Implementing a “Big and Little” Mentorship Program in Pekan, Malaysia

Abstract

The objective of this study is to measure the feasibility of a mentorship program between preuniversity students (age 19 years old) and high school students (ages 13 to 14 years old) in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Mahmud Mat. This study also aims to determine whether building a relationship between older and younger students will improve writing scores, boost confidence, and increase the frequent use of English at home. In this context, a pre-university student (e.g., big brother) spent one-on-one time with a high school student (e.g., little brother) for one period each week. Their interactions were at structured times and included informal activities and games. All activities were in English to encourage students to interact with each other in English. A survey and written test with open-ended questions were given to the students before and after the intervention to assess improvement in writing, confidence level, and frequent use of English. An analysis regarding barriers to implementation was also conducted through a survey given to the teachers involved.