The Seek Mentoring Program: An Application of the Goal-Setting Theory

Abstract

This article describes a pilot academic mentoring program carried out over 1 semester in the SEEK Program at the College of Staten Island, CUNY. The program was utilized to provide a resource for students whose overall grade point average was below 2.5, placing them at risk for academic dismissal. A goal-setting approach was used to aid the students in identifying and overcoming the obstacles to their academic success, in an effort to enhance the students' retention. Sixty-three students participated in 1 of 3 groups; the 3 groups consisted of a mentoring program combined with tutoring, a tutoring-only group, and a control group. Data collected in both the qualitative and quantitative formats supported the effectiveness of the SEEK Mentor Program. The program motivated the students to action, thus increasing the students' grade point average and retention rates.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Davis

A. R.

(2004). Teacher burnout: Using a teacher mentor program as an intervention. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(7-A), 2323. (University Microfilms No. 0419-4209).

Donovan

, & Williams

(2003). Missing the mark: Effects of time and causal attributions on goal revision in response to goal-performance discrepancies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 379–390.

Earley

P. C.

Wojnaroski

, & Prest

(1987). Task planning and energy expended: Exploration of how goals influence performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72(1), 107–114.

Fagenson

E. A.

(1989). The mentor advantage: Perceived career/job experiences of proteges versus non-proteges. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 10, 309–320.

Hollenbeck

Williams

, & Klein

(1989). An empirical examination of the antecedents of commitment to difficult goals. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(1), 18–23.

Hollingsworth

, & Fassinger

(2002). The Role of faculty mentors in the research training of counseling psychology doctoral students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 49(3), 324–330.

Locke

E. A.

(1964). The relationship of intentions to motivation and effect. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca.

Locke

E. A.

, & Latham

G. P.

(1990). A theory of goal setting and task motivation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Russell

, & Adams

(1997). The changing nature of mentoring in organizations: An introduction to the special isssue on mentoring organizations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51(1), 1–14.

10.

Sipe

(2002). Mentoring programs for adolescents: A research summary. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31, 251–260.