Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School

The article discusses the topic of mentoring within the education system as well as analyzes the experience of the project “Schoolchildren for Schoolchildren” carried out at St. Joseph’s school as part of the project “Optimization of the network of higher schools and improvement of the quality of s...

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Main Authors: Lijana Gvaldaitė, Roberta Budreckaitė, Donalda Bučinskienė
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Vilnius University Press 2024-08-01
Series:Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.journals.vu.lt/acta-paedagogica-vilnensia/article/view/36260
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author Lijana Gvaldaitė
Roberta Budreckaitė
Donalda Bučinskienė
author_facet Lijana Gvaldaitė
Roberta Budreckaitė
Donalda Bučinskienė
author_sort Lijana Gvaldaitė
collection DOAJ
description The article discusses the topic of mentoring within the education system as well as analyzes the experience of the project “Schoolchildren for Schoolchildren” carried out at St. Joseph’s school as part of the project “Optimization of the network of higher schools and improvement of the quality of studies by connecting Šiauliai University to Vilnius University“.A mentorship model was developed and implemented in the school, followed by senior schoolchildren assisting primary school pupils with learning difficulties. Mentoring activities were evaluated by the research consisting of a questionnaire, a focus group method, as well as notes recording experiences. Mentors, parents and teachers of primary school pupils participated in the research.During the project, the mentors tried themselves in a new activity, developing competences of dutifulness, responsibility, teaching others, communication and collaboration. Despite the difficulties arisen and motivation decrease during the process, this activity instilled them with satisfaction and positive emotions, as they felt having spent their time meaningfully, developing the teaching and communication skills of juniors, as well as strengthening and fostering relationships with peer mentors. The research found that primary school pupils benefited from homework help from mentors - some of them improved learning motivation, skills and performance, as well as communication skills.The project demonstrated that the mentoring model is also a way to develop schoolchildren’s leadership, strengthen the relationships inside the school community; apart from that, it contributes to the creation of a culture of solidarity and social capital based on generosity and unconditionality. The model utilized at this school can be further developed and adopted elsewhere, taking into account the proposals of the research participants to publicize the project more, include it in the mentorship program and leisure activities, thus creating conditions for the development of children’s creative leisure time and mutual friendship.
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issn 1392-5016
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publisher Vilnius University Press
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series Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia
spelling doaj-art-697030953e9045a4b191e8d8c3bb7eec2025-01-20T18:08:25ZengVilnius University PressActa Paedagogica Vilnensia1392-50161648-665X2024-08-015210.15388/ActPaed.2024.52.8Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s SchoolLijana Gvaldaitė0Roberta Budreckaitė1Donalda Bučinskienė2Vilnius University, LithuaniaVilnius University, LithuaniaŠv. Juozapo mokykla The article discusses the topic of mentoring within the education system as well as analyzes the experience of the project “Schoolchildren for Schoolchildren” carried out at St. Joseph’s school as part of the project “Optimization of the network of higher schools and improvement of the quality of studies by connecting Šiauliai University to Vilnius University“.A mentorship model was developed and implemented in the school, followed by senior schoolchildren assisting primary school pupils with learning difficulties. Mentoring activities were evaluated by the research consisting of a questionnaire, a focus group method, as well as notes recording experiences. Mentors, parents and teachers of primary school pupils participated in the research.During the project, the mentors tried themselves in a new activity, developing competences of dutifulness, responsibility, teaching others, communication and collaboration. Despite the difficulties arisen and motivation decrease during the process, this activity instilled them with satisfaction and positive emotions, as they felt having spent their time meaningfully, developing the teaching and communication skills of juniors, as well as strengthening and fostering relationships with peer mentors. The research found that primary school pupils benefited from homework help from mentors - some of them improved learning motivation, skills and performance, as well as communication skills.The project demonstrated that the mentoring model is also a way to develop schoolchildren’s leadership, strengthen the relationships inside the school community; apart from that, it contributes to the creation of a culture of solidarity and social capital based on generosity and unconditionality. The model utilized at this school can be further developed and adopted elsewhere, taking into account the proposals of the research participants to publicize the project more, include it in the mentorship program and leisure activities, thus creating conditions for the development of children’s creative leisure time and mutual friendship. https://www.journals.vu.lt/acta-paedagogica-vilnensia/article/view/36260mentorsmentorshipmotivationcompetence of teaching otherscommunicationcollaboration
spellingShingle Lijana Gvaldaitė
Roberta Budreckaitė
Donalda Bučinskienė
Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia
mentors
mentorship
motivation
competence of teaching others
communication
collaboration
title Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
title_full Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
title_fullStr Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
title_full_unstemmed Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
title_short Senior Schoolchildren’s Mentorship: the Case of St. Joseph’s School
title_sort senior schoolchildren s mentorship the case of st joseph s school
topic mentors
mentorship
motivation
competence of teaching others
communication
collaboration
url https://www.journals.vu.lt/acta-paedagogica-vilnensia/article/view/36260
work_keys_str_mv AT lijanagvaldaite seniorschoolchildrensmentorshipthecaseofstjosephsschool
AT robertabudreckaite seniorschoolchildrensmentorshipthecaseofstjosephsschool
AT donaldabucinskiene seniorschoolchildrensmentorshipthecaseofstjosephsschool