Posted by eporter on November 28, 2023
A Guide to Finding Evidence-Based and Research-Informed Training Programs for Mentoring
Implementing high quality training is an integral step in the process of building and maintaining a successful mentoring program. Research has shown that mentor training programs that prepare mentors to establish a meaningful connection with their mentee may directly impact mentee outcomes, volunteer retention, and mentors’ feelings of satisfaction and self-efficacy as a mentor. Training mentees about what a mentoring relationship is, what they can expect from their match meetings, and how they can benefit from mentoring may ease their anxiety and uncertainty about entering a relationship with a mentor, and therefore yield more positive outcomes for the mentee. In addition, training programs for mentoring program staff and parents of mentees may better prepare parents and staff to support the match and set them up for a successful mentoring relationship.
When selecting training programs to implement in your mentoring program, you want to feel confident that the programs you choose will have an influence on the mentoring relationships in your program and will effectively teach matches knowledge or skills that foster impactful relationships. Your program may be cautious or strategic when selecting training programs to ensure that the time, resources, and efforts it takes to implement a program will be rewarded with positive outcomes for mentees and mentors. In this case, it is imperative to choose a training program that is based on empirical research.
Evidence-based programs are interventions or curricula that have been directly and empirically evaluated, and are supported with documented evidence of effectiveness. Mentoring training programs are classified as evidence based when the research evaluating the program shows that it achieved its intended goal(s). For example, training programs for new mentors may be considered evidence based if research shows that the program increased mentors’ knowledge about mentoring relationships, helped them feel more prepared and confident to be a mentor, or gave them more realistic expectations for mentoring. In addition to evaluating the positive impacts of training programs, research may uncover any adverse side effects of program use. These findings, as well as their implications, are important to consider because they may highlight strategies to use or practices to avoid when implementing the program to achieve the best possible outcomes. Research-informed programs are interventions or curricula that integrate existing research and best practices that are relevant to the program into the program’s content. Evidence-based and research-informed mentoring training programs often provide standardized, manualized, and validated methods for achieving positive outcomes in mentors, mentees, parents, or mentoring program staff. Therefore, if your mentoring program selects a training program that is evidence based or research informed, you can be reasonably confident that the program will have positive impacts on the matches you serve.
Though a mentoring training program may be considered evidence based, it is important to note the quality of the evidence supporting the program. For example, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials conduct more rigorous evaluations of program effects and therefore, generally produce more reliable evidence than quasi-experimental and non-experimental studies, which often do not involve a control group, random assignment, or other rigorous research methods. To learn more about credible evidence of program effectiveness, visit James Madison University’s website.
In addition to ensuring that the training program you choose to implement is supported with credible research, you should also consider if it is relevant to your mentoring program and is simple to implement and sustain.
Some programs are designed to train matches that meet in specific locations or formats, such as online or in person, or to train mentors serving youth with specific needs and goals, including at-risk youth or youth in specific developmental age groups. Training program evaluations may indicate that the program has positive impacts on the subgroup of matches or youth it targets but not on other subgroups. Be sure that the program you choose to implement is relevant to the unique characteristics and needs of those you serve, so you can increase the chances that matches will experience positive outcomes. For example, if some of the mentees your mentoring program serves are at high risk for substance misuse, you may consider implementing a training program that is designed to prepare mentors to serve youth impacted by substance misuse. Alternatively, if mentors in your program meet with multiple mentees at once, you may consider implementing training programs that are designed for group-based mentoring programs.
In order to maximize the potential positive outcomes for mentors and mentees you serve, it is important to ensure that your mentoring program has the capacity to support implementation of the training program you choose and that you follow all suggested strategies and practices for implementing the program. The research supporting evidence-based mentoring training programs may not only examine the impacts of program use on mentees’ and mentors’ skills, knowledge, or behaviors but also the usability and feasibility of the program. For example, research findings may indicate that previous program participants found the program’s design, format, or materials helpful, or that program administrators believed the program was well-suited for their mentoring program and their existing mentoring practices and routines. By selecting a training program that is evidence based, as well as examining the evidence supporting the program, you may improve your chances for a smooth program implementation process and therefore positively impact the matches you serve.
If you are ready to start looking for evidence-based and research-informed mentoring training programs to implement, the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC) provides a vetted database of resources for mentoring programs, including mentor training. In addition, attending conferences, such as the National Mentoring Summit and reaching out to researchers who have developed and evaluated mentor training is another way to increase your chances of finding evidence-based training.
Mentoring Central offers several evidence-based and research-informed training programs, including both core and advanced mentoring trainings for mentors, mentees, and parents or guardians of mentees. We offer both online and in-person program options, as well as options for site-based, school-based, and group-based mentoring programs. Some of our evidence-based and research-informed training courses and resources are strategically designed to meet the unique needs of special populations of youth.
Mentoring Central prides itself on cutting-edge mentoring training programs that are supported with high-quality, innovative basic and applied research. Many of our training programs have been rigorously evaluated in randomized controlled trials and have demonstrated positive outcomes for trainees. For example, mentors who have completed Mentoring Central’s core mentor training courses have reported feeling more ready to begin mentoring, self-efficacious, and knowledgeable about the roles that mentors should and should not play, and had less unrealistically positive expectations about mentoring.
Some of Mentoring Central’s evidence-based and research-informed mentoring training programs include:
If you’re interested in receiving more information about our mentoring training programs and resources, visit our website for a full list of our offerings.