Promoting STEM Trainee Research Self-Efficacy: A Mentor Training Intervention

Overview

Journal UI J

Date 2023 Jul 10

PMID 37426469

Authors

Amanda R Butz

Angela Byars-Winston

Patrice Leverett

Janet Branchaw

Christine Pfund

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Self-efficacy, or an individual's belief in his or her ability to successfully complete a given task, is a significant predictor of outcome expectations, interests, career aspirations, and persistence among undergraduate students in STEM fields. Despite the central role that efficacy beliefs play in STEM career choice and persistence, few training opportunities have used theoretical models like social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to help mentors learn how to support trainee research self-efficacy. To address this gap, a mentor training intervention was developed to translate the research and theory behind self-efficacy and into the practice of mentoring in STEM. Evaluation data from mentors who participated in ( = 166) and facilitators who implemented ( = 7) a training based on SCCT were used to assess the effectiveness of such an intervention. Mentors reported high satisfaction and significant retrospective skill gains related to promoting trainee research self-efficacy. Mentors also reported changes that they intended to make in their mentoring. Facilitators with varying levels of familiarity with self-efficacy were able to implement the module effectively and provided additional suggestions for further improvement of the training.

Citing Articles

Utilizing mentorship education to promote a culturally responsive research training environment in the biomedical sciences.

Suiter S, Byars-Winston A, Sancheznieto F, Pfund C, Sealy L PLoS One. 2024; 19(8):e0291221.

PMID: 39133759 PMC: 11318922. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291221.

Internal Consistency and Application of a Mentee Survey to Assess Mentor Competencies in an Academic Medical Center across Demographic Groups.

Hall G, Corsino L, Mack M, Hall R, Sloane R, Sullivan B Chron Mentor Coach. 2024; 8(1):169-177.

PMID: 39119330 PMC: 11309027. DOI: 10.62935/of1528.

for early career investigators: Empowering mentees to proactively engage in their mentoring relationships.

Sancheznieto F, Asquith P, Baez Bermejo A, Meagher E, Pfund C J Clin Transl Sci. 2024; 8(1):e86.

PMID: 38784110 PMC: 11112430. DOI: 10.1017/cts.2024.524.

A randomized controlled trial of an intervention to increase cultural diversity awareness of research mentors of undergraduate students.

Byars-Winston A, Rogers J, Thayer-Hart N, Black S, Branchaw J, Pfund C Sci Adv. 2023; 9(21):eadf9705.

PMID: 37224257 PMC: 10208566. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf9705.

Enhancing Research Mentors' Cultural Awareness in STEM: A Mentor Training Intervention.

Black S, Byars-Winston A, Cabrera I, Pfund C UI J. 2023; 13(1).

PMID: 37079705 PMC: 10112533.

References

Byars-Winston A, Gutierrez B, Topp S, Carnes M . Integrating theory and practice to increase scientific workforce diversity: a framework for career development in graduate research training. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2011; 10(4):357-67. PMC: 3228654. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.10-12-0145. View

Byars-Winston A, Diestelmann J, Savoy J, Hoyt W . Unique effects and moderators of effects of sources on self-efficacy: A model-based meta-analysis. J Couns Psychol. 2017; 64(6):645-658. DOI: 10.1037/cou0000219. View

Pfund C, House S, Asquith P, Fleming M, Buhr K, Burnham E . Training mentors of clinical and translational research scholars: a randomized controlled trial. Acad Med. 2014; 89(5):774-82. PMC: 4121731. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000218. View

Garman K, Wingard D, Reznik V . Development of junior faculty's self-efficacy: outcomes of a National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Acad Med. 2001; 76(10 Suppl):S74-6. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-200110001-00025. View

Byars-Winston A, Branchaw J, Pfund C, Leverett P, Newton J . Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers' Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships. Int J Sci Educ. 2016; 37(15):2533-2554. PMC: 4822509. DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2015.1085133. View

Hurtado S, Cabrera N, Lin M, Arellano L, Espinosa L . Diversifying Science: Underrepresented Student Experiences in Structured Research Programs. Res High Educ. 2013; 50(2):189-214. PMC: 3596157. DOI: 10.1007/s11162-008-9114-7. View

Byars-Winston A, Estrada Y, Howard C, Davis D, Zalapa J . Influence of social cognitive and ethnic variables on academic goals of underrepresented students in science and engineering: a multiple-groups analysis. J Couns Psychol. 2010; 57(2):205-18. PMC: 2872245. DOI: 10.1037/a0018608. View

Ghee M, Keels M, Collins D, Neal-Spence C, Baker E . Fine-Tuning Summer Research Programs to Promote Underrepresented Students' Persistence in the STEM Pathway. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2016; 15(3). PMC: 5008875. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.16-01-0046. View

Pfund C, Pribbenow C, Branchaw J, Miller Lauffer S, Handelsman J . Professional skills. The merits of training mentors. Science. 2006; 311(5760):473-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.1123806. View

10.

Feldman M, Arean P, Marshall S, Lovett M, OSullivan P . Does mentoring matter: results from a survey of faculty mentees at a large health sciences university. Med Educ Online. 2010; 15. PMC: 2860862. DOI: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.5063. View

11.

Valantine H, Collins F . National Institutes of Health addresses the science of diversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112(40):12240-2. PMC: 4603507. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1515612112. View

12.

Matsui J, Liu R, Kane C . Evaluating a science diversity program at UC Berkeley: more questions than answers. Cell Biol Educ. 2003; 2(2):117-21. PMC: 162187. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.02-10-0050. View

13.

Artino Jr A . Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. Perspect Med Educ. 2013; 1(2):76-85. PMC: 3540350. DOI: 10.1007/s40037-012-0012-5. View

14.

Byars-Winston A, Rogers J, Branchaw J, Pribbenow C, Hanke R, Pfund C . New Measures Assessing Predictors of Academic Persistence for Historically Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Undergraduates in Science. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2016; 15(3). PMC: 5008879. DOI: 10.1187/cbe.16-01-0030. View