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  • Fostering a sense of belonging in STEM mentoring of underrepresented minority (URM) students Through use of Common Factors. The Chronicles of Mentoring and Coaching
Title: Fostering a sense of belonging in STEM mentoring of underrepresented minority (URM) students Through use of Common Factors. The Chronicles of Mentoring and Coaching
ABSTRACT Over the last 30 years over 30,000 articles and chapters have been published related to mentoring, with over 40% focused on mentoring students in STEM disciplines. What have we learned from this voluminous literature and what concepts stand out as needing further attention? A review of the literature indicates that mentoring of underrepresented minoritized (URM) students involve attention to the professional development of these students, active engagement in research activities, and a willingness and ability to develop a strong relationship that supersedes the aspects of traditional mentoring activities. Psychology graduate programs have long been known to teach and develop the skills necessary to help students foster strong therapeutic relationships. The foundational interpersonal skills taught in domains of psychology (e.g., counseling psychology, social psychology) are directly relevant to other relationship-building scenarios, such as mentor/mentee dyads. Budding psychologists typically learn therapeutic techniques that help build trusting relationships with clients that hold different identities than their own. But these skills apply beyond client/therapist relations and could be used to inform intensive/inclusive mentoring approaches with URM students, especially when the mentor holds a different identity. The training techniques proposed can be adapted for both formal and informal forms of mentoring and may enhance a student’s sense of belonging, which is the strongest predictor of science identity development and success in STEM. This paper will focus on elements necessary to develop a strong relationship between URM students and their mentors based on the development of a therapeutic relationship using concepts from theories related to the Common Factors (Rosenzweig, 1936). These theories posit that the development of a meaningful client/therapist relationship and behavior change requires attention to four common factors: therapist qualities or in this case mentor qualities, change processes or how students are trained, treatment structures which are specific techniques, and development of a strong relationship. These factors can easily be applied to create a truly inclusive mentoring model.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2020524
NSF-PAR ID:
10415981
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The chronicle of mentoring coaching
Volume:
6
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2372-9848
Page Range / eLocation ID:
29-34
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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