The Role of Peer Mentorship in Supporting University Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The concept of peer mentorship has become an important support system to university students with disabilities, although most institutions of higher learning do not have well-structured, evidence-based systems to make the most out of it. The main issue is a lack of an effective academic, social and emotional support systems which results in decreased retention and performance levels of students with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of structured peer mentorship model in improving academic success, engagement and well-being. The suggested methodology is a mixed approach, which will involve quantitative analysis of academic performance variables with a qualitative feedback of the participants. A group of 240 students was split into a mentored group and a non-mentored group and the main outcomes including improvement of GPA, retention rate, engagement level and self-efficacy were assessed within two semesters of the academic year. The model of mentorship used involved the use of assistive technologies, frequent mentor-mentee meetings and individualized approach to learning. Findings reveal that the mentored group has seen a great improvement in academic performance (18.6), retention (22.4) and student engagement (31.2) as opposed to the control group. Also, there were increased self-efficacy scores by 27.8%. When comparing the two programs (peer mentorship and support services), it is shown that peer mentorship is more effective than traditional support services in 21.5% of all the parameters measured. This paper is a novelty as it is based on an integrated, technology-supported framework of peer mentorship specifically designed to address a variety of disability needs. The results support the idea that structured peer mentorship is an inclusive education strategy, which can be scaled and is cost-effective. Finally, the research is a firm supporter of institutional implementation of peer mentorship program to promote equity, better outcomes and comprehensive student development.