College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

Spring 6-10-2022

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Kathy Grant, PhD

Second Advisor

Bernadette Sanchez, PhD

Third Advisor

Ida Salusky, PhD

Abstract

Mentoring programs have been shown to improve the academic achievement of participating youth. However, little is known about the constructs impacted during the mentoring relationship that produce these meaningful academic advancements. The present study seeks to uncover what specific mechanisms underlie the relationship between mentoring and improved achievement. The present study explored the constructs Attitudes Towards School and Sense of Inadequacy and examined their relationship to mentoring and academic achievement. These constructs were examined in the context of the Cities Mentor Project, which is a three-pronged intervention (i.e., coping skills training, access to undergraduate mentors and protective settings after school) focused on serving students who have experienced complex/chronic trauma and are living in urban poverty. The present sample includes three-hundred adolescents (ages 7 to 15 years old) who completed a battery of questionnaires, one of which included subscale measures on Attitudes Towards School and Sense of Inadequacy, consented to academic grade collection, and random assignment to the intervention (i.e., Cities Mentor Project) or control group. Results will provide mentoring interventionists with clarity on the underlying mechanisms that enhance academic outcomes for youth residing in low-income and under-served communities.

SLP Collection

no

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