentorship programs can support academic success and retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Biology Mentoring and Engagement (BIOME) near-peer mentorship program on first-year undergraduate students.
• To assess BIOME's influence on academic outcomes, study strategies, and retention.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach including ethnographic analysis and a novel "academic habit complexity" instrument.
• Regression analysis to correlate BIOME participation with academic performance and retention.
• Study involved 437 first-year students across three cohort years.

Main Results:

• BIOME participation positively influenced students' study methods and use of learning communities.
• BIOME enrollment correlated with increased "academic habit complexity" and higher General Chemistry grades.
• Students in BIOME showed improved short-term retention, indicated by higher enrollment in subsequent prerequisite courses.

Conclusions:

• Course-based near-peer mentorship, like BIOME, is a potentially effective and scalable strategy for enhancing undergraduate academic success.
• BIOME fosters the development of crucial academic habits and supports student transition into STEM fields.
• Near-peer mentorship can lead to measurable improvements in student performance and retention in challenging science courses.