Peer Interaction Types for Social and Academic Integration and Institutional Attachment in First Year Undergraduates

Higher education institutions are increasingly implementing peer tutoring and peer mentoring strategies to support newly enrolled students’ transition into university, aiming to reduce drop-out and improve persistence. However, it is rare that these are directly compared, and even rarer for effects on social and academic integration and institutional attachment to be explored, as in this study. In this quantitative and qualitative study, a total of 446 first-year university students of Psychology and Education Sciences in one university, recruited via a snowball technique which relied heavily on email and text messages, followed-up with invitations to a Facebook group, completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire incorporated three instruments of known reliability: the Social Adjustment, Academic Adjustment and Institutional Attachment subscales of the Adaptation to College Questionnaire; the Commitment subscale of the Revised Academic Hardiness Scale; and the Commitment Attitude Scale. Results were analysed by independent t-tests. For the qualitative semi-structured interviews participants were 39 self-selected but stratified volunteers. Interviews focused on the three stages of Appreciative Inquiry: Discovery, Dream and Design. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A combined inductive-deductive content-analysis technique and a thematic analysis technique was then used via MAXQDA 11. Peer mentoring was the most effective means to enhance social integration. However, peer tutoring showed a significant effect on academic integration. Neither had much impact on institutional attachment. Participants particularly mentioned that activities such as speed dating and mentoring days were important, since they developed self-esteem, which encouraged them to further participate. The availability of peer support over the longer term was seen as important. Evidence-based action implications for educational practice, policy-making and future researchers were outlined, and the importance of listening to students when developing institutional policy is emphasised