title: A Social Capital Perspective on the Mentoring of Undergraduate Life Science Researchers: An Empirical Study of Undergraduate-Postgraduate-Faculty Triads.
abstract: Undergraduate researchers at research universities are often mentored by graduate students or postdoctoral researchers (referred to collectively as "postgraduates") and faculty, creating a mentoring triad structure. Triads differ based on whether the undergraduate, postgraduate, and faculty member interact with one another about the undergraduate's research. Using a social capital theory framework, we hypothesized that different triad structures provide undergraduates with varying resources (e.g., information, advice, psychosocial support) from the postgraduates and/or faculty, which would affect the undergraduates' research outcomes. To test this, we collected data from a national sample of undergraduate life science researchers about their mentoring triad structure and a range of outcomes associated with research experiences, such as perceived gains in their abilities to think and work like scientists, science identity, and intentions to enroll in a PhD program. Undergraduates mentored by postgraduates alone reported positive outcomes, indicating that postgraduates can be effective mentors. However, undergraduates who interacted directly with faculty realized greater outcomes, suggesting that faculty interaction is important for undergraduates to realize the full benefits of research. The "closed triad," in which undergraduates, postgraduates, and faculty all interact directly, appeared to be uniquely beneficial; these undergraduates reported the highest gains in thinking and working like a scientist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 melissa.aikens@unh.edu.
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Aikens
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.
authors.forename: Sona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadselia
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.
authors.forename: Keiana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.
authors.forename: Lillian T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Eby
authors.affiliation: Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.
authors.forename: Erin L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Dolan
mesh_terms: D001690:Biological Science Disciplines / Q000193:education*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D036262:Empirical Research; D005178:Faculty / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000071252:Mentoring; D017145:Models, Educational; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education*; D066270:Social Capital; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities