The impact of mentoring in higher education on student career development: a systematic review and research agenda

Abstract

Studies published over the last four decades provide the basis for a systematic review of the impact of mentoring in higher education (HE) on student career development. We review 73 papers published between 1986 and 2023 and develop a framework to examine the relationships between mentoring approaches and career development outcomes. Here, we distinguish between different student populations (female students, under-represented groups). Notwithstanding an overall positive verdict on mentoring's career development potential, with particular emphasis on career choice and transitioning behaviour, the results are not always positive, and many nuances in the data are evident. At a time of increased concern about student transitions into the labour market, practical implications can be derived which may strengthen mentoring's benefits, e.g. the value of peer mentoring for female students, and cultural proximity of mentors for under-represented minority students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Key research recommendations include:(1) developing novel impact indicators related to emotion such as career inspiration and passion; (2) examining under-researched impact indicators related to non-traditional student careers (e.g. entrepreneurial intentions), and employment and socioeconomic impact indicators; and (3) investigating the role of context and mentoring content and delivery modalities, in helping to explain inconsistent findings across the reviewed papers.