Abstract:

Despite the rising popularity of formal peer-mentoring programmes in higher education, there is a scarcity of high-quality, theoretically driven evaluation studies. This study aims to bridge the gap between theory, practice, and evaluation by undertaking a controlled assessment of a peer mentorship system at the University of Zululand (the University), a historically disadvantaged institution in South Africa. The University has a formal mentorship programme managed by its Teaching and Learning Centre, but the implementation thereof is faculty based. In 2023, the mentors from the Faculty of Commerce, Administration, and Law (FCAL) met with first-year students whose grades were below average after the first formal assessment. One hundred and eighty-eight first-year students in FCAL identified the factors that hampered their academic performance. These include but are not limited to, an excessively noisy environment, an unsafe environment for students walking to and from campus at night, internet outages caused by load shedding, a lack of study rooms for off-campus students, spiritual issues, domestic violence (both physical and emotional), rape cases in court, unintended pregnancies, and young mothers who are still breastfeeding their babies. The outcomes focused on how mentoring improved well-being, and integration of students both directly and indirectly. The mentorship programme provided intervention approaches to the disadvantaged students. Following peer mentoring, students' levels of university grades and involvement improved. Grades increased after the peer mentoring programme compared to before. According to research on facilitative effects, mentoring may lessen the impact of the adjustment to university life. The methodology limitations of the present study are addressed, as are the findings in light of Tinto's theory of student continuance, and the benefits and practicalities of peer mentoring at the University.

Keywords:

Domestic violence, Historically Disadvantaged Institutions, Peer mentorship, Student well-being.