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Title: How Near Peer Mentoring Affects Middle School Mentees
In response to the national demand to increase participation in CS, we argue that youth’s interest in computer science (CS) can be sparked by providing them with role models who are relatable and who resonate with their identities. To that end, we developed a mentoring model in which we train high schoolers to be near-peer mentors for middle schoolers learning to program in summer camps. In this paper, we present results from a mixed-methods study where we examined the relationship between mentor relatability and middle school campers’ self-efficacy and interest in CS. Pre- and post-surveys were used to measure campers’ affective outcomes around computing and mentor relatability. In addition, interviews and observations were used to illustrate the mechanisms that led to change in affect. Our findings suggest that mentor relatability is a significant predictor of campers’ self-efficacy and interest in CS. Results from the qualitative data further exemplify how mentor relatability was perceived and manifested in the camps.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1614849
PAR ID:
10385561
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
SIGCSE '18: Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Page Range / eLocation ID:
664 to 669
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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