Abstract:

The paper describes the development of a peer mentoring model for master’s information technology students enrolled in their last semester 2020 at the Eastern Institute of Technology polytechnic. The goal is to introduce international students to New Zealand’s indigenous culture.

The development of this model will support international students in their better understanding of NZ’s indigenous culture. The model has several parts: peer mentoring support, industry support and indigenous culture support. This article is focused on how this indigenous culture support may be implemented in the peer mentoring model. We investigated students’ perceptions of whether or not this model is appropriate and how this support could be included in a peer mentoring programme. The major findings are that international students do value this introduction to indigenous culture and feel that it is important for their future acculturation in the country. These findings and their implications on students are discussed in this article.

Keywords:

International education, peer mentoring, indigenous culture.