2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This complete research paper explores the multiple facets of student mentorship in an academic makerspace with a focus on better understanding the experience and perception of being a peer mentor. The results of this study provide insight into the development of four students as mentors during their first year of employment. The students experienced learning, agency, persistence/commitment, uncertainty, and the culture of engineering in their role as mentors. They all found learning to be part of being a mentor and experienced personal growth over the course of the year. The peer mentors all developed a sense of agency because of being a mentor and described it as a positive attribute of the job. Commitment to the work, the makerspace, and the students they supported was something all four mentors found motivating and important. All four students experienced uncertainty in the role and sometimes struggled with knowing the path forward. Interestingly, the mentors experienced both learning and uncertainty differently across gender lines which was attributed to how the mentors experienced and described the culture of engineering. This study may help us to understand how students’ stereotypes about the culture of engineering influence their experience as mentors. Through these findings, we can gain insight into how best to support peer mentors in their role including hiring, training, and supporting them in the position. Additionally, future research can implement a refined and focused lens on the culture of these academic makerspaces and how these peer mentors and students support (or ignore) the culture of engineering within academic makerspaces.