Using a student mentorship scheme to develop and raise academic attainment

This practice paper describes and evaluates a mentorship scheme used with undergraduate students on the sports rehabilitation programme at Middlesex University. The scheme commonly called MUSCLE (Middlesex University Sport- Student Centred Learning Experience) was developed to engage students across all levels of the programme in assuming responsibility for, and ownership of, their own learning and grade attainment profiles. In the context of this paper, student mentoring comprised graduate, third, and second year undergraduate students mentoring first, second and third year students respectively. MUSCLE mentoring groups addressed issues such as induction, examination and academic writing skills, and study techniques. The scheme was implemented in October 2007, following consultation with the academic staff and student engagement task force groups at the University. An integrated qualitative (using focus groups to gather experiences of mentors and mentees) and quantitative (using pre and post mentoring academic grade profiles) approach employing multi variant ANOVA analyses of preliminary data revealed that students achieved, on average, two grade bands higher in their final summative assessments when compared with students not enrolled on the scheme. The greatest impact on student grade attainment was evident in year one of study with a diminished but significant impact in years two and three. Male mentees achieve higher grades compared with their female counterparts. There were no significant differences between male and female non mentored students. Mentors and mentees reported feelings of self-empowerment and support, as a result of the scheme.