What Matters In Mentoring? Effect Of Mentor Cultural Awareness On Mentee Outcomes

描述(由申请人提供)：有效的研究指导关系是培养下一代科学家和卫生专业人员的关键因素，他们将在科学、技术、工程、数学和医学(STEMM)领域追求或帮助做出明智的决定。然而，关于这种关系中的具体因素如何影响被辅导者在研究中的学术和职业追求，人们知之甚少。实证研究表明，性别、种族、民族等文化多样性因素影响本科生研究型辅导者对其指导经验的感知，然而，关于文化多样性因素如何在研究性辅导性关系中起作用以及影响辅导者的研究几乎是不存在的。为了推进培训干预，以建立研究导师有效指导不同文化背景的研究导师的能力，有必要了解导师文化多样性意识(CDA)对导师的学术和职业结果的影响。这项拟议的研究通过以下三个具体目标解决了这一关键需求：目标1将确定导师和被导师如何定义导师、CDA和导师对文化多样性(CDR)在研究辅导关系中的相关性的态度。目标2将确定 导师文化多样性意识与学员与研究相关的自我认知和积极成果(即参加STEMM研究生培训或从事STEMM职业的意向)之间的关系。目的#3将通过随机对照试验(RCT)调查导师CDR态度如何影响他们对培训的反应以增加他们的CDA，以及培训是否影响被辅导者对导师有效性的评价以及2)被辅导者对其研究技能/职业知识的评价的一致性。这一建议的预期结果是：1)一套导师文化多样性意识(CDA)的指标和描述符以及导师CDR态度的测量；2)经过验证的导师CDA和CDR态度的测量，可用于导师自我评估和测试CDA培训的有效性；3)加强导师CDA的干预；以及4)包括CDA在内的经测试的研究导师关系模型。这一建议具有创新性，因为它：1)关注研究指导关系中的文化多样性因素；2)以职业发展和文化能力的研究和理论为指导；3)采用混合方法来制定导师CDA和导师CDR态度的指标和评估工具；4)分析导师和被辅导者对研究指导关系中关键要素的认知一致性的重要性。这项拟议的研究具有重要意义，因为它将：1)揭示研究性辅导关系中两个未被研究的方面--CDA的作用以及导师和被辅导者在关系中感知一致的重要性；2)实证地确定导师的CDA与被辅导者的自我认知和积极结果的相关性；3)开发和验证评估导师CDA和CDR态度的措施；以及4)产生经过随机对照试验测试的干预措施，以改善导师CDA。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): An effective research mentoring relationship is a key element in preparing the next generation of scientists and health professionals to pursue or help make informed decisions about pursuing research careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Yet, little is known about how specific factors in this relationship affect mentees' academic and career pursuits in research. Empirical evidence indicates that the cultural diversity factors of gender, race, and ethnicity affect undergraduate research mentees' perception of their mentoring experience, however, research on how cultural diversity factors operate in the research mentoring relationship and affect mentees is virtually non-existent. To advance training interventions that build the capacity of research mentors to effectively mentor culturally diverse research mentees, it is necessary to understand the impact of mentor cultural diversity awareness (CDA) on mentee academic and career outcomes. The proposed research addresses this critical need through the following three Specific Aims: Aim #1 will determine how mentors and mentees define mentor CDA and mentors' attitudes about the relevance of cultural diversity (CDR) in research mentoring relationships. Aim #2 will identify relationships between mentor cultural diversity awareness and mentee research-related self-perceptions and positive outcomes (i.e., intent to enter STEMM graduate training or a STEMM career). Aim #3 will investigate, via a randomized controlled trial (RCT), how mentor CDR attitudes affect their response to a training to increase their CDA and whether that training affects 1) mentees' ratings of mentor effectiveness and 2) alignment of mentor-mentee ratings of mentees' research skills/career knowledge. Expected outcomes from this proposal are: 1) a set of indicators and descriptors of mentor cultural diversity awareness (CDA) and a measure of mentor CDR attitudes; 2) validated measures of mentor CDA and CDR attitudes that can be used for mentor self-assessment and to test the effectiveness of CDA training; 3) an intervention to enhance mentor CDA, and; 4) a tested model of research mentoring relationships that includes CDA. This proposal is innovative because it: 1) focuses on cultural diversity factors within research mentoring relationships; 2) is guided by research and theory on career development and cultural competence; 3) employs a mixed-methods approach to develop indicators of and assessment instruments for mentor CDA and mentor CDR attitudes; and 4) analyzes the importance of alignment between mentor-mentee perceptions of critical elements in the research mentoring relationship. The proposed research is significant because it will: 1) shed light on two understudied aspects of research mentoring relationships - the role of CDA and the importance of alignment between mentor and mentee perceptions in the relationship; 2) empirically identify the relevance of mentors' CDA to mentee self-perceptions and positive outcomes; 3) develop and validate measures to assess mentor CDA and CDR attitudes; and 4) produce an RCT-tested intervention to improve mentor CDA.