Abstract:

In these times of changes towards a European Higher Education Area (EHEA), there are emerging opportunities for reflection about role of all members of the educational process (teachers, researchers, students ...), which goes beyond what was traditionally assumed.

The methodologies based on mentoring are taking a very important role in the teaching and learning process at all levels, in fact, mentoring processes are being applied in many English speaking universities for several decades ("students mentoring programs"), obtaining very satisfactory results at all levels (Miller, 2002).

Mentoring is defined as the relationship established between the mentee and mentor based on shared reflection on issues in which both are engaged and challenged. It is a supportive relationship between two people, the mentee, who is starting a process about which the other; the mentor has more experience and knowledge. The figure of the mentor is therefore the key element in this model of teaching and learning, which guides and transmitter skills.
According to Vizcarro (2007) among the main functions of the mentor is to provide support to his pupil in order to:

• Improve their academic performance.
• Develop skills and academic and social abilities.
• Face uncertain personal times in a new social situation.

From some time now, mentoring programs are very common to introduce a person in a certain context (new teachers, students, first-year University, graduate students, etc.). But mentoring is not only applicable to teaching, but also can be used successfully in research activity.

This document describes a successful experience in the use of mentoring on students' research visit the Official Master Territorial Employment Policy at the University of Huelva, during the 2010-2011 academic year.
Four students of this graduated program performed his research for a period of two months in the Local Employment Centre from the University of Huelva. A mentoring model was designed that has provided students a first approach to the research process, so that after finishing the process, the students have been able to do small research. The emphasis of the process has focused, given the pedagogic experience, more on the assimilation of research methodology than in achieving results.
It is especially important to emphasize that it has been a mentoring group, with both students and faculty participating, so it has created multiple workflows, some among the group of students, among the group of, but especially in the relationship between both groups.

The methodology is primarily based on weekly meetings, although it has been complemented by an online work which has also allowed to share the progress constantly, and to involve all participants.

The purpose of this study is to review the implemented mentoring process, while also providing the feedback from of all involved, as well as their conclusions about the factors that have facilitated its success.

Keywords:

Mentoring, Research, Higher Equation.