UC San Diego

Many interventions are being studied to help combat barriers into STEM fields that contribute to high attrition and low persistence rates (Chen, 2013; Ejiwale, 2013; Ellis et al., 2016). One such intervention is near-peer mentor (NPM) programs, which utilize undergraduate students as academic supports to fellow undergraduate students. Studies have found that NPM programs contribute towards improved outcomes for students (Crisp and Cruz, 2009; Dawson et al, 2014; Loui and Robbins, 2012), as well as improve student affect (Clements et al., 2021; Webb et al., 2014). Additionally, the literature also points to NPM programs benefiting NPMs and instructors who engage in NPM programs (Davenport et al., 2017; Gray et al., 2016; Otero et al., 2010a; Sabella et al., 2016). However, there is a gap in the literature studying how NPM programs make such differences. To fill this gap, my research questions were: (1) How does the NPM program impact the ecologies of participation in mathematics classes? (2) How does the NPM program impact the ecologies of participation within a mathematics department? (3) What are various stakeholders’ experiences with and opinions regarding the NPM program?For my dissertation, I conducted a qualitative study at Padres University (PU)’s Mathematics Department. PU is a private liberal arts college in the Southwestern United States serving about 9000 undergraduate students. Faculty started a pilot NPM program in Fall 2022 in the mathematics department, and funding will end after the Spring 2024 semester. During the Fall 2023 semester, I collected observation data as well as focus group interview data to gain a perspective of how the NPM program functioned in classes and across the department, as well as to understand various stakeholder perspectives (i.e., students, NPMs, instructors, and department leaders) about the NPM program. Findings demonstrate that students feel more comfortable working with NPMs compared to instructors. This in turn leads many students to seek out additional resources to support their learning of mathematics. Multiple groups of stakeholders described NPMs functioning as a “bridge” between students and instructors as well as providing insights into the class with their unique perspective. One important implication related to this finding is the potential for NPM programs to function as catalysts and vehicles for change in mathematics departments. Findings also highlighted gaps in communication across the program that impacted the way that instructors, NPMs, and students took up their respective roles engaging with the NPM program. This demonstrates the necessity and value of regular professional development to support both NPMs and instructors in these new roles they take on within mathematics departments if NPM programs are to most benefit the stakeholders they are meant to serve.