Purpose International students in Australian tertiary education often face significant challenges during their first semester. This study examines the impact of a peer mentoring program designed to support international postgraduate students' transition, engagement, and academic success. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study engaged with key stakeholders, including student mentors, mentees, and academic staff, through focus group discussions. The focus group transcripts, encompassing 46 participants, were systematically analysed using a thematic approach to identify patterns and meanings within the data. Findings The mentoring program supports mentees' transition and engagement while contributing to their academic success. Mentors benefit through the development of leadership, cross-cultural awareness, ethical conduct, and peer support skills. Involving multiple stakeholders ensures continuous program improvement and strengthens the overall mentoring experience. Originality/value This study strengthens peer mentoring theory by showing that mentoring operates as a triadic system involving mentors, mentees, and academic staff, rather than the usual dyadic mentor–mentee model. It highlights overlooked elements, such as administrative onboarding, technical guidance, and weekly feedback loops, and offers rare insights into paid mentoring, showing how compensation shapes role clarity and ethical boundaries, thereby extending existing models.
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a unique online group mentoring program in preparing neurodivergent high school students for the transition to university. Of particular interest was whether a short-term program (8 weeks) in an online environment could impact transition and college readiness. We were also interested in the social validity of the program as students' preferences were prioritized in driving program content. Design/methodology/approach Eighty-three neurodivergent high school students were recruited across four cohorts. Students met online for one hour each week with trained undergraduate university mentors for eight weeks. Students completed the Transition Readiness Scale (TRS) and a customized College Readiness Measure (CRM) at the beginning and end of the mentoring program. Students also completed a weekly feedback survey in which they evaluated each session with open-ended responses that were analyzed thematically. These also served to gather mentees' suggestions on session content. Findings The TRS and CRM scores showed significant improvements. The participants showed an increased understanding of higher education, support systems and stress-reduction techniques. Qualitative analysis of the weekly survey identified three primary themes: (1) Comprehension and Clarity, (2) Encouraging Learning Environment and Structure of Sessions and (3) Mentor Supportiveness and Approachability. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction. Originality/value The short-term, online group design of the Horizons Mentoring Program resulted in significant improvements in transition and college readiness for neurodivergent high school students. The mentee-driven approach in directing session content ensured their opinions and preferences shaped program meetings and discussion topics and that the meetings were helpful, affirming and informative. Additional feedback at the end of the program incorporated mentee voices into both the evaluation and implementation phases. The Horizons program model is an effective tool for improving college preparedness among neurodivergent high school students.
Purpose This article explores the complicated process of developing a research practice partnership (RPP) seeking to support systemic change in a public school district. The specific reform at the heart of this RPP involves strengthening how elementary and secondary schools across the district engage in “inclusion.” Drawing from our personal reflections as leaders of this RPP, we provide perspectives on how communities of practice can scaffold the learning of coaches seeking to advance social justice. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper applies the sociocultural learning theory of communities of practice as an analytical lens for understanding coaching toward inclusion. This RPP was situated in a large urban public school district in the United States. The reform involves strengthening how schools engage in “inclusion” through coaching. We extend coaching scholarship by theorizing coaching as a sociocultural learning process within nested communities of practice, structured by five dualities of learning architecture, as a conceptual framework for mentoring coaches toward equity-centered inclusion. Findings We find the five dualities of the learning architecture create a useful lens for unpacking practices that expand our understanding of the communities of practice in which coaching practices unfold. Research limitations/implications Scholars analyzing coaching can benefit from explicating the learning theory undergirding this work. Practical implications A helpful strategy for mentoring coaches toward social justice is to explicitly situate this work in the context of nested communities of practice. Originality/value Coaching that expands inclusive practices in schools is complex and multifaceted. Understanding how this occurs within nested communities of practice can help coaches navigate these complexities.
