Integrating peer mentoring into the psychology curriculum: From an extended induction to an academic skills course

Abstract

New undergraduate students embarking on a psychology degree face a host of potential challenges when making the transition from school to university. The School of Psychology at Newcastle University introduced a peer mentoring scheme in 2008 in order to support students in making this transition, help them develop academic skills and facilitate social integration within the cohort. In order to improve the scheme, the peer mentoring was integrated into a new academic skills module called Psychological Enquiry, in 2010. Evaluation showed that the three deliveries of the peer mentoring (2008, 2009 and 2010) were generally well received by both students and mentors. The students especially valued the opportunity to get to know peers on their course in a small group setting. Attendance at the mentoring sessions was higher in 2010 compared with the previous years. Integrating the peer mentoring within a formal module structure allowed for greater interplay between staff-led teaching and peer-based support, and contributed to making the sessions more relevant to the students.