You know what, this is kind of helping me’: Students’ experiences of a Hong Kong school-based mentoring programme

Abstract

This is a presentation of research conducted into the effectiveness of a school-based mentoring programme in a Hong Kong secondary school.

Interview data were analyzed thematically and two themes developed: ‘experiencing mentoring’ and ‘experiencing the mentor.’ The mentees, although initially skeptical about mentoring, were surprised by its helpfulness.

Through the development of an informal and collaborative relationship, in which students experienced their mentor as a trustworthy, mature and objective adult, students found an important source of emotional support and practical help which benefited their academic work. Students’ experience was influenced by their mentors’ role in the school, length of service and gender match, and cultural factors may impact the experience of mentoring.

School-based mentoring programmes in a Hong Kong context have the potential to offer emotional and academic support to students.