Date
10-14-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Heather Strafaccia
Keywords
cross-age mentor, self-efficacy, growth mindset, STEM activities, confidence, relationships, leadership, ownership
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Reid, Heidi J., "Building Students’ Self-Efficacy Through Cross-Age Mentorship Focused on Stem Growth Mindset: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8968.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8968
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the self-efficacious experiences through a cross-age mentorship program between sixth-grade and Kindergarten students for parents at Seven Maples Elementary School in the Southeastern United States. The theory guiding this study is Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which describes how building confidence influences a person’s self-efficacy. This study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology and gathered data through interviews, physical artifacts, and focus groups with parents whose students participated in the Kindergarten Buddy Program, a cross-age mentor program between sixth-grade and kindergarten students. The interviews, physical artifacts, and focus group responses were recorded and transcribed for data analysis following van Manen’s design, in which transcripts were coded and compiled into themes by identifying recurring patterns within code clusters. Four central themes emerged across the three forms of data analysis: confidence, relationships, leadership, and ownership. The findings of this study emphasized that providing students with opportunities to build cross-age mentor relationships helped them develop stronger self-efficacy by strengthening confidence and a growth mindset, and by fostering a sense of connection and belonging. Parents saw their children carry this higher self-efficacy confidence from the academic setting within the school community out into their daily lives.
