New Study Examines the Effects of School-Based Mentoring on Students’ Motivation

Introduction

Adolescence is marked by a well-documented decline in academic motivation, with implications for achievement, persistence, and well-being. Drawing on self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2020), Schenk and colleagues (2026) examined whether a school-based mentoring program pairing university students with secondary school peers could buffer this decline by supporting autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The authors focused on autonomous motivation among Dutch pre-university secondary students.

Methods

The authors used a concurrent mixed-method design. 122 mentees (M age = 14.33) participated in a 15-session cross-age mentoring program, while 66 comparable students served as controls. Autonomous motivation was measured at three time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up) using a 10-item scale derived from established measures. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tested group differences over time.

13 mentees completed semi-structured interviews after program completion, and interviews included a Q-sorting task ranking perceived outcomes, followed by thematic analysis using open, axial, and selective coding procedures.

Results

Quantitative analyses showed no statistically significant main or interaction effects for motivation over time. However, descriptive trends suggested a less steep decline in motivation among mentees at follow-up compared to controls.

In contrast, 12 of 13 interviewed mentees ranked motivation among the top program outcomes. Three themes emerged: (1) strengthened future orientation: students reframed current effort as preparation for university; (2) improved planning and learning strategies: better organization contributed to academic confidence; and (3) positive affirmation from mentors: encouragement fostered self-belief.

Discussion

Although statistical effects were not significant, qualitative findings indicate meaningful perceived changes aligned with theoretical expectations. The themes correspond to socioemotional, cognitive, and identity pathways described in mentoring research (Hagler, 2018). The discrepancy between quantitative and qualitative findings may reflect pandemic-related disruptions or limited dosage.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Programs targeting adolescents should explicitly integrate future-oriented conversations, direct instruction in planning and study strategies, and structured mentor affirmation. Universal, class-wide cross-age mentoring may offer a feasible mechanism for supporting students’ autonomous motivation during a developmental period marked by motivational vulnerability.

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