A Peer Mentorship Programme as a Tool for Adding Value to University Students During and Post the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic surged, disrupting people's lives and livelihoods, globally. This disruption changed many people's quality of life, including that of university students. Most universities had to adapt and swiftly develop new strategies to ensure that teaching and learning continued with minimal disruptions. This study explores the role and impact of a peer mentorship programme on students, both mentors and mentees, during and post COVID-19 Pandemic. The study investigated whether the peer mentorship programme added value to better students' quality of life during the 2020 to 2022 academic years. Data was collected using a questionnaire that included an adapted instrument, namely the COVID-19 Impact on Quality of Life. Results were obtained from 110 students from a faculty at a South African university. The study's results indicate that the peer mentorship programme significantly impacted students, as demonstrated by the standard deviation during the pandemic at 3.21 and 2.77 post the pandemic. As such, peer mentorship is an effective tool that universities may use globally to enhance students' quality of life in general and especially, during adversities