The benefits of peer mentoring in higher education: findings from a systematic review

Abstract

The integration of peer mentoring into academic programmes as a mechanism for supporting new students has received considerable attention in higher education worldwide, especially in developed countries. Despite a growing body of research on peer mentoring in higher education, an extensive review of the benefits of this approach is needed to establish a nuanced understanding of the impacts of peer mentoring on students across various contexts. This study employed a systematic review method to examine the benefits of peer mentoring in higher education. The review covered research articles about peer mentoring published within the last decade (2013−2023). The findings showed that the benefits of peer mentoring in higher education could be categorised into four fundamental aspects, including academic performance, retention rates, emotional and psychological wellbeing, and social integration. These categories of benefits could be developed into a conceptual framework for studying the impacts or benefits of peer mentoring in higher education. The study highlights the significance of adopting peer mentoring as a supportive scheme for students encountering critical challenges due to its manifold benefits and points to the importance of identifying the varying factors contributing to the success of peer-mentoring schemes. The study concludes with a discussion and the implications of the findings, as well as suggestions for future research to examine how peer mentoring could be effectively implemented in different educational contexts.