The first proposition would be an exploratory case study ("Understanding", 2017). That is to show that further investigation is necessary. The question of how a mentoring program influences the self-efficacy in at-risk undergraduate students is fairly novel. We know that self-efficacy will influence behavior and have various impacts on grade point averages and other school measures of success. We do not know what the influence of mentoring will have on self-efficacy, especially not in this population. If I chose to do an exploratory study, it will be used as a preliminary project that will hopefully justify the need for a larger project later on. Looking at types of mentoring, who is the mentor, its structure, and so forth, may all be studied in further detail.
The second proposition is an instrumental case study ("Understanding", 2017). This is one that looks at a case to gain insights into a phenomenon. The focus would be on the relationship between mentoring itself and the students. Then it would look at why some students have higher self-efficacy levels compared to others.
Understanding the Different Types of Case Studies. (2017, August). Retrieved from https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/case-studies-types.htm
Response 2-2
I was planning on using the Self-Efficacy Beliefs Theory as the basis of this case study. Self-efficacy beliefs (or theory) helps to understand how people feel, think, motivate themselves, and behave (Bandura, 1994). According to Albert Bandura (1977), who originally proposed the theory, self-efficacy is an individual’s confidence about the chances of successfully accomplishing a task. Bandura premised that people with higher levels of self-efficacy are more likely to achieve favorable outcomes. Bandura (1994) looks at four processes within this theory: cognitive, motivational, affective, and selection. Cognitive process is influenced by one’s appraisal of their own capabilities by setting personal goals. The higher an individual’s perceptions of his or her capability, the higher will be the goal. Motivational process is how one will motivate themselves and thus their actions. Motivation process is based on the expectation that a certain outcome will come out of a behavior, and this behavior relates to the original goal. Affective process is one’s beliefs in their capabilities. The higher the self-efficacy, the more that they feel they will have control over their situation and circumstances and thus they will believe they have a higher capacity to achieve the goal. Selection process is how the person conducts their life. The theory premises that people’s choices, including whether to attempt actions to achieve goals and what goals to set for themselves is influenced by their self-efficacy. This case study aims to explain the phenomenon that mentoring has on self-efficacy. This "how" is key and can be explained using this theory.
Bandura,
A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavior change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.
Bandura,
A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In R.J. Corsini (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2(3), 368-369.Response 2-3
Since I am leaning to an exploratory case study, I anticipate using a multiple case approach. That is I have several subjects/students that I would study and use them to inform a larger project later on. In order to inform this approach, I can use various studies on mentoring and self-efficacy in other populations, such as high school students. I would be interested in knowing what other variables may be playing a part in the levels of self-efficacy. For example, if those with seeing financial barriers as a large problem have different levels compared to those who do not perceive a strong social support within this institution.
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