Impacts of peer mentor leadership in a first-year seminar

Purpose The intersection of student leadership in first-year seminars (FYS) is not well studied. Outcomes for student leaders (peer mentors) in undergraduate FYS merit study as to what benefits occur and how they accrue. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach included analysis of focus group data for the qualitative component using a grounded theory approach. The quantitative component used a quasi-experimental approach to measure outcomes. Findings Student leaders obtained better quantitative outcomes than non-leaders who were matched on background characteristics. Qualitatively, student leaders gained professional skills and became better learners. Frequent repetition of leadership activities fostered gains. Practical implications Research should examine the mechanisms by which leadership impacts occur to inform practice. Students may struggle to articulate how leadership affects them, and leadership educators can help students surface and process impacts. Originality/value FYS tend to focus on participant outcomes, not student leaders. Also, student leaders are a self-selected group of better-performing students compared to non-leaders. This study adds to a less well-studied student leader group and employed a strategy to take self-selection bias into account.