The role of e-mentoring in shaping students' academic success in a multicultural environment

Abstract

The study aimed to theoretically substantiate e-mentoring as a tool for pedagogical support for foreign students in a multicultural educational environment and to empirically verify the impact of the 4-month program developed for this purpose on the academic success of foreign students in Ukraine. Methods. A quasi-experimental experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the e-mentoring support program. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine differences between two groups of students, and linear regression to assess the impact of qualitative indicators of e-mentoring interaction on academic success outcomes. Results. Upon completion of the 4-month intervention, students in the e-mentoring program demonstrated higher academic success and lower variability in results than the control group, indicating a more effective adaptation of foreign students to the new educational environment. Regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between the intensity of mentoring interactions (meeting frequency, meeting duration, and the degree of student involvement in communication) and academic achievement. At the same time, missed meetings were significant negative predictors of final learning outcomes, underscoring the importance of regular contact between the mentor and the student. The results show that e-mentoring can be an effective tool for academic support, with its effectiveness depending on the systematicity and active participation of the parties involved. Conclusions. The integration of e-mentoring programs is an effective approach to improving academic performance and stabilizing the academic results of foreign students in Ukraine, provided that there is regular active interaction with mentors. It was found that academic achievement is associated with the systematicity of contacts, consistent with the principles of the social constructivist approach and the theory of self-determination regarding the importance of interaction with people who can provide support at the initial stages of integration into another cultural and geographical environment. The practical value of the results obtained lies in the possibility of implementing e-mentoring programs as a tool for providing academic and adaptation support to foreign students in higher education institutions in Ukraine.